1) Placebo is… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four artists with the name Placebo:
1) Placebo is a British alternative rock band formed in London in 1994 by vocalist-guitarist Brian Molko and bassist-guitarist Stefan Olsdal. Drummer Robert Schultzberg joined in late 1994 but left in 1996 shortly after the release of the band's eponymous debut album due to conflicts with Molko. He was replaced the same year by Steve Hewitt. Molko was born in Belgium, and Olsdal and Schultzberg were born in Sweden. Remaining members Molko and Olsdal both grew up in Luxembourg before separately relocating to London and are both British citizens.
Following the release of a demo, a split single, and their eponymous debut album, Placebo gained exposure in 1997 after the single "Nancy Boy" became popular in the UK, a song notorious at the time for its gender-bending content. The band stood out among the Britpop scene they were associated with at the time for their androgynous appearance and musical content, as well as Molko's distinctive voice and lyrics which openly discussed sexuality, mental health, and drug use.
Hewitt left Placebo in 2007 due to personal and musical differences. He was replaced the following year by Steve Forrest. Placebo released two albums with Forrest, who left in 2015 to pursue his own musical career. Since 2015, Placebo has been officially a duo, though augmented with additional musicians.
Placebo has collaborated with various artists over the years, including David Bowie, Justin Warfield, Michael Stipe, and Alison Mosshart. To date, Placebo has released eight studio albums, all of which have reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom, and have sold around 14 million records worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_(band)
Discography
Placebo (1996)
Without You I'm Nothing (1998)
Black Market Music (2000)
Sleeping with Ghosts (2003)
Meds (2006)
Battle for the Sun (2009)
Loud Like Love (2013)
Never Let Me Go (2022)
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2) Placebo is a Jazz Rock/Jazz fusion band from Belgium who released three LPs in the early '70s. Their members were performing with Aksak Maboul, Larry Coryell, Focus, Telex, and Cos.
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3) Placebo is a female-fronted British Post-Punk/New Wave band from the early '80s who had two LPs and two 45s out.
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4) Placebo is a four-piece rock band from Calgary, AB, Canada, fronted by Leslie Feist. Other members included Kieran McAuley on guitar, Elescia on bass, and Toby on drums. This information is based on the liner notes of their CD "Don't Drink the Bathwater," released in 1994 on Cry Baby Records. After discovering the UK Placebo, they renamed the band Placebo4 for the 1996 release of their 7-inch "Sailor Boy," also on Cry Baby Records. Dale Becker on drums.
Meds
Placebo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying my best not to forget
What happened to us, what happened to me
What happened as I let it slip
I was confused by the powers that be
Forgetting names and faces
Passers by were looking at me
As if they could erase it
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
I was alone staring over the ledge
Trying my best not to forget
All manner of joy, all manner of glee
And our one heroic pledge
How it mattered to us, how it mattered to me
And the consequences
I was confused by the birds and the bees
Forgetting if I meant it
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
And the sex, and the drugs, and the complications
And the sex, and the drugs, and the complications
And the sex, and the drugs, and the complications
And the sex, and the drugs, and the complications
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
I was alone, falling free
Trying my best not to forget
"Meds" by Placebo is a reflective song about the struggles of mental illness, addiction, and the effects of not taking medication. The opening lines, "I was alone, falling free / Trying my best not to forget / What happened to us, what happened to me / What happened as I let it slip" are suggestive of the singer's feeling of losing control. They are expressing that they have lost touch with their own life and can't recall what has happened. The song continues to talk about the confusion felt by the singer and their resulting behavior. The line "Passers by were looking at me / As if they could erase it" implies that they feel as if everyone around them is judging and writing them off, stigmatizing them as they struggle.
The chorus is directed toward a partner or friend, asking them if they have taken their medication. In the line "Baby, did you forget to take your meds?" the use of the word "baby" is both caring and condescending, demonstrating the complicated emotions surrounding mental health and the medication needed to treat it. The second verse reflects on the memories and happy times shared, suggesting that these moments are lost in the fog of mental illness and addiction. The bridge of the song repeats the phrases "And the sex, and the drugs, and the complications," which highlights the chaos caused by addiction and the irresponsibility of forgetting to take medication.
