Long before Bristol had become a recognized stronghold for downtempo trip-h… Read Full Bio ↴Long before Bristol had become a recognized stronghold for downtempo trip-hop and spy-soundtrack dubs, the duo of Rob Smith and Ray Mighty teamed in the late '80s for two early breakbeat tracks, "Walk on By" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart." The anachronistic fusion of sophisticated Burt Bacharach productions with laidback hip-hop prefigured trip-hop's later fascination with the more polished end of '60s adult-pop. The pair also produced the Top Ten hit "Wishing on a Star" for the Fresh Fours, then signed with ffrr Records (who were looking for a production team with crossover abilities similar to Soul II Soul). The label later rejected both Smith & Mighty's debut album and several subsequent recordings � claiming they were unsuitable for release � so the duo formed their own label, More Rockers. Five years after their initial brush with major-label shenanigans, they released Bass Is Maternal. Smith & Mighty also worked on production for More Rockers signee Marxman, and released a volume in the DJ Kicks series in 1998. Big World, Small World followed two years later. Smith has also recorded with the trip-hop trio Jaz Klash.

Small World
Smith & Mighty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All I hear is entity
Open wide feel the breeze
All I hear is entity
Open wide all to see

How far shall I look
I look all around
How far shall I look

I look all around

All I hear is entity
Open wide feel the breeze
All I hear is entity
Open while
Closely feel the wheel of emotion
Closely feel the wheel of evolution

All I see is a small world
Inside a big world
What I see is a small world
Inside a big world
Which doesn't know which way to look at all
Which doesn't know which way to look at all

How far shall I look
I look all around
How far shall I look
I look all around

I look all around

I look all around
I look all around

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Smith & Mighty's song 'Small World' explore themes of perception, perspective, and existence. The song opens with the repetition of the phrase "All I hear is entity, open wide feel the breeze." This line suggests that despite our overwhelming perception of the world around us as a solid and material entity, it is ultimately made up of intangible forces like air and sound. This sense of intangibility is further emphasized by the repetition of the phrase "All I hear is entity," which suggests that even our perception of sound itself is an abstraction.

The chorus of the song presents the concept of a "small world inside a big world," suggesting that our perception of the grandeur and complexity of the world around us may be limited by our own perspective. The repetition of the line "Which doesn't know which way to look at all" further emphasizes the concept of uncertainty that arises from our limited understanding of our surroundings. The final repetition of the phrase "I look all around" serves as a poignant reminder of our own limited perspective – that no matter how far we look, there will always be more to discover and understand.

Line by Line Meaning

All I hear is entity
I cannot distinguish any specific sounds, only the general presence of something.

Open wide feel the breeze
I am opening my senses to the world, allowing the air to rush in and surround me.

All I hear is entity
Once again, I am unable to isolate any specific sounds, only the general presence of something.

Open wide all to see
I am expanding my awareness to take in everything around me, becoming more receptive to my surroundings.

How far shall I look
I wonder how much I can take in, how much I can possibly comprehend.

I look all around
I am surveying my environment from every possible angle, trying to gain a complete understanding of it.

All I hear is entity
Once more, I am unable to filter any specific noise out of the background.

Open wide feel the breeze
I am still allowing my senses to be open and receptive, with the air surrounding me as a conduit to my environment.

All I hear is entity
The same general presence I perceive is still all that I am able to distinguish.

Open while
I am being asked to maintain an open and receptive mindset, to be fully present.

Closely feel the wheel of emotion
I am being urged to take notice of the ever-present undercurrent of feelings that shape our experiences.

Closely feel the wheel of evolution
I am being asked to stay attuned to the ongoing process of change and growth in the world around me.

All I see is a small world
My perception is limited to what is immediately around me, and everything else seems far away.

Inside a big world
Though my world may seem small, it still exists within the broader context of a much larger world.

What I see is a small world
My perspective is colored by my immediate surroundings, which shapes my view of the world.

Inside a big world
Reminding me once again that my world is just a small piece of a much larger picture around me.

Which doesn't know which way to look at all
As an individual looking out into the vastness of the world, it's hard to know where to focus my attention.

How far shall I look
My quest for understanding of the world continues, as I search for new horizons to explore.

I look all around
My quest to comprehend my surroundings never stops, as I am constantly seeking new perspectives on the world.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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