Eric Woolfson wrote most of the music and lyrics while Alan Parsons overviewed the production process. Prior to starting his Project, Parsons worked as an engineer with names such as the Beatles (Abbey Road, the Get Back roofttop concert) and Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon, Atom Heart Mother).
Since the 1990s Alan Parsons has been performing live shows, touring all over the world, but without Eric Woolfson.
Psychobabble
The Alan Parsons Project Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell you 'bout a Dream that I have every night
It ain't kodachrome and it isn't black and white
Take me for a fool if you feel that's right
Well I'm Never on my own but there's nobody in sight
I don't know if I'm scared of the Lightning
Trying to reach me
I'm too scared to run and I'm too weak to fight
But I don't Care it's all psychobabble rap to me
Tell you 'bout a dream that I have every night
It's in dolby stereo but I never hear it right
Take me for a fool well that's alright
Well I see the way to go But there isn't any light
I don't know why I'm scared of the lightning
Trying to reach me
Help me to find what I don't want to know
You're taking me There but I don't want to go
I don't care it's all Psychobabble rap to me
Psychobabble all psychobabble
Psychobabble all psychobabble
I don't care it's all psychobabble rap to me
You're readin' my mind you won't look in my eyes
You say I do things that I don't Realise
But I don't care it's all psychobabble rap to me
Psychobabble all psychobabble
Psychobabble all psychobabble
You're lighting a scene that's faded to black
I threw it away cause I don't want it back
But I don't care it's all psychbabble rap
The lyrics of The Alan Parsons Project's song Psychobabble speak of a recurring dream that the singer is experiencing. In the dream, they are not alone, but there is nobody in sight, and they cannot move or defend themselves from the lightning that is attempting to reach them. The dream becomes more complex as it seems to lead the singer somewhere they do not want to go.
The idea of the dream being all psychobabble rap to the singer suggests that the dream is not to be taken literally or as a reality, but rather interpreted as an expression of their psyche seeking to process a difficult experience or feeling. The dream and its symbolism are its ways of expressing the inexpressible or making sense of what cannot be understood, at least not consciously.
The song can be seen as a critique of psychoanalysis or any attempt to reduce someone's psychological experience or distress to psychobabble and rap, implying that it is all meaningless talk. The chorus, "Psychobabble all psychobabble," reinforces this idea. In general, the song seems to be about the difficulty of understanding oneself and one's own psychology, let alone coming to terms with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell you 'bout a dream that I have every night
Let me share with you a recurring dream that I experience nightly
It ain't kodachrome and it isn't black and white
This dream is not vividly colorful nor dull and lifeless
Take me for a fool if you feel that's right
If you believe my dream to be foolish, then go ahead
Well I'm Never on my own but there's nobody in sight
I feel like I'm surrounded by people, but I can't see anyone physically present
I don't know if I'm scared of the Lightning
I'm uncertain whether my fear comes from lightning
Trying to reach me
Is it trying to make contact with me?
I can't turn to the left or the right
I'm stuck with nowhere to go, left or right
I'm too scared to run and I'm too weak to fight
I feel too afraid to run or too weak to fight
But I don't Care it's all psychobabble rap to me
But I believe it's all nonsense psychoanalytical jargon
It's in dolby stereo but I never hear it right
The dream seems to have high-quality surround sound but it also feels distorted
Well I see the way to go But there isn't any light
I have a clear direction in mind but there seems to be no guidance
Help me to find what I don't want to know
Assist me in discovering what I'm currently unaware of, but possibly reluctant to uncover
You're taking me There but I don't want to go
You're leading me somewhere that I'm not emotionally or mentally prepared for
You're readin' my mind you won't look in my eyes
You seem to know what's going on inside my head, but you won't face me directly
You say I do things that I don't Realise
You claim that I'm doing things without my awareness
You're lighting a scene that's faded to black
You're illuminating a scenario that has lost its vibrancy and color
I threw it away cause I don't want it back
I discarded it as I don't desire to reintroduce it
Psychobabble all psychobabble
It's all meaningless psychological terminology
I don't care it's all psychobabble rap to me
I'm uninterested since it's only nonsensical psychoanalytic jargon.
