poems
Tricky/Terry Hall Lyrics


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I confide to anything
So I have to hide from everything.
Everybody wants a piece of me.
Rinse the origin and cease to be
Sit back and let it happen,
Let us take your time away
I don't understand you.
I don't want your time of day.
If you're gonna walk, might as well walk your way,
Always walk the whole ways,
Forget the punk, I pack the funk.
I'm gonna take a piece of you.
Making money for good health, but first I learn to see myself
Making money for good health, but first I learn to see myself
You've promised me poems
You've promised me poems
You've promised me poems

I rue the day that I ever met you,
And deeply regret you getting close to me.
I cannot wait to deeply neglect you,
Deeply forget you, Jesus believe me,
You promised me poems.
You might have been my reason for livin'
I gave up ungivin', gave up everything.
We were a right pair of believers
A couple of dreamers, so how come
You hate me?
You promised me poems
You promised me poems
You promised me poems
You promised me poems

Dreamed of ringing voices,
They contemplated choices.
Taste like a rare kiss,
To heighten my awareness.
With all fairness, greatness, with gratitude.
And simply rhymes with attitude
Now do promotion and TV, and ya still can't see. We
Down the hill cascade
And keep away the masquerade,
Dreamed of ringing voices,
And you promised me poems
And you promised me poems




And you promised me poems
And you promised me poems

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tricky/Terry Hall's song "Poems" can be interpreted in several ways but at its core, it seems to be about the pressure that comes with fame and success, trying to hold on to one's identity amidst it, and the disappointment that can arise when someone you thought was your ally turns out to be otherwise. The first verse sets the tone, with the singer feeling the need to hide from everyone because everyone wants something from him. The line "rinse the origin and cease to be" suggests that as he becomes more famous, he is losing touch with his true self.


The second verse seems to be directed towards someone who the singer thought cared about him, but who ultimately let him down. He regrets letting this person get close to him and can't wait to forget them. The repeated line "you promised me poems" could be seen as a metaphor for promises of support and love, but it feels empty now. The bridge offers a reprieve with its dreamy imagery of "ringing voices" and "rare kiss," but it's not enough to assuage the singer's disillusionment.


Overall, the song speaks to the pitfalls of success and the importance of being true to oneself. It's a relatable theme that many artists have grappled with over the years.


Line by Line Meaning

I confide to anything
I reveal my secrets to anyone and everyone


So I have to hide from everything.
To preserve my privacy and maintain my secret, I have to keep things from everyone including you


Everybody wants a piece of me.
Everyone wants to own me or has interest in what I possess


Rinse the origin and cease to be
Get rid of the beginning, forget about the origin and stop existing


Sit back and let it happen,
Relax and let whatever ensues come to pass


Let us take your time away
Allow others to take your time and do with it as they please


I don't understand you.
I can't comprehend what you're all about


I don't want your time of day.
I am not interested in what you have to offer me


If you're gonna walk, might as well walk your way,
If you plan to embark on a journey, you might as well take your own desired route


Always walk the whole ways,
Always complete the journey you have started


Forget the punk, I pack the funk.
Do not mind the weak or cowardly, I am the one to fear


I'm gonna take a piece of you.
I plan to take a part of you for myself


Making money for good health, but first I learn to see myself
I am first focused on understanding who I am before I can accumulate wealth and maintain good health


You've promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works


You've promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works


You've promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works


I rue the day that I ever met you,
I regret the day that I ever met you


And deeply regret you getting close to me.
I am terribly sorry for being close to you


I cannot wait to deeply neglect you,
I am eagerly waiting to completely ignore and abandon you


Deeply forget you, Jesus believe me,
I am determined to forget you completely, without any doubt


You promised me poems.
You assured me of creating literary works


You might have been my reason for livin'
You could have given me a reason to live


I gave up ungivin', gave up everything.
I had to abandon a lot of things, even the things that I could give up


We were a right pair of believers
We used to be the perfect pair of followers


A couple of dreamers, so how come
A couple of people with big goals and aspirations, so why is it that


You hate me?
You now have strong feelings of disdain and contempt towards myself


You promised me poems
You assured me of creating literary works


You promised me poems
You assured me of creating literary works


You promised me poems
You assured me of creating literary works


You promised me poems
You assured me of creating literary works


Dreamed of ringing voices,
I had some fantasies about hearing lovely sounds


They contemplated choices.
They were assessing various options


Taste like a rare kiss,
It feels like a special and extraordinary event


To heighten my awareness.
To take my understanding and knowledge to greater heights


With all fairness, greatness, with gratitude.
With equal opportunities, show respect and honor in equal amounts


And simply rhymes with attitude
My poetry is simple but is full of confidence and boldness


Now do promotion and TV, and ya still can't see.
Despite popularizing myself on TV and other platforms, some people still cannot appreciate me


We down the hill cascade
As we descend down the hill, we get louder


And keep away the masquerade,
We hide our true identities and intentions from our audience


Dreamed of ringing voices,
I had some fantasies about hearing lovely sounds


And you promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works


And you promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works


And you promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works


And you promised me poems
You have assured me that you will deliver literary works




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADRIAN NICHOLAS MATTHEW THAWS, TERRY HALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@n1c98

God bless Tricky and his family from the loss of his daughter. I've been listening to this guy for more than a decade. When I was a kid and I discovered Massive, they became easily my favorite including Tricky. Sometimes Tricky is too dark for me because I know I am just as dark as him or darker and trying to move to better realms of positivity. I don't care however if Tricky never changes or he does reflect more positive thinking. He is an absolutely amazing person, artist, and hero in my life and influence in my past writing.

@kdmiranda

That darkness is why I love him!!!

@willowatnight

That's exactly how I feel about his music..

@the2ndcoming135

💐

@orchidcut

I love this song and so glad I decided to look through his discography after listening to Maxinquaye. I wish this album was on streaming services!!!

@Stefanzizovv

You can always rip it :D

@TodaysRemedy

Listening to this masterpiece in memory of Terry Hall, truly missed.

@ShinkasaLian

This is actually one of the greatest tracks of modern music!

@kdmiranda

I have loved this song for decades, i'm 30 and I remember the first time I heard it....it was pure Magic!!! Tricky rules!!!
He's my male Bjork :)

@eileenstubington8592

They use to date back during pre millennium tension

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