Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to space rock and shoegazer music, by the mid-1990s the band had released several EPs and two acclaimed records. They also endured name and lineup changes, breakups, health problems, drug abuse and various lawsuits. The band's commercial breakthrough was Urban Hymns and its single Bitter Sweet Symphony, which became a massive worldwide hit.
Soon after this commercial peak, the band quit amid creative struggles within, and Ashcroft went onto a successful solo career. Tong briefly joined Blur as a replacement for Graham Coxon. It is rumored that Simon Jones did a studio album with Ari Pap of the Floor Monks called 'Aint Nothing To It' and was never released because they both had bigger projects going on at the time. Close family and friends assure us its a fabulous indie/rock/alternate album and they really wish it would have been released.
The Verve were chosen to close the 2008 Glastonbury festival which they did with a set based on the classic 1997 album 'Urban Hymns'.
Discography:
A Storm in Heaven • 21 June 1993 • #27 (UK)
A Northern Soul • 3 July 1995 • #13 (UK)
Urban Hymns • 29 September 1997 • #1 (UK) #23 (US)
Forth • 25 August 2008 • #1 (UK) #23 (US)
I See The Door
The Verve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're there on my floor
You're there on my floor
Fly...angel fly
You're out of sight
You're out of sight
She came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
I burn but I don't scream
No way to describe it,
It is in my head
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking in through that window pane
Open your eyes and let me in
Don't go to think that I don't care
So...I see the door
I see the door
I see the door
It came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
What's life without a scream, lover?
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking through windows, feeling the same
I have seen moments I'd like to share
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
(It's a battle, it's a battle...)
The Verve's song "I See the Door" appears to be a deep, introspective look into longing, both romantic and philosophical. Throughout the song, lead singer Richard Ashcroft describes a series of dreams and visions that he's experienced, always hovering just outside the realm of conventional explanation. "She came in a dream," he sings, "No way to describe it, It was in my head". Ashcroft describes himself as burning but not screaming, suggesting a deep pain or desire that he's struggling to contain.
The imagery of windows and doors appear repeatedly throughout the song, with Ashcroft describing a sense of looking in from the outside, desperately seeking entrance. "Open your eyes and let me in," he pleads, his desire for connection and understanding palpable. However, he's also clearly aware of the potential for rejection or exclusion, expressing fear that "you don't want me there, my lover."
Taken together, "I See the Door" seems to be a song about the human desire for intimacy and connection, and the fear that accompanies those desires. Ashcroft is deeply aware of the potential for rejection and pain but is also driven by a profound longing that he struggles to articulate.
Line by Line Meaning
Light...I see the light
I am aware of my surroundings, I see the light illuminating my space
You're there on my floor
I can sense your presence lying on the same floor as me
Fly...angel fly
Please leave for your own good, fly away like an angel
You're out of sight
You have disappeared from my view
She came in a dream, Lord
A woman appeared to me in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
I cannot put into words what I saw, it was only in my thoughts
I burn but I don't scream
I am in pain, but I do not express it vocally
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking in through that window pane
I have witnessed inexplicable situations, like peering through a window pane
Open your eyes and let me in
Become aware of my presence and welcome me
Don't go to think that I don't care
Please do not believe I do not care about you
So...I see the door
I see the door
I see the door
I am cognizant of the exit, I can see the door
It came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
The idea of leaving appeared to me in a dream, Lord, and I cannot express it properly, it exists only in my mind
What's life without a scream, lover?
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
What's the point of living without any emotional release of yelling or screaming, lover? It's something I cannot clearly articulate and can only understand in my own mind
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking through windows, feeling the same
I have seen things that are inexplicable to me, and it's like looking through windows to get a sense of how others are feeling and experiencing the same confusion
I have seen moments I'd like to share
I have witnessed situations that I would love to share with you
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
I'm afraid that you do not desire my presence, My lover
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
I'm afraid that you do not want me around, My lover
(It's a battle, it's a battle...)
I am in a constant struggle with myself and possibly with others
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nick McCabe, Peter Salisbury, Richard Paul Ashcroft, Simon Robin David Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul_Bio299
Light...I see the light
You're there on my floor
You're there on my floor
Fly...angel fly
You're out of sight
You're out of sight
She came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
I burn but I don't scream
No way to describe it,
It is in my head
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking in through that window pane
Open your eyes and let me in
Don't go to think that I don't care
So...I see the door
I see the door
I see the door
It came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
What's life without a scream, lover?
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking through windows, feeling the same
I have seen moments I'd like to share
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
(It's a battle, it's a battle..
Tony Sproule
Best Gift I ever recieved in life was The Verve..........Thank you Ashcroft for the memories and the true meaning of life expressed in your music.........
G M
Their music literally saved my life too. Thank god it doesn't suck.
Daniël Raphael Verleye
Amen! Best thing in my life because it made me understand and accept!
Tony Sproule
What a journey into the soul this track is, timeless, epic, heartbreaking all in the same breath!!!
Martin Duignam
Brilliant stuff
Tony Sproule
Richard I will never be able to express how grateful I am for how your music has molded my life and saved it at the same time! Your music expresses emotions and feelings I have never been able to put into words....God bless you Richard and thank you for the 30 year journey! Some day when you die there will definately be a "Storm in Heaven"...
Paul_Bio299
Light...I see the light
You're there on my floor
You're there on my floor
Fly...angel fly
You're out of sight
You're out of sight
She came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
I burn but I don't scream
No way to describe it,
It is in my head
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking in through that window pane
Open your eyes and let me in
Don't go to think that I don't care
So...I see the door
I see the door
I see the door
It came in a dream, Lord
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
What's life without a scream, lover?
No way to describe it,
It was in my head
I have seen things that I can't explain
Looking through windows, feeling the same
I have seen moments I'd like to share
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
Scared that you don't want me there,
My lover
(It's a battle, it's a battle..
Niel Kenmuir
Agreed, verve did some awesome b sides. This is one of my all time fave songs, and it's hidden away on a single. I also agree that Sci Fi Lullabies is an absolute classic. Would love to see a Verve equivalent. (It'll always be Verve to me, not The Verve)
kaustav majumdar
I feel healed when I listen to your music.....the verve always and always will be your lifelong fan
Neal Newbold
First song I ever learned on guitar. That drum, that bass, that emotive voice and words. Beautiful.