Psychobabble all psychobabble
It's all nonsense psychology terms
Psychobabble all psychobabble
It's all meaningless psychoanalytical jargon
I don't care it's all psychbabble rap
I am disinterested since it's just irrational psychoanalytic jargon.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN PARSONS, ERIC WOOLFSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anonamust8697
A pretty perfect tune--and one that should have been a Top 10 hit, by the way.
All the components are there.
It's got the meat and bones of a killer prog rock song that would have also fit right into Top 40 radio back in the day .
It has a great melodic flow.
You can easily groove to it, dance to it, or sit on your couch on your ass to it (while ingesting the substance(s) of your choice--or not, if you just want to go the sober route, which is mostly what I do nowadays, now that I'm getting old).
What more do you need?.....
Oh, and by the way, this song is the absolutely perfect segue to Mammagamma, which begins right where this song ends on the Eye In The Sky album.
It's another testament to the genius of Alan Parsons, who has never received all the recognition that he deserves for putting out a series of stellar prog rock theme albums, and a plethora of highly creative and catchy tunes (all of which rival Pink Floyd's catalog--and yes, I know that A.P. did the arrangements on Dark Side. Chances are, I knew it long before YOU did if you are under 60 years of age (I'm 60, and was listening to Dark Side on vinyl with it's included posters and stickers practically from the day it was released.)
@magaranita
Summer of '82- just graduated High School, laying out in the sand beach by the river with my best friend in our bikinis...with this song playing on the boom box. I can smell the loamy river smell and baby oil, I can feel the sand on my toes and I can see the water drops sparkle in Joyce's hair. The magic of music, to take you back to those places and times you hold in your heart.
@randymack2972
preeeeeeeeeech sister ,. Yah . I was there too . . . .thissong and Thunder Island by Jay Ferguson . . . . . . . .Hurray Hurray The First Of May - - - -OutDoor Fucking Starts Today !!!!!!
@davidbarbee7486
Girl I got one and I know you wouldn’t mind but I Must’ve Get Lost by j giels band and broken hearted loser hey girlfriend I quit school in seventy eight and been locked up shut up and sat down ever since but bump it my song my rythm our memories and now pirate radio brings us back to life and love
But hey freedom got me now and I’m waiting on a love to call my own 2022
@diamonddave81
and I wasn't there? wtf?
@WilliamCamilleri
plonker
@magaranita
@@WilliamCamilleri Its just a good memory, I don't know why you are mean about it.
@brookswade5774
I had this on cassette when it came out. I would crank it loud and cruise thru town. We all cruised town in our slicked up rides, armor all dripping off the tires and a honey dripper in your lap, practically. You would wave at everyone you knew so you waved about 5,000 times. As long as you were acting like somebody, the cops never bothered us. We would drink and smoke as we cruised, but you better not squeal your tires or you were getting pulled over. We would cruise for 2 or 3 hours and then it was time to find a more private spot to do what young people did. Damn do I miss the 80’s.
@David-eu1ms
The good old days.
@qwertyu30
You are so right ON. I was 17 with my first car a cherry red Chevy Monza 4 speed driving on the country roads with a six pack of some beer I will not drink now. Also the cassette at the time was the bomb. The new thing. Glad you too can appreciate how that felt. We were probably the last generation of the Physical world, if you know what I mean.
@brookswade5774
@@qwertyu30 I Absolutely understand what you mean. And cassettes were the bomb indeed. I rode with my friend in 1984, to get a CD player installed in his car. $1,200 out the door. CD player with 4 speakers and installed. What a time to have been alive. I’ve witnessed so many “firsts” , like the CD player coming out, MTV coming online, etc.