"We're all of us trying to change, really. Still in our world but further down the road we've been travelling. And people say the guitar is Joy Division–y. Just rough — by choice. Detuned Harmony kid's guitar through a shitty little amp. We're always looking for limited frequency in instruments, something with a fog around it that glues it into a track so it doesn't stand out. Limited playing, too. I pursued virtuosity for many years, learning scales and harmony, and being able to improvise through scales and chords, but technique isn't important for me any more." -Adrian Utley
We Carry On
Portishead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's choking on my mind
Reaching out I can't believe
The faith it can't decide
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell my self
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed the taste of life
The pace, the time, I can't survive
It's grinding down the view
Breaking out which way to choose
A choice I can't renew
Holding on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell my self
It's this I can't disguise
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed, no place is safe
Can't you see the taste of life
The lyrics to Portishead's song We Carry On reflect the struggles of life and the challenges we face as individuals. The song starts off by describing the taste of life as something that cannot be described, and something that can choke on the mind. The uncertainty of faith and the inability to decide complicates it further. The first verse ends with the realization that even though one carries on, they cannot hide the feeling that they are constantly struggling. The chorus emphasizes the pain and the emotions that come with holding on to one's heart and the struggle that comes with it.
The second verse of the song continues to portray the emotional struggles of one's life. The pace and the time are described as something that cannot be survived, and the weight of these decisions is grinding down the view. The choice that one must make is something that cannot be renewed, and the pain is constant. The second chorus continues to highlight the pain and the emotions of holding on to one's heart, emphasizing that no place is safe, and the taste of life is something that one can see.
In conclusion, We Carry On is a powerful song that highlights the struggles we face in our lives. The lyrics are deep and emotive, and the melody reinforces the message. The song talks about the challenges one faces every day in their life and how they have to struggle to keep themselves going. In short, the song tells us that life is a struggle, but we carry on despite it all.
Line by Line Meaning
The taste of life I can't describe
I cannot find the words that accurately depict the essence of life.
It's choking on my mind
Life's complexities and uncertainties are weighing heavily on my mental state.
Reaching out I can't believe
I struggle to trust the potential outcomes of my actions.
The faith it can't decide
I am unsure about the certainty of my beliefs.
On and on I carry on
I am persisting, moving forward despite my doubts and fears.
But underneath my mind
Despite my outward appearance of strength, I feel overwhelmed inwardly.
And on and on I tell myself
I repeatedly try to convince myself of certain truths.
It's this I can't disguise
There are certain aspects of myself I cannot hide or cover up.
Oh can't you see
I am pleading for someone to understand my struggle.
Holding on to my heart
I am desperate to keep my emotions in check.
I bleed the taste of life
Life's unknowns are causing me emotional pain and distress.
The pace, the time, I can't survive
I feel overwhelmed by the speed at which life is passing and the pressure to keep up.
It's grinding down the view
The pace is having a negative effect on how I perceive life.
Breaking out which way to choose
I am struggling to make a decision amid the chaos of life.
A choice I can't renew
I cannot go back and make a different choice.
No place is safe
I cannot find a place of refuge from the stresses of life.
Can't you see the taste of life
I am urging others to understand the struggle of navigating life's complexities.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN FRANCIS UTLEY, BETH GIBBONS, GEOFFREY PAUL BARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@olivierd5766
We Carry On Lyrics
[Verse 1]
The taste of life
I can't describe
It's choking on my mind
Reaching out I can't believe
That faith it can't decide
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed the taste of life
[Verse 2]
The pace, the time
I can't survive
It's grinding down the view
Breaking out which way to choose
A choice I can't renew
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed, no place is safe
Can't you see the taste of life?
@henriqueramos3197
WE CARRY ON
[Verse 1]
The taste of life
I can't describe
It's choking on my mind
Reaching out I can't believe
That faith it can't decide
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed the taste of life
[Verse 2]
The pace, the time
I can't survive
It's grinding down the view
Breaking out which way to choose
A choice I can't renew
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed, no place is safe
Can't you see the taste of life?
Produced by Portishead
Written by Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley & Geoff Barrow
Album THIRD (2008)
@Lezdoval
Gracias Portishead me hacen el día con su Música, saludos desde México 🇲🇽
We Carry On
El sabor de la vida que no puedo describir
The taste of life I can't describe
Se está ahogando en mi mente
It's chocking on my mind
Alcanzando no puedo creer
Reaching out I can't believe
Fe no puede decidir
Faith it can't decide
Una y otra vez sigo
On and on I carry on
Pero debajo de mi mente
But underneath my mind
Y una y otra vez me digo a mí mismo
And on and on I tell myself
Es esto lo que no puedo disfrazar
It's this I can't disguise
Oh, no puedes ver
Oh can't you see
Aferrándose a mi corazón
Holding on to my heart
Sangro el sabor de la vida
I bleed the taste of life
El ritmo, el tiempo, no puedo sobrevivir
The pace, the time, I can't survive
Está moliendo la vista
It's grinding down the view
Rompiendo qué camino elegir
Breaking out which way to choose
Una elección que no puedo renovar
A choice I can't renew
aguantando yo sigo
Holding on I carry on
Pero debajo de mi mente
But underneath my mind
Y una y otra vez me digo a mí mismo
And on and on I tell myself
Es esto lo que no puedo disfrazar
It's this I can't disguise
Oh, no puedes ver
Oh can't you see
Aferrándose a mi corazón
Holding on to my heart
Sangro, ningún lugar es seguro
I bleed, no place is safe
¿No puedes ver el sabor de la vida?
Can't you see the taste of life
@henriqueramos3197
PORTISHEAD - TRIP-HOP FOREVER!
Portishead (/pɔːrtɪsˈhɛd/) are an English band formed in 1991 in Bristol. The band is named after Portishead, Somerset, eight miles west of Bristol, along the coast. The band comprises vocalist Beth Gibbons, producer Geoff Barrow, and musician Adrian Utley; Dave McDonald, an engineer on their first records, is sometimes cited as the fourth member.
Portishead's debut album, Dummy (1994), fused hip hop production with yearning vocals from Gibbons and 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.
Portishead's music was influenced by a wide range of singers and composers. Gibbons's voice has been compared to singer Billie Holiday. Utley mentioned the spaghetti western guitar composed by Ennio Morricone; he said that "[Morricone's] The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the sort of soundtrack that I love".
The discography of British trip hop group Portishead consists of three studio albums, one live album, one compilation, ten singles and one video album. The Bristol-based band consists of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley.
And I have the great honor of having in my discography the three studio CD-albums, including the live CD-Álbum.
Therefore, I have three copies of the CD-Album, DUMMY (1994), three copies of the CD-Album PORTISHEAD (1997), one unit of the live CD-Album ROSELAND NYC LIVE (1998), and finally the last CD-Studio album, THIRD (2008), only a single unit. In all, there are eight CD-albums that I have from this Trip-Hop trio, one of the pioneers of this electronic music genre, in addition, of course, to Massive Attack, among others that appeared at the same time, and others a little later. TRIP-HOP FOREVER!
Third is the third and most recent studio album by the English band Portishead. It was released on 28 April 2008 in the United Kingdom by Island Records and a day later in the United States by Mercury Records. Portishead's first studio album in eleven years, Third moved away from the trip hop style they had popularised, incorporating influences such as krautrock, surf rock, doo wop and the film soundtracks of John Carpenter.
After Portishead released their self-titled second album in 1997, band member Geoff Barrow put Portishead on hiatus and moved to Australia. He became uninterested in music, and efforts to develop new songs with guitarist and keyboardist Adrian Utley failed. They were inspired to create again after producing with the band the Coral, and restarted work with singer Beth Gibbons in Bristol, England.
Third entered the top ten of several countries' music charts and was certified gold in the UK. It was named one of the best albums of 2008 by several publications; in 2013, NME ranked it number 330 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Described as an electronica, experimental rock and psychedelic rock record, Third departs from Portishead's trip hop sound, the genre they had popularised with their albums Dummy (1994) and Portishead (1997). It also contains no turntable scratching, a hallmark of their earlier albums. Gareth Grundy of Q wrote that "Third's sole link with the past is Gibbons' voice ... Everything else has been binned, the hip hop, the cinematic feel, the lot." Instead, the album contains "muscular" synthesisers, drum breaks and abrupt endings, with "propulsive" krautrock rhythms, break beats, cathedral organ, "Moroccan drones" and surf rock. The AV Club wrote that singer Gibbons "sounds more hollowed-out and harrowed than ever, a human nervous twitch on too much coffee and too little sleep".
The opening track, "Silence", has a "propulsive" drum loop and "Morse code"-like guitar. "We Carry On" has a "claustrophobic" two-note electro riff; Rolling Stone likened it to the work of the American psychedelic band Silver Apples. "Deep Water" is a "ukulele doo-wop". "Machine Gun" is driven by a "mechanical" rhythm that gives way to synthesisers which Drowned in Sound likened to the soundtracks of the 1980s films The Terminator and Blade Runner. "Magic Doors" features "huge" piano chords, "tick-tocking" cowbell, and "corrupted" brass.
Third was released on 28 April 2008 on Island Records in the United Kingdom, 29 April Mercury Records in the United States,[citation needed] and 30 April on Universal Music Japan in Japan.[citation needed] It entered the UK Albums Chart at number two and the US Billboard 200 at number seven, becoming Portishead's highest US chart debut, selling 53,000 copies.
On 8 and 9 December 2007, Portishead curated the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, England, and performed their first full sets in nearly 10 years, including tracks from Third. On 21 January 2008, Portishead announced a European tour to support the album, with a headline spot at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 26 April 2008, their only US date on the tour.
On 21 April 2008, a week before its release, Third was made available as a free stream on Last.fm, attracting 327,000 listeners in 24 hours. It was the first time Last.fm made an album available before its release. Third was the fifth-bestselling vinyl record of 2008, selling 12,300 copies.
1995 Mercury Prize Dummy Album of the Year Won, NME Awards Themselves Best Dance Act Nominated, MTV Europe Music Awards Best New Act Nominated. Edison Awards Best International Dance/Rap Won, Brit Awards British Breakthrough Act Nominated, 1997 GAFFA Awards (Denmark) Beth Gibbons Best Foreign Female Act Nominated, 1998 Žebřík Music Awards Best International Female Nominated, 1999 Online Music Awards Themselves Best Alternative Fansite Nominated, 2008 Rober Awards Music Prize Best Band Won, Cutting Edge Won, Best Electronica Won, Third Album of the Year, Won, The Rip "Single of the Year Won, Themselves Best Live Artist Nominated, 2016 Ivor Novello Awards Outstanding Contribution to British Music Won, Music Week Sync Awards "SOS" Film Soundtrack Won, Rober Awards Music Poll Best Cover Version Won.
@henriqueramos3197
WE CARRY ON
[Verse 1]
The taste of life
I can't describe
It's choking on my mind
Reaching out I can't believe
That faith it can't decide
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed the taste of life
[Verse 2]
The pace, the time
I can't survive
It's grinding down the view
Breaking out which way to choose
A choice I can't renew
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed, no place is safe
Can't you see the taste of life?
Produced by Portishead
Written by Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley & Geoff Barrow
Album THIRD (2008)
@Noidfpv
So appreciative of the art that you guys have offered the world. Makes life just a little bit sweeter I'd like to think. Much love.
@the2ndcoming135
And, a thunderous round of applause from the civilized, yea?👏🏽
@user-gc5cy6td2k
{♡}
@drainme27
The drum beats are so menacing, it’s hauntingly beautiful.
@kassmcwilliams8640
My dad showed me your songs a few years ago and I've been obsessed with your music ever since. Your voice is just amazing. Much love too you ❤️
@STUDlOIC
Try Sevdaliza - Human
@olivierd5766
We Carry On Lyrics
[Verse 1]
The taste of life
I can't describe
It's choking on my mind
Reaching out I can't believe
That faith it can't decide
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed the taste of life
[Verse 2]
The pace, the time
I can't survive
It's grinding down the view
Breaking out which way to choose
A choice I can't renew
[Pre-Chorus]
On and on I carry on
But underneath my mind
And on and on I tell myself
It's this I can't disguise
[Chorus]
Oh can't you see
Holding on to my heart
I bleed, no place is safe
Can't you see the taste of life?
@kickback4me
I used to go mad to this song, the whole third album really, this album opened my musical mind back in 08'. Still one of my favourite albums ever!
@oliversoffge9441
Same here. The Guitar riff is a Monster. The album 3rd is in my Top 5 of all times, same with Small, my absolute favourite from the album.
@dvinagreo
Oh my!!! Pay attention to That beat and The voice. how this Song grows: the bassline, that buzz, the guitar ins and outs, the beep, and when the drums come in and all plays together it's just amazing. The progression is everything