Overall, "Meds" by Placebo is an emotional reflection on the struggles caused by mental illness and addiction. The use of vivid imagery and ambiguous language is stylistically pleasing and pulls the listener in emotionally. The chorus of the song has become an anthem of sorts for those struggling with mental health issues, and the song itself has been praised for its raw and honest portrayal of these struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
I was alone, falling free
I was on my own, detached and feeling helpless
Trying my best not to forget
I tried hard to remember and hold onto the memories
What happened to us, what happened to me
I couldn't figure out what went wrong with our relationship and my mental state
What happened as I let it slip
I lost control and let everything go away
I was confused by the powers that be
I couldn't understand the higher forces controlling my life
Forgetting names and faces
I was losing my memory and couldn't recognize people around me
Passers by were looking at me
Random people were staring at me
As if they could erase it
As if they could erase my mistakes and problems
And the sex, and the drugs, and the complications
All the complicated and chaotic details of my life involving sex and drugs
And the consequences
The aftermath of my actions
I was alone staring over the ledge
I was by myself gazing down from a height
All manner of joy, all manner of glee
All kinds of happiness and excitement
And our one heroic pledge
A heartfelt promise we made together
How it mattered to us, how it mattered to me
How much it meant to us and especially for me
I was confused by the birds and the bees
I didn't understand the basics of life and nature
Forgetting if I meant it
Doubting whether I truly meant what I said
Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
A sarcastic rhetorical question implying that someone may be going crazy and needs medication
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Steven Hewitt, Stefan Olsdal, Brian Molko
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pixiefxs
~~Lyrics
I was alone, falling free
Trying my best not to forget
What happened to us, what happened to me
What happened as I let it slip
I was confused by the powers that be
Forgetting names and faces
Passers by, were looking at me
As if they could erase it
Baby...did you forget to take your meds?
Baby...did you forget to take your meds?
I was alone, staring over the ledge
Trying my best not to forget
All manner of joy, all manner of glee
And our one heroic pledge
How it mattered to us, how it mattered to me
And the consequences
I was confused, by the birds and the bees
Forgetting if I meant it
Baby..did you forget to take your meds?
Baby..did you forget to take your meds?
Baby..did you forget to take your meds?
Baby..did you forget to take your meds?
And the sex and the drugs, and the complications
And the sex and the drugs, and the complications
And the sex and the drugs, and the complications
And the sex and the drugs, and the complications
Baby..did you forget to take you meds?
Baby..did you forget to take you meds?
Baby..did you forget to take you meds?
Baby..did you forget to take you meds?
Baby..did you forget to take you meds?
Baby..did you forget to take you meds?
I was alone, falling free, trying my best not to forget
@Quintus40k
For years I thought that this song is about "sex and drugs and complications", like so many commenters here, but then I slipped into depression and now I know exactly what is this song about. Take care of your mental health, peeps.
@josht7468
Hope your doing well now mate. 👊👍😎
@eglwysfawr4076
Bang on boyo hit the nail on the head 👏 👌...hope you're well and all is good with you now 😀 🏴👊✌💯🙏🏴
@Kholaslittlespot1
For me it's all of those things. Hope you're doing OK today. Just live one day at a time and don't give up.
@jumo6959
Haha... For years I thought this song was about depression, but I’ve tried something this week and NOW I know exactly what’s this song about. Don’t do drugs, kids.
@shanelle-rae3309
Maybe its about all of it maybe its how the lifestlye made him felt. I'm only a new fan so I'm not really sure but thats what I got. And sorry to hear that.
@chrisxmichael88
There will never be a band that can duplicate what Placebo has done. 34 years old and still amazed by them.
@garethmurray5901
I turn 34 in 5 months.
@user-dq5mu2dz8f
Мне 45 и я восхищаюсь ими!
@user-sc5no8tx5p
А мне 33 года и видимо это то самое поколение...