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)
Real
The Verve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
set of figurines
she'd often let me play with them, i'd
set 'em up in different scenes
fifty plastic army men, led by superman
destroyed the ranks of mother goose
mary and her little
sister getting real
and i can too, as long as i don't
make a sound
when we were real and we were in love
with everyone and everything, i guess it
was the beauty of
bluebird clears his throat of phlegm
and static singing operatic
evening comes, and the butterflies are
bats eat the spider that had saddled up
beside her
and the dish, his lovin' spoon were
never found
and i'm taking flight seeking relief, the
lure of handkerchief so white
i chase it straight into the ground
The lyrics to The Verve's song Real, recount a series of childhood memories, which are connected to nursery rhymes, toys, and imaginative play. The line "my sister had a nursery rhyme set of figurines" evokes a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality for the innocence of youth, and the carefree nature of creativity. The singer recalls playing with his sister's toys, specifically mentioning a set of army figurines led by Superman, an emblem of heroism and strength. The idea of these soldiers destroying the ranks of Mother Goose and Mary and her lamb, suggests a certain playfulness and even rebellion in the singer's imaginative world.
The second verse focuses on the sensation of being in love with everything and everyone, a feeling that the singer characterizes as the "beauty of" his youth. The imagery becomes more surreal and poetic, with references to a bluebird clearing his throat and singing operatic, bats in the evening sky, and a spider being eaten by a group of bats. These images suggest a sense of transformation, and perhaps even loss, as one moves from childhood to adulthood. The final lines of the song, "and I'm taking flight seeking relief, the lure of handkerchief so white, I chase it straight into the ground" seem to embody this same sense of longing and searching for something elusive that ultimately leads to a sense of disappointment or disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
my sister had a nursery rhyme
My sister had a set of figurines resembling a nursery rhyme
set of figurines
A collection of small plastic toys
she'd often let me play with them, i'd
She would frequently allow me to play with them, and I would
set 'em up in different scenes
Arrange them in various ways
fifty plastic army men, led by superman
Fifty small toy soldiers, with Superman as their commander
destroyed the ranks of mother goose
Overpowered and defeated Mother Goose's forces
mary and her little
Mary and her lamb
lamb slips away and catches
The lamb escapes and is caught
sister getting real
My sister getting upset
and i can too, as long as i don't
I can sense her frustration, but only if I remain quiet
make a sound
Remain silent
when we were real and we were in love
When we were true to ourselves and deeply infatuated
with everyone and everything, i guess it
With everyone and everything around us, I suppose it
was the beauty of
Is what made it so enchanting
bluebird clears his throat of phlegm
A bluebird makes a noise as it clears its throat
and static singing operatic
The sound of static is similar to an operatic singer
evening comes, and the butterflies are
When evening arrives, the butterflies begin to
bats eat the spider that had saddled up
Bats consume a spider that had rested on
beside her
Someone or something near her
and the dish, his lovin' spoon were
The dish and his beloved spoon
never found
Unable to locate it afterward
and i'm taking flight seeking relief, the
I'm trying to escape by flying, in search of comfort, aided by the
lure of handkerchief so white
Attraction of a pure white piece of fabric
i chase it straight into the ground
In a moment of madness I follow it, only to crash to the ground
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUG SAHM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind