The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Row… Read Full Bio ↴The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. After attracting Virgin Records, the duo achieved further success with second album Dig Your Own Hole (1997), which topped the UK charts. In the UK, they have had six No. 1 albums and 13 top-20 singles, including two chart-toppers.

Their name came about in 1995 after they dropped their original moniker the Dust Brothers due to the existence of a different band with the same name. In the United States, they have won six Grammy Awards including Best Rock Instrumental Performance, Best Dance Recording and Best Dance/Electronic Album of the year as recently as 2020.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chemical_Brothers

Studio albums
Exit Planet Dust (1995)
Dig Your Own Hole (1997)
Surrender (1999)
Come with Us (2002)
Push the Button (2005)
We Are the Night (2007)
Further (2010)
Born in the Echoes (2015)
No Geography (2019)
For That Beautiful Feeling (2023)

The State We
The Chemical Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been workin' baby for too long now
Just wanna get next to you boy
I've been searchin' baby, a way to tell you how
Gotta get through to you boy

Never said it was sunshine but you took it all of the time
Never said it was sunshine but you took it all of the time
All of the time, all of the time, all of the time

You took it all of the time

There's no escaping now
Let me show you how
What it feels to be true

I've been workin' baby for too long now
Just wanna get next to you boy
I've been searchin' baby, a way to tell you how
Gotta get through to you boy

Never said it was sunshine but you took it all of the time
Never said it was sunshine but you took it all of the time
All of the time, all of the time, all of the time
You took it all of the time

There's no escaping now
Let me show you how
What it feels to be true

There's no escaping now
Let me show you how
What it feels to be true

I've been workin' baby for too long now
I've been searchin' baby, a way to tell you how

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Chemical Brothers' song "The State We're In" describe a desire to connect with someone on a deeper level. The singer, who seems to be addressing a male object of desire, has been working and searching for a way to tell him how she feels. She acknowledges that their relationship has not always been easy ("never said it was sunshine"), but he has consistently taken her for granted or ignored her ("but you took it all of the time").

Despite this, the singer insists that there is "no escaping now" and that she wants to show him "what it feels to be true". It is unclear whether the desire for connection is sexual or emotional, but either way, the song is about the frustration of trying to communicate these feelings and the hope that it might still be possible to bridge the gap between them.

Overall, the song has a strong, pulsing beat that reinforces the intensity of the singer's desire. The repetition of phrases ("never said it was sunshine," "all of the time") creates a sense of urgency and frustration. The repetition of the chorus with the lines "there's no escaping now/let me show you how/what it feels to be true" adds to the feeling of determination and the desire to connect.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been workin' baby for too long now
I have been working excessively, for an extended period of time, my dear.

Just wanna get next to you boy
I simply want to be closer to you, my boy.

I've been searchin' baby, a way to tell you how
I have been seeking, my sweet, for a suitable way to convey my message to you.

Gotta get through to you boy
I need to find a way to penetrate you, my young man.

Never said it was sunshine but you took it all of the time
Even though I never promised perfection, you accepted all of me as it is always.

All of the time, all of the time, all of the time
Consistently, perpetually, and continuously, without any change or deviation.

You took it all of the time
You accepted me as I am always, without judgment or reservation.

There's no escaping now
It is not now possible to avoid or elude this situation.

Let me show you how
Allow me to demonstrate and teach you what to do.

What it feels to be true
The sensation and experience of being authentic and genuine.

I've been workin' baby for too long now
I have labored excessively and continuously, for a prolonged period of time, my dear.