"This originally came from Beth, probably on piano. Those are pretty much t… Read Full Bio ↴"This originally came from Beth, probably on piano. Those are pretty much the chords she'd written. I played around on guitar till I got a theme–y thing. Then we had the ARP 2600 doing the helicopter sound — a bit like Apocalypse Now. I do love that ARP synth, it's been on a couple of things. There was a big argument about the chorus. Beth felt like it should sort of fall off a cliff, and it went through many guises. It ended up with some acoustic guitar like a Morricone guitarist, banging the guitar while holding a chord, so you had this very understated drone of a chord but more of a banging tonal sound. So that ended up in it, amidst the mess that's there! Geoff put a funny little arpeggiated keyboard part on the end, which is really good. We're all swapping round more on instruments — Geoff plays bass sometimes; Beth plays electric guitar on 'Threads'."

-Adrian Utley

Plastic
Portishead Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wonder why
I don't know what you see
Of course I care
I won't pretend

It's just a thought I've
Said enough
Don't you know life turns me

Always wants me
I can hardly pray

I could try
But don't know what you hear
'Cause in my heart
You were so clear

It's just a thought I've
Said enough
Don't you know life turns me
Always wants me
I can hardly pray

On your stage
A show that you create
All by yourself
I am nowhere

You never noticed
You were so sure
Don't you know life turns me

Always wants me
I can hardly pray

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Portishead's song Plastic seem to reflect the inner turmoil of the singer. They wonder why they do not see things the way the person they are addressing does. The singer is honest when they say that they do care, but they cannot pretend to be someone they are not. Despite this, they still feel like they can hardly pray, as if they cannot even find comfort in a higher power. The singer acknowledges that they could try to communicate with the person they are addressing, but they do not know if they will be heard or understood. In the end, the singer feels left out and unnoticed as the other person creates their own show on stage, seemingly unaware of the pain they have caused the singer.

Overall, the lyrics seem to convey feelings of isolation, lack of communication, and a struggle to find purpose and meaning in life. The repetition of the lines "Don't you know life turns me/Always wants me/I can hardly pray" reinforces the idea that the singer feels powerless and lost in the face of life's challenges.

Line by Line Meaning

I wonder why
I am curious about the reason for this situation

I don't know what you see
I am unsure why you perceive things differently from me

Of course I care
I want you to know that I am invested in this relationship

I won't pretend
I will not fake how I truly feel about you and our situation

It's just a thought I've
These are just my musings

Said enough
I have expressed myself sufficiently

Don't you know life turns me
Life's constant changes and challenges always affect me

Always wants me
I feel like life is targeting me

I can hardly pray
I find it hard to have faith or hope given my struggles

I could try
I might be willing to attempt something, though I'm unsure if it will be effective

But don't know what you hear
I am not sure if you will listen or understand me even if I try