The video, shot by Howard Greenhalgh, portrays drummer Steve Hewitt with a blurred face because he was still contractually obligated to another band on a different label. This is also Hewitt's first appearance in a Placebo video after the departure of previous drummer Robert Schultzberg.
Nancy Boy
Placebo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lose my clothes
Lose my lube
Cruising for a piece of fun
Looking out for number one
Different partner every night
So narcotic outta sight
What a gas
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
Kind of buzz that lasts for days
Had some help from insect ways
Comes across all shy and coy
Just another nancy boy
Woman man or modern monkey
Just another happy junkie
Fifty pounds
Press my button
Going down
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
does his makeup in his room
Douse himself with cheap perfume
Eyeholes in a paper bag
Greatest lay I ever had
Kind of guy who mates for life
Gotta help him find a wife
We're a couple
When our bodies double
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Spinnin' me round she's coming over me
The song “Nancy Boy” by Placebo is a glam rock/punk rock anthem filled with dark themes of sex, drugs, and gender-bending. The chorus “And it all breaks down at the role reversal, got the muse in my head she's universal, spinnin' me round she's coming over me” refers to the singer losing control when their partner takes control and dominates them. The verses describe the singer's addiction to sex and drugs, cruising for partners and getting high with the help of insects, which could symbolize being under the influence of someone or something else.
The lyrics also allude to gender fluidity and the singer's willingness to engage with partners of any gender. References to dressing in drag, wearing makeup, and dousing themselves in perfume, suggest that the singer's gender is fluid and not strictly defined. The line “Kind of guy who mates for life, gotta help him find a wife” could be interpreted as a sarcastic commentary on the pressure and stigma towards people who don't conform to traditional gender roles.
Overall, the song challenges the societal norms surrounding gender and sexual orientation, and explores the dark side of addiction and self-indulgence.
Line by Line Meaning
Alcoholic kind of mood
Feeling the effects of alcohol and in a certain mood
Lose my clothes
Taking off my clothes
Lose my lube
Misplacing my lubricant
Cruising for a piece of fun
Looking for a good time
Looking out for number one
Prioritizing oneself above all others
Different partner every night
Having sexual relations with different people each night
So narcotic outta sight
Feeling high or euphoric due to drug use
What a gas
What a fantastic time
what a beautiful ass
Expressing admiration for someone's attractive posterior
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
The situation becomes chaotic when roles are reversed
Got the muse in my head she's universal
Feeling inspired, possibly by someone or something universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me
Feeling out of control and overwhelmed by a powerful force
Kind of buzz that lasts for days
Experiencing a long-lasting buzz or euphoria
Had some help from insect ways
Implied drug use, possibly involving using a psychoactive substance derived from insects
Comes across all shy and coy
Acting shy and reserved
Just another nancy boy
Referring to someone who is perceived as weak or feminine
Woman man or modern monkey
Categorizing individuals into different classifications
Just another happy junkie
Referring to someone who is addicted to drugs and derives pleasure from this addiction
Fifty pounds, press my button
Offering money in exchange for sexual favors
Going down
Performing oral sex
Does his makeup in his room
Putting on makeup in private
Douse himself with cheap perfume
Spraying oneself with an inexpensive fragrance
Eyeholes in a paper bag
Wearing a paper bag over one's head with holes cut out for the eyes
Greatest lay I ever had
Referring to a sexual encounter as the best one ever experienced
Kind of guy who mates for life
Describing someone who is loyal and devoted to their partner
Gotta help him find a wife
Assuming responsibility for finding a partner for someone else
We're a couple, when our bodies double
Implying that sexual compatibility is the basis for a relationship
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN MOLKO, STEFAN OLSDAL, ROBERT SCHULTZBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@javanadias
Alcoholic kind of mood
Lose my clothes, lose my lube
Cruising for a piece of fun
Looking out for number one
Different partner every night
So narcotic outta sight
What a gas
What a beautiful ass
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my, head she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
Kind of buzz that lasts for days
Had some help from insect ways
Comes across all shy and coy
Just another nancy boy
Woman man or modern monkey
Just another happy junkie
Fifty pounds
Press my button, going down
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
Does his makeup in his room
Douse himself with cheap perfume
Eyeholes in a paper bag
Greatest lay I ever had
Kind of guy who mates for life
Gotta help him find a wife
We're a couple
When our bodies double
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
And it all breaks down at the role reversal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal
Got the muse in my head, she's universal
Spinnin' me round, she's coming over me, me
@thecheekibreekiguy5048
I will never get bored of this song
@drivelsadvocate
In Soviet Russia, song gets bored of you. Sorry.
@thecheekibreekiguy5048
drivelsadvocate nah, man its fine
@jimboxreads4165
I don't wanna ruin your perfect 69 likes, but I like and agree with your comment :-)
@gms77777
this song bangs and it doesnt care
@thedrunkenramblingsnorthea4201
I was just about to comment this f**k
@nr6366
Just turned 50, it's nearly 2020 and every few years I find myself returning for my Splurge of Placebo. They never get old!
@patdisaster8543
I'm 49 ...the 80s into the 90s butthole surfers!!!!
@bestestusername
I am 46, our nursing homes will be interesting on music night
@sminkycorp
@Adam Australia heheheh lol nurses will chunder lol