So Wobble's doing his thing and Richard started at the right time. We got it off in one take. It happened as you hear it. As soon as Richard started playing, I just started making the noises I made and John just started singing 'slow motion.' That was it. I didn't know John had those words, I made up that tune as I went along, Wobble made up what he did as he went along. We knew it sounded a bit weird but it was alright with everyone. By the end of it, you could tell we had enough of it, with the funny noises and John yelling in terminal boredom 'only the lonely.' We had a serious playback and we all looked at each other and I said 'we've got this, haven't we? Sounds like the Doors, doesn't it? Let's keep it.' So we kept it on its own reel to give it space.'
Interview with Keith Levene, May 2001.
Albatross
Public Image Ltd. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting rid of the albatross
Sowing the seeds of discontent
I know you very well, you are unbearable
I've seen you up far too close
Getting rid of the albatross
Frying rear blinds
Should I really
If I run away, run away
Riding along on the crest of the wave
Getting rid of the albatross
Another will not forget
I know you very well
Run away, run away
Should I
I run away
Getting rid of the albatross
I know you very well, you are unbearable
I see you far too close
If I wanted to, if
Run away, run away
I ran away, I ran away
The lyrics to Public Image Ltd.'s song "Albatross" are poetic and abstract, but there definitely seems to be an underlying theme of liberation and escape. The first lines repeat "Slow motion, slow motion" which could refer to the feeling of being stuck or trapped, prompting the desire to break out into a faster pace of living. The line "Getting rid of the albatross" is a reference to the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", in which killing an albatross brings bad luck to a ship and its crew. In this song, the albatross can be seen as a metaphor for something burdensome or unwanted that the singer is trying to shake off.
The lines "Sowing the seeds of discontent" and "Another will not forget" could suggest that there is a larger social or personal issue at play here. The singer may be trying to make a point about societal dissatisfaction, or perhaps he is finally taking a stand against a toxic individual in his life. The phrases "I know you very well, you are unbearable" and "I've seen you up far too close" seem to speak directly to this person who is causing the singer so much frustration.
Line by Line Meaning
Slow motion, slow motion
The singer is telling the listener to slow down and take their time in the upcoming decisions.
Getting rid of the albatross
The singer wants to remove the burden or problem they have been carrying.
Sowing the seeds of discontent
The singer is starting to create feelings of unhappiness or dissatisfaction.
I know you very well, you are unbearable
The artist is familiar with the listener and finds them intolerable.
I've seen you up far too close
The artist has had too much exposure to the listener and is wanting to create some distance.
Frying rear blinds
It's unclear what this line means, as it may simply be random sounds or nonsensical lyrics.
If I wanted
The singer is contemplating a decision, but it's not clear what that decision entails.
Should I really
The artist is questioning if the decision they are contemplating is truly the best course of action.
If I run away, run away
The artist is considering fleeing the current situation they are in.
Riding along on the crest of the wave
The artist is currently experiencing success or good fortune.
Another will not forget
Even though the singer may be moving on, someone else will remember what happened in the past.
Run away, run away
The artist is repeating their desire to escape from their current situation.
Should I
The singer is once again questioning if their intended decision is the right one.
I run away
The singer has made the decision to flee from their situation.
I know you very well, you are unbearable
The singer reiterates that they are familiar with the listener and cannot stand their presence.
I see you far too close
The artist is once again emphasizing that they need distance from the listener.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DANIEL SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Beefheart1
alreadythere1993 Agreed. I don't understand where all this - seemingly current - culture has come from of turning Lydon into a saint. The only thing I can think of is that it must be kids who don't know any better yet?!?
Irrespective of the tripe and revisionism Lydon continually churns out nowadays, he was not much different to any of his immediate peers. Remember that the original PiL was constituted, largely, of Lydon's friends. Irrespective of Lydon's own "difficult" (shall we say) personality, both Wobble and Levene were what they were a long time prior to joining PiL. So, not only would have Lydon known this (there is some evidence that it was Lydon who set Wobble and Vicious on Nick Kent with (respectively) a knife and bike chain at the 100 Club, for instance, and Lydon always surrounded himself with - and admired - Boot Boys and others with a proclivity for violence. This is the culture that Lydon comes from after all) but he must have also been completely ok with the temperaments of the pair to ask them to join in the initial. I agree that Wobble was something of a thug but, again, Lydon was not averse to bullying and victimising himself. These weren't "pleasant" people at that time.
Further to this, Lydon (a speed freak who smoked dope like it was going out of fashion and daily used alcohol) had little problem with Levene's drug use; indeed, Levene had already been booted out of the fledgling Clash for his substance use, two years prior to Lydon asking him to join PiL, so, Levene's habits were no secret. Indeed, it was more Wobble who progressively had problems with Levene's drug of choice throughout his period in PiL, in regards to how debilitating it became.
The real reasons the original line up of PiL fractured were down to four or five separate elements: the increasingly clashing personalities of damaged people exacerbated by the wholesale group use of differing substances, inactivity - both individually and as a group, money (a big one. Lydon "the people's hero" was notably reticent at making sure his band mates received wages. On top of this, as the band had no manager, their finances were in a mess) and, finally, the final straw for Lydon in regards to both Wobble and Levene was, strangely, theft! Wobble, frustrated by group inactivity, co-opted Metal Box backing tracks and used them for certain numbers on his first solo album and Levene had it on his toes with the recordings Lydon and himself had made under the PiL umbrella in 82/83 and released them, independent of Lydon, as "Commercial Zone" (rapidly deleted. The tapes were then re-worked by Lydon, along with a club band as backing, and released as "This Is What You Want, This Is What You Get").
So, no, Wobble and Levene weren't sacked for, respectively, "bullying" and "addiction issues".
In my opinion, other than "No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" and "The Filth And The Fury" Lydon has done nothing of worth since the closing notes of "The Flowers Of Romance" album faded in the speaker. Admittedly, I'm getting on a bit now and maybe can't see what kids see in him. But, take it from one who was a kid in the 70s and 80s and a fan of both The Pistols (whilst they were still going) as well as early PiL, Lydon is not a saint, and largely wasn't the person back then that he now claims he was.
KARKNUJS
Rest in peace, Keith Levene. You're a legend that will inspire musicians from all around the world.
IANdrewDiceClay
This is a result of a truly original guitar player, an absolute one-off of a bassist and a young John Lydon at his very best. Its fucking tragic the original three members of Pil couldnt stay together. They were dynamite together.
Brovvna
agree, but Wobble was a bully and John could not tolerate that so he had to get rid of him. Also, Keith was a drug addict and having dealt with Sid before, John also could not handle another drug addict, in conclusion he also had to get rid of Keith. So it's pretty understandable why the original trio could not stay together. It is truly unfortunate though, they were magnificent together.
Beefheart1
alreadythere1993 Agreed. I don't understand where all this - seemingly current - culture has come from of turning Lydon into a saint. The only thing I can think of is that it must be kids who don't know any better yet?!?
Irrespective of the tripe and revisionism Lydon continually churns out nowadays, he was not much different to any of his immediate peers. Remember that the original PiL was constituted, largely, of Lydon's friends. Irrespective of Lydon's own "difficult" (shall we say) personality, both Wobble and Levene were what they were a long time prior to joining PiL. So, not only would have Lydon known this (there is some evidence that it was Lydon who set Wobble and Vicious on Nick Kent with (respectively) a knife and bike chain at the 100 Club, for instance, and Lydon always surrounded himself with - and admired - Boot Boys and others with a proclivity for violence. This is the culture that Lydon comes from after all) but he must have also been completely ok with the temperaments of the pair to ask them to join in the initial. I agree that Wobble was something of a thug but, again, Lydon was not averse to bullying and victimising himself. These weren't "pleasant" people at that time.
Further to this, Lydon (a speed freak who smoked dope like it was going out of fashion and daily used alcohol) had little problem with Levene's drug use; indeed, Levene had already been booted out of the fledgling Clash for his substance use, two years prior to Lydon asking him to join PiL, so, Levene's habits were no secret. Indeed, it was more Wobble who progressively had problems with Levene's drug of choice throughout his period in PiL, in regards to how debilitating it became.
The real reasons the original line up of PiL fractured were down to four or five separate elements: the increasingly clashing personalities of damaged people exacerbated by the wholesale group use of differing substances, inactivity - both individually and as a group, money (a big one. Lydon "the people's hero" was notably reticent at making sure his band mates received wages. On top of this, as the band had no manager, their finances were in a mess) and, finally, the final straw for Lydon in regards to both Wobble and Levene was, strangely, theft! Wobble, frustrated by group inactivity, co-opted Metal Box backing tracks and used them for certain numbers on his first solo album and Levene had it on his toes with the recordings Lydon and himself had made under the PiL umbrella in 82/83 and released them, independent of Lydon, as "Commercial Zone" (rapidly deleted. The tapes were then re-worked by Lydon, along with a club band as backing, and released as "This Is What You Want, This Is What You Get").
So, no, Wobble and Levene weren't sacked for, respectively, "bullying" and "addiction issues".
In my opinion, other than "No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" and "The Filth And The Fury" Lydon has done nothing of worth since the closing notes of "The Flowers Of Romance" album faded in the speaker. Admittedly, I'm getting on a bit now and maybe can't see what kids see in him. But, take it from one who was a kid in the 70s and 80s and a fan of both The Pistols (whilst they were still going) as well as early PiL, Lydon is not a saint, and largely wasn't the person back then that he now claims he was.
Jimmy P Metzger
Beefheart1 As far as I'm concerned, Flowers Of Romance was PiL's best album. They were at the peak of their powers on that record.
Fic Ticious
Watch on YouTube PIL-CHANT & Lyndon Pissed off complete
ClydeJarrod37UK
From what i have heard this past year, i agree.
LUGK KGHDfuh
This could quite possibly be the most amazing thing i've ever heard
Marcelo Henkin
for me is Poptones, the 4th track on this album. but yeah, this one here as well.
sexobscura
No Birds Do Sing