Tensnake is Marco Niemerski. Born in Hamburg in 1975, Marco grew up listeni… Read Full Bio ↴Tensnake is Marco Niemerski. Born in Hamburg in 1975, Marco grew up listening to disco, soul, boogie, funk, 80s pop and Balearic. His older brother introduced him to a more dancefloor-inspired influences from Larry Levan to Junior Boys Own, Romanthony to Masters of Work.

He founded the label Mirau in 2005 but Tensnake’s first taste of critical acclaim came with the release of In the End (I Want You to Cry EP) on the label Running Back in 2009. The EP was voted number one on djhistory.com’s end-of-the-year list.

The release of Coma Cat in 2010 was the defining moment of his career to date. The track reached #85 on the official UK Singles Chart and #17 on the dance chart in the UK.

Marco released his artist debut album in 2014, "Glow", featuring collaborations with Fiora, Stuart Price, Jamie Liddell, MNEK, Jeremy Glenn, Gabriel Stebbing (Nightworks) and Nile Rodgers from Chic.

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Automatic
Tensnake Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They tell me
They tell me
They tell me
They tell me
They tell me
They tell me
They tell me

Look what you're doing to me
I'm utterly at your whim
All of my defenses down
Your camera looks through me
With its X-ray vision
And all systems run aground
All I can manage to push from my lips
Is a stream of absurdities
Every word I intended to speak
Winds up locked in the circuitry
No way to control it
It's totally automatic
Whenever you're around
(They tell me)
I'm walking blindfolded
Completely automatic
All of my systems are down
Down, down, down
No way to control it
It's totally automatic
Whenever you're around
(They tell me)
I'm walking blindfolded
Completely automatic
All of my systems are down
Down, down, down

What is this madness
That makes my motor run
And my legs too weak to stand
I go from sadness
To exhilaration
Like a robot at your command
My hands perspire and shake like a leaf
Up and down goes my temperature
I summon doctors to get some relief
But they tell me there is no cure
(They tell me)
No way to control it
It's totally automatic
Whenever you're around
(They tell me)
I'm walking blindfolded
Completely automatic
All of my systems are down
Down, down, down
No way to control it
It's totally automatic
Whenever you're around
(They tell me)
I'm walking blindfolded
Completely automatic
All of my systems are down
Down, down, down

They tell me
They tell me
They tell me
They tell me
They tell me

They tell me
They tell me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tensnake's song "Automatic" describe the feeling of being completely powerless and at the mercy of one's own emotions when in love. The singer is overwhelmed and overcome by his feelings for someone else, to the point where he loses control over his own body and senses. He describes feeling like a robot that is being controlled by someone else, unable to resist or fight against the intense attraction he feels. The repeated phrase "They tell me" suggests that others are commenting on his behavior, perhaps offering advice or criticism, but ultimately he cannot help the way he feels.

The metaphorical use of the camera with X-ray vision highlights the intensity of the singer's feelings of exposure and vulnerability when around the object of his affection. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the all-consuming nature of these emotions, which leave no room for rational thought or control. The line "I summon doctors to get some relief, but they tell me there is no cure" implies that the singer is aware of the irrationality of his feelings, but cannot escape them or find any way to stop them from taking over.

Line by Line Meaning

They tell me
The singer is constantly being informed or advised by others.

Look what you're doing to me
The singer is being greatly affected by the actions of someone else.

I'm utterly at your whim
The singer is completely and helplessly under the control of the other person.

All of my defenses down
The artist is vulnerable and unprotected.

Your camera looks through me
The other person can see right through the artist.

With its X-ray vision
The other person sees things that are not visible to the naked eye.

And all systems run aground
The singer is completely thrown off balance and unable to function properly.

All I can manage to push from my lips
The artist is only able to babble incoherently and cannot communicate effectively.

Is a stream of absurdities
The artist is saying things that are nonsensical and irrational.

Every word I intended to speak
The artist is unable to express their true feelings and thoughts.

Winds up locked in the circuitry
The singer's emotions and thoughts are trapped and unable to be expressed or released.

No way to control it
The artist has no ability to regulate their own responses or feelings.

It's totally automatic
The singer's reactions are instinctual and uncontrollable.

Whenever you're around
The other person has a significant impact on the singer's emotions and behavior.

(They tell me) I'm walking blindfolded
The singer is metaphorically unable to see or understand what is happening to them.

Completely automatic
The artist's behavior and emotions are completely involuntary and uncontrollable.

All of my systems are down
The artist is experiencing a complete breakdown in their ability to function normally.

What is this madness
The singer cannot understand the overwhelming emotions they are experiencing.

That makes my motor run
The singer's emotions are driving them forward like an engine.

And my legs too weak to stand
The artist's emotions are so intense, they are physically affecting their body.

I go from sadness
The artist's emotions are drastically shifting from one extreme to the other.

To exhilaration
The artist experiences intense excitement and energy.

Like a robot at your command
The singer is completely obedient and responsive to the other person's actions.

My hands perspire and shake like a leaf
The artist is physically responding to the other person's presence with anxiety or fear.

Up and down goes my temperature
The singer's physical reactions are affecting their body temperature.

I summon doctors to get some relief
The singer is seeking medical help to alleviate their overwhelming emotions.

But they tell me there is no cure
Despite attempts to alleviate their emotions, there is no solution to the singer's predicament.

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brock Patrick Walsh, Mark Goldenberg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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