With keen pop sensibilities, a skewed sense of humour and a willingness to draw inspiration from diverse sources (notably punk rock), Therapy? came to attention in the early 1990s rise of alternative rock, but have endured for more than a decade since; Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "After a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization, Therapy? are still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight."
Current line-up :
Andy Cairns (guitar, vocals) (1989 - )
Michael McKeegan (bass guitar, backing vocals) (1989 - )
Neil Cooper (drums) (2003 - )
Past members:
Fyfe Ewing (drums) (1989 - 1996)
Martin McCarrick (cello, guitar, backing vocals) (1996 - 2004)
Graham Hopkins (drums) (1996 - 2001)
Discography:
-Hard Cold Fire (2023)
-Cleave (2018)
-Disquiet (2015)
-A Brief Crack of Light (2012)
-Crooked Timber (2009)
-One Cure Fits All (2006)
-Never Apologise Never Explain (2004)
-High Anxiety (2003)
-Shameless (2001)
-So Much For The Ten Year Plan - A Retrospective 1990-2000 (2000)
-Suicide Pact - You First (1999)
-Semi-Detached (1998)
-Infernal Love (1995)
-Troublegum (1994)
-Face the Strange E.P. (1993)
-Shortsharpshock E.P. (1993)
-Nurse (1992)
-Pleasure Death (1992)
-Babyteeth (1991)
Northern Ireland, 1989.
Safe
Therapy? Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel every slammed door and drunken laugh
Sometimes there's no room for breathing
Take me to a colony and leave me in Antarctica
The living germs keep these buildings alive
And every day we feed them with our dirt and rotten memories
The front window in the house his mother left him
This place speaks to him, it's got its own language
Cold comfort through the gill cracked plaster
Looks at him with eyes in paint blisters
Squeezes music through cheap transistors
Voices of mothers with their prisoners for brothers
And the bug-eyed little creatures terrifying stupid teachers
Who then take it out on weaklings, spawning killing spree control freaks
Who get married in their prisons to abused lonely women
And I'm clean and I'm clinging
Like I've never held on to anything in my life
I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
And I'm clean and I'm clinging
Like I've never held on to anything in my life
I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
And I'm clean and I'm clinging
Like I've never held on to anything in my life
I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
And I'm clean and I'm clinging
Like I've never held on to anything in my life
I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
The lyrics of “Safe” by Therapy?, a Northern Irish alternative metal band, are a poetic take on the overwhelming nature of modern living. The song reflects on the pressures of societal expectations and how they can lead to feelings of anxiety and suffocation. The opening line, “All this noise is making me nervous,” sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer begins to describe how the constant chaos of life is affecting them. They feel every “slammed door and drunken laugh,” and sometimes there's “no room for breathing.” The craziness of life is personified as “living germs” that keep buildings “alive,” and the noise and dirt of daily existence are compared to “rotten memories.”
The second half of the song focuses on the idea of finding solace in love amidst the chaos. The singer is “clean and clinging” to their partner, holding onto them as if they’ve never held onto anything before in their life. The singer describes feeling lost in a world where people are “prisoners” and “terrifying” creatures, where teachers are “stupid” and “control freaks” who abuse lonely women. However, despite all these troubles, the singer has found peace and refuge with their partner. Amidst all the noise and craziness of the world, they have found a sense of safety with each other.
Overall, “Safe” is a powerful and poetic song that captures the anxiety and stress of modern living, while also offering a message of hope and love for those who are struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
All this noise is making me nervous
The chaos around me is causing anxiety and discomfort.
I feel every slammed door and drunken laugh
Every loud and unpredictable noise have a significant impact on me.
Sometimes there's no room for breathing
At times, the environment can feel suffocating, and there's no escape.
Take me to a colony and leave me in Antarctica
I wish to escape my surroundings so thoroughly that even the severest of isolations seems peaceful.
The living germs keep these buildings alive
Every living thing, whether human or not, plays a part in keeping society functioning.
And every day, we feed them with our dirt and rotten memories
Our negative experiences and behaviors can harm us and others and keep us stagnated.
The front window in the house his mother left him
The home holds memories of family and lessons learned as a child.
Is just another beacon in a sea of dark yellow
The home, despite its significance, now feels insignificant among the strife of modern society.
This place speaks to him, it's got its own language
The environment has a language that only certain people can understand and relate to.
Cold comfort through the gill cracked plaster
Despite the environment's harshness, it provides some subtle comforts to those who understand it.
Looks at him with eyes in paint blisters
The environment can have an emotional impact that others might not understand to a significant degree.
Squeezes music through cheap transistors
Despite limitations, the environment has ways of creating beauty and art that few people might understand or appreciate.
Voices of mothers with their prisoners for brothers
The environment can hold histories of violence and retribution, and these stories impact even people who are not directly involved.
And the bug-eyed little creatures terrifying stupid teachers
The environment shapes people, and those people impact others, whether positively or negatively.
Who then take it out on weaklings, spawning killing spree control freaks
Negative emotions can have a domino effect, and one person's pain might lead to someone else's suffering.
Who get married in their prisons to abused lonely women
People who hurt others without addressing their own trauma will continue in a cycle of pain and abuse.
And I'm clean and I'm clinging
I am in a state of clarity and desperately holding onto something good.
Like I've never held on to anything in my life
This is different from my previous experiences.
I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
I'm holding onto a positive and healthy relationship, one that gives me hope and comfort.
And I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
I'm dedicated to maintaining this positive relationship and not allowing it to disappear.
And I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
Through my current struggles and the harshness of my surroundings, I continue to hold onto what is good in my life.
And I'm clean and I'm clinging to you
This positive relationship is a source of strength and comfort to me, and I am committed to holding tight to it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW CAIRNS, GRAHAM HOPKINS, MARTIN MCCARRICK, MICHAEL ROBERT MCKEEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind