Early demos for the album were influenced by David Bowie’s "Low", among oth… Read Full Bio ↴Early demos for the album were influenced by David Bowie’s "Low", among other albums. Slowdive asked Brian Eno to produce the album but he declined, however, he agreed to do a couple of days of recording with Neil Halstead, and out of these sessions came the tracks “Sing” and “Here She Comes”. Eno provides keyboards and treatments on both tracks, ending up with co-writing “Sing” with Neil. Following these sessions Neil began to take greater influence from ambient music and has cited Aphex Twin, dub music, and early drum and bass as influences for the track “Souvlaki Space Station”.

Sing
Slowdive Lyrics

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Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Here come my man
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Here in my mind
Watch you fall away
I know
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
See you cover death

I know
We're fine, you are blind
Caught it from behind
Feel you fall away
I know he's here to stay
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
[...]
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
What a world I [...]
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
I thought I [...]
Everything I say
[...]
Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
[...]

[...]
And I know that he's gone away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Slowdive's "Sing" capture a sense of longing and loss, with the repeated plea to "sing where the other boys can watch you dance" suggesting a desire for attention and validation. The lines "here come my man" and "caught it from behind" hint at a relationship with a man who may be gone, leaving the singer to feel alone and disconnected.

The phrase "See you cover death" adds a sense of darkness to the song, perhaps suggesting a fear of mortality or an awareness of the fleeting nature of life. The final line, "And I know that he's gone away," reinforces the theme of loss and separation.

The lyricist's use of repetition throughout the song gives it a hypnotic quality, emphasizing the sense of spiraling thoughts and emotions. The references to dancing and movement also add a physicality to the lyrics, suggesting a desire to escape from emotional pain through physical expression.

Line by Line Meaning

Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Display your talents and charm in front of everyone, especially the opposite sex.

Here come my man
I'm here for you, and I'm your man.

Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Show off your beauty and grace to men other than myself.

Here in my mind
Although you may be dancing for others, you are always present in my thoughts.

Watch you fall away
Witness you slowly slipping away from me.

I know
I'm aware of the change happening in our relationship.

Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Don't be afraid to perform in front of others, even if it means they may take you away from me.

See you cover death
Notice the dark and morbid nature behind your recent behavior.

I know
I understand and acknowledge the situation.

We're fine, you are blind
I'm trying to convince myself that everything is okay, while you are oblivious to the heartache you are causing me.

Caught it from behind
I was caught off guard and hurt by your actions.

Feel you fall away
Sense that you are slipping further away from me.

I know he's here to stay
Realize that the new person in your life will be around for a while.

Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Keep sharing your radiance, even if I'm not the only one admiring it.

What a world I [...]
What a strange, unpredictable world we live in.

I thought I [...]
I once believed that things would be different between us.

Everything I say
Every word I speak is filled with the pain and heartache I feel.

Sing where the other boys can watch you dance
Don't hold back from showing your beauty and talent to the world.

And I know that he's gone away
I'm aware that the person who once loved me is no longer in my life.

Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BRIAN PETER GEORGE ENO, CHRISTIAN SAVILL, NICK CHAPLIN, RACHEL GOSWELL, NEIL HALSTEAD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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