Portishead's debut album, Dummy (1994), fused hip hop production with an atmospheric, cinematic style reminiscent of spy film soundtracks. The album was met with commercial and critical acclaim, quickly becoming a landmark album in the emerging trip hop genre. However, the band disliked being associated with the term, and would consciously step away from that sound on later releases. Two other studio albums have been issued: Portishead in 1997 and Third in 2008, both of which received similar acclaim. In 1998, the band released a concert album, Roseland NYC Live.
Numb
Portishead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't find my way
Been searching, but I have never seen
A turning, a turning from deceit
'Cause the child rose as life
Tried to reveal what I could feel
'Cause I am still feeling lonely
Feeling so unholy
'Cause the child rose as life
Tried to reveal what I could feel
But this loneliness
It just won't leave me alone, oh no
I'm fooling somebody
A faithless path I roam
Deceiving to breathe this secretly
A silence, this silence I can't bear
'Cause the child rose as life
Tried to reveal what I could feel
And this loneliness
It just won't leave me alone, oh no
And this loneliness
Just won't leave me alone
A lady of woe
A lady of woe
The lyrics to Portishead's song "Numb" capture the emotional turmoil of a person who is lost and confused, struggling to come to terms with their internal turmoil. The singer is searching for something but unable to find it, and the "turning from deceit" suggests that they have been misled or betrayed in some way. Despite their best efforts to navigate their emotions, the singer cannot seem to escape their feelings of loneliness and emptiness, as if they are wandering aimlessly through life. When they say "the child rose as life," they are likely referring to their own inner child, their primal emotions and instincts that have been buried or silenced over time.
The repetition of the phrase "this loneliness / it just won't leave me alone" speaks to the overwhelming feeling of isolation and despair that the singer is experiencing. They are aware of their own unfaithful behavior, perhaps engaging in destructive patterns or relationships in an attempt to fill the void inside, but it only leads them further into silence and suffering. The reference to "a lady of woe" at the end of the song could be interpreted in many ways; it may be a reference to the singer themselves, or to a figure outside of themselves who represents their pain and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm ever so lost
I'm feeling completely lost and confused
I can't find my way
I'm unable to find my direction in life
Been searching, but I have never seen
I've been searching for answers, but haven't found any
A turning, a turning from deceit
I need to turn away from deceitful behaviors and people
'Cause the child rose as life
When I was young, I was full of life and hope
Tried to reveal what I could feel
I tried to be true to myself and express my emotions
I can't understand myself anymore
I'm struggling to understand my own thoughts and feelings
'Cause I am still feeling lonely
Despite everything, I'm still feeling very alone
Feeling so unholy
I feel guilty and ashamed of myself
But this loneliness
Despite trying to shake it off, I'm still consumed by loneliness
It just won't leave me alone, oh no
It's a persistent feeling that won't go away
I'm fooling somebody
I'm hiding my true self from someone
A faithless path I roam
I'm lost and directionless, without any sense of purpose
Deceiving to breathe this secretly
I'm pretending to be someone I'm not to survive
A silence, this silence I can't bear
I'm overwhelmed by the constant silence and loneliness
And this loneliness
Loneliness is the main problem that I can't get rid of
Just won't leave me alone, oh no
It's a constant presence that I can't shake off
A lady of woe
I'm feeling very sad and unhappy
A lady of woe
I'm feeling very sad and unhappy (repeated line)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adrian Francis Utley, Beth Gibbons, Geoffrey Paul Barrow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scottchristine32
I'm ever so lost
I can't find my way
Been searchin', but I have never seen
A turnin', a turnin' from deceit
'Cause a child, roses light
Tried to reveal what I could feel
I can't understand myself
Anymore
'Cause, I'm still feelin' lonely
Feelin' so unholy
'Cause a child, roses light
Tried to reveal what I could feel
I'm lonely
It just won't leave me alone
Oh, no
I'm foolin' somebody
A faithless path I roam
Deceiving, to breathe this secretly
The silence, the silence, I can't bear
'Cause a child roses light
Tries to reveal what I could feel
And this loneliness
It just won't leave me alone
Oh, no
And this loneliness
It just won't leave me alone
A lady of war
A lady of war
@kylieboomerang3
Unable so lost
I can't find my way
Been searching, but I have never seen
A turning, a turning from deceit
'Cause the child roses like
Try to reveal what I could feel
I can't understand myself anymore
'Cause I m still feeling lonely
Feeling so unholy
'Cause the child roses like
Try to reveal what I could feel
But this loneliness
It just won't leave me alone, oh no
I'm fooling somebody
A faithless path I roam
Deceiving to breath this secretly
A silence, this silence I can't bear
'Cause the child roses like
Tries to reveal what I could feel
And this loneliness
It just won't leave me alone, oh no
And this loneliness,
Just won't leave me alone
A lady of war
A lady of war
@larrytan73
Portishead sounds like no other group across any genre! One of the greatest bands of all-time!
@hahamasala
I love Portishead of course and there's another band called Lamb that you might also like.
https://youtube.com/c/Lambofficial1
@blinkybill8155
Very much like Coco rosie
@levetbyck
haven’t really got to appreciate much of it yet (been browsing a few songs of them)
- sounds like she has problem articulating the L’s.. /and M's, X's (the whole alphabet)
@zuzak.2792
Boom
Symprise
@mavenofmacau6391
felt their sound was too repetitive for my liking. when they hit they hit but not enough variety in their style. great to put 3-4 songs on various mix tapes though. yes i'm aging myself with that comment
@alexrymsky7994
"Dummy" and "Portishead" are two MASTERPIECES for ALL times
@apaskiainen
It's also called crap.
@horatiotodd8723
@@apaskiainenshut up
@horatiotodd8723
Third is as good or better