The original core of the band included Langley's brother John on drums, Nick Jacobs on guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Dave Chapman. However, personnel other than Langley has varied, and (on both records and in performances) they have always been augmented by a large cast of semi-regular sidemen. (By the time of their 1991 album, Beatsongs, the Aeroplanes' lineup included guitarist Angelo Bruschini, guitarist Rodney Allen, bassist Andy McCreeth, drummer Paul Mulreany, and guitarist/keyboard player Alex Lee, with another eight musicians listed in the credits.) The group released Bop Art on the Abstract Records label in April 1984, then signed to Fire Records, for which they recorded their second album, Tolerance (October 1986), and their third, Spitting Out Miracles (1987), plus several EPs. Spitting Out Miracles was their first U.S. release, followed by the compilation album Friendloverplane (1988), a double LP on Fire in the U.K. that was reduced to a single LP on Restless in the U.S. The Blue Aeroplanes then signed to the Ensign division of Chrysalis Records and charted in the U.K. with two 1989 singles, "Jacket Hangs" and "...And Stones," as well as their 1990 and 1991 albums, Swagger and Beatsongs.
what it is
The Blue Aeroplanes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch what they're doing
What is it?
They float around the neck like nervous birds
They circle the waist like sly torpedoes
Then they hike into the interior
You know how it is
You can be your enemy
Turn to sideways figure of eight
Oh we've each got our positions in this exchange of views
This oratory, this debate
You know, I think one of us should drink the other to tears
Well alcohol it composes to water
You know there's not much to it
The last part was nothing less than the same as the first
Your dark eyes, your blue eyes
Your dark eyes, your blue eyes
Oh memory's a house under rain
The morning was bright
I met your train
A haze of perception brought buildings closer and sounds from further away
I watched a kiss on private ground
And a phone box demolished by mistake
Just watch it explode
Yeah I know, I know, I know
He doesn't want you to speak
He's not sure if he even wants you to breathe
And if he says you're not gonna last a week without him
It's only what he wants you to believe
These lovers
You ask them to go, they won't come back
You ask them to stay, they won't go away
The morning was evening, train was a bus, it was dull, dull, dull
You've got something to tell me?
I can taste it
I can taste it
I know what it is
The Blue Aeroplanes's song "What It Is" is a complex exploration of relationships, memory, and perception. The opening lines of the song echo a sense of confusion and uncertainty, urging the listener to pay attention and watch closely: "Watch these hands/ Watch what they're doing/ What is it?" From there, the lyrics delve into a series of visceral images and metaphors that paint a picture of the way two people interact, both physically and emotionally.
Throughout the song, the singer references the ways in which one partner can become their own worst enemy, turning back on themselves in a "sideways figure of eight." It's a battle of wills and perspectives, a "debate" that ultimately leaves both parties exhausted and drained. There's a feeling of ambiguity that pervades the lyrics, as if trying to capture the elusive nature of memory and perception: "Oh memory's a house under rain/ The morning was bright."
Line by Line Meaning
Watch these hands
Pay attention to the actions and movements of these hands
Watch what they're doing
Observe and take note of their actions
What is it?
Questioning the purpose and meaning behind the actions of these hands
They float around the neck like nervous birds
Hands move nervously and aimlessly around the neck area
They circle the waist like sly torpedoes
Hands move cunningly and deliberately around the waist area
Then they hike into the interior
Hands move deeper into the body's interior
You know how it is
Acknowledging the familiar and common nature of this situation
You can be your enemy
Admonishing oneself for acting against one's own best interest
Turn to sideways figure of eight
Moving in a circular, repetitive pattern
Oh we've each got our positions in this exchange of views
Understanding that each person has their own stance and opinion in an argument
This oratory, this debate
Describing the verbal exchange between parties involved
You know, I think one of us should drink the other to tears
Suggesting intense emotional confrontation between the two parties
Well alcohol it composes to water
Stating the chemical breakdown of alcohol into water
You know there's not much to it
Implying that the situation is not complicated or profound
The last part was nothing less than the same as the first
Observing that nothing has changed from the beginning to the end of the situation
Your dark eyes, your blue eyes
Noting the distinct color differences in someone's eyes
Oh memory's a house under rain
Comparing memory to a house being rained upon
The morning was bright
Describing the brightness and clarity of the morning sky
I met your train
Narrating the act of meeting someone's train arrival
A haze of perception brought buildings closer and sounds from further away
Memory of the situation being distorted and unclear
I watched a kiss on private ground
Witnessing a private and intimate moment between two individuals
And a phone box demolished by mistake
Observing the accidental destruction of a public telephone booth
Just watch it explode
Anticipating and expecting something to explode or erupt
Yeah I know, I know, I know
Expressing understanding and familiarity with a situation
He doesn't want you to speak
Implying that someone is trying to silence or control another's speech
He's not sure if he even wants you to breathe
Suggesting that someone is trying to exert complete dominance over another person
And if he says you're not gonna last a week without him
Implying that someone is attempting to undermine another person's independence and autonomy
It's only what he wants you to believe
Indicating that someone is manipulating and controlling another's thoughts and beliefs
These lovers
Referring to the overall group of people who are in romantic relationships
You ask them to go, they won't come back
Implying that once someone leaves a relationship, they are unlikely to return
You ask them to stay, they won't go away
Suggesting that once someone is in a relationship, they may be reluctant to leave
The morning was evening, train was a bus, it was dull, dull, dull
Describing a situation that was monotonous and unexciting
You've got something to tell me?
Questioning if someone has a piece of information to share
I can taste it
Sensing or realizing the existence of something
I can taste it
Sensing or realizing the existence of something
I know what it is
Understanding and identifying what is being sensed or realized
Contributed by Liam G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lowell
Saw them for the first time on 7th December 2018. Grew up with them thanks to my dad's fanatic love of them.
Theodore Radford
beau·ti·ful song....with Stipe bg vocals.....love.
Mark Williams
Pure loveliness. That's Michael Stipe you can hear ooing in the background, btw.