He is noted for an asthmatic whispering lyrical style that is half-rapped, half-sung. As a producer and a musician he is known for having an aversion to perfection preferring to build up a dark, rich and layered sound. Culturally, Tricky bridges white and black Britain particularly in his fusion of rock and hip-hop, high art and pop culture. He drew his influences from rap (Public Enemy) to post-punk (he covered a Siouxsie and the Banshees's song Tattoo).
Throughout his work, Tricky blurs the normally clear sexual definitions found within hip hop. Despite the heavy influence he drew from American hip hop in his debut album, Maxinquaye, he fights against typical sexual representations by, for example, dressing as a woman on the side sleeve of his album cover. Within many of his tracks he blends elements of varying types of music, and use his lyrics to create a much more ambiguous and blurry reality of sexuality.
Maxinquaye remains his most commercially and critically successful album to date. About it, Tricky originally said in an interview with Raygun in October 1996 that he wanted to make an 'out-an-out punk record' and that "I thought it was going be heavier. I thought it was just going to be an out-an-out punk record. But you end up straying. What I wanted to do was a total fast album. Some of the tracks are fast and hard, but they didn't come out like that." He also said that he hated being stuck with the trip-hop tag so "That's why I did Nearly God, and that's why I did Pre-Millennium Tension. You can't see them as trip-hop albums. So I just keep running away from it. But the farther you run, it's still there. They'll find you." Ever since, Tricky' style has evolved away from obscure, sample-based textures to a more contemporary, electronic sound.
Tricky was in Massive Attack and appeared in the movie The Fifth Element as well as the music video for Parabola by Tool. He has collaborated extensively with other artists on tracks on his various releases, including Bjork, Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, Anthony Kiedis , John Frusciante and Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Martina Topley-Bird, and Alison Goldfrapp of Goldfrapp also many others.
After his initial success in the latter 1990's, he started his own label called Durban Poison. Currently he is heading a new imprint called Brown Punk.
Crazy Claws
Tricky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then we sex
Open legs
To the vein
I complain
Sniff cocaine
Harder back, heart attack
Smack to my vein
Smash down the walls
She crazy claws
She crazy claws
Imagine that
Who that?
I'll soon forget
She wants to fly
She wants to cry
She wants to fly
Makes me wanna die
She'll mix emotion
She's an ocean
She's still alive
She's still alive
Don't forget
Don't regret
Don't see me now
Don't see me then
See me now
Come see again
Don't see me now
Don't see me then
She's too complex
Then we sex
Open legs, open legs
She see my vein
I complain
And sniff cocaine
And sniff cocaine
Hard back, hard attack
Smack to my vein
Smack to my vein
Smash down the walls
Smash down the walls
She crazy claws
She crazy claws
Imagine that
Who that crazy cat?
Imagine that
Who that?
I'll soon forget
She wants to fly
She wants to cry
Makes me wanna, wanna die
She'll mix emotion
Like she's an ocean
She's still alive
Just don't forget
(She's still alive)
Don't regret
Don't see me now
(Crazy cat)
Don't see me now
Don't see me then
(Yeah)
Don't see me now
Don't see me then
(Yeah)
She's too Gen-X
Then we flex
She's too Gen-X
Then we sex
She's too Gen-X
Then we sex
Imagine that
I will soon forget
Sniff cocaine
I complain
Try to pick a fight with my chick
'Cause she might put a fine stick right quick
Fought city girls then we tried shit
Then it's off to Chanel's, hit nice Brits
The babes with the skinny waist and wide hips
Ain't just a pretty face with nice tits
She's on to me left well alone
What a pace, Scarface to get the telephone
>From the mouth to the right ear
Then she might yell with her
I see her and boy take off the mic and
In my world the babes are quite rare
Me and my girl would make a nice pair
She ain't slow when it's time to make go
Like fake 'ho frontin' on the main road
My blue-billed girl that takes the payroll
With the crew, with their dirty faces and halos
Stay low- trying to sell that snow
My bitch so hot they call her El Paso
See the slap I flop with that though
Or the little black 'ho
I'm pattin' my afro
I'm jokin' but you know how that go
She likes to be in full control like Castro
I stay high so I don't get low
You know this flows from out the ghetto
Scrape up the knees, scrape the elbows
Before I breeze I make the girl know
Scrape up the knees, scrape the elbows
Before I breeze I make the girl know
Girl is skinny now and shaking her breasts
Don't be a loudmouth make your bread
Diamonds is a girl's best friend
Diamonds is forever-yes/no
Here in the bed we have
Don't be screwing a girl in the Lexus
You make room
Cash their jarole
Before they try lickin' her out on the down low
She don't open- no
But a nigga tries suits
She ready forgot the kind of go for the Sambo
Reloads the ammo
One for the go
Let's laugh as they at you
She's her mother's daughter
Ready to slaughter any punk
Who puts his hands in her garter
A weed see?
She deadly and she do anything for me
Niggas better cash their jarole
Before they try chatting to the girl I know
She called, you know the flow
When she used her hand
To rub it down low for your dough
She ain't a 'ho
She's scandalous
Messed up all and your in an ambulance
She's her mother's daughter
Ready to slaughter any punk
Who puts his hands in her garter
A weed see?
She deadly and she do anything for me
The song "Crazy Claws" by Tricky is a commentary on the complexities and difficulties of relationships. The song starts with Tricky describing his sexual encounter with a woman who is too complex for him to understand. He complains about his inability to satisfy her and turns to cocaine to escape his feelings of inadequacy. As the song progresses, he reflects on the woman's emotional instability and how it makes him feel like he wants to die. There is a repeated refrain of "smash down the walls" which could refer to both the walls between them in their relationship and their walls of self-preservation.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of forgetting and regretting one's actions. Tricky urges the listener not to forget or regret what has happened between them, while at the same time acknowledging that he will soon forget about the woman he has just had sex with. There is a sense of detachment and disillusionment throughout the song, as Tricky ponders the complexities of relationships and wonders whether they are worth the effort.
Overall, "Crazy Claws" is a dark and introspective song about the struggles of intimacy and connection in a world that can often feel cold and unforgiving.
Line by Line Meaning
She's too complex
She is complicated and difficult to understand
Then we sex
Then we have sex
Open legs
She opens her legs for him
To the vein
He injects drugs into his veins
I complain
He complains about the situation
Sniff cocaine
He snorts cocaine
Harder back, heart attack
He takes a harder hit of drugs that causes his heart to race
Smack to my vein
He injects drugs into his vein
Smash down the walls
He feels like he needs to break down emotional barriers
She crazy claws
She is difficult to handle and unpredictable
Imagine that
He is amazed by the situation
Who that?
He wonders who she really is
I'll soon forget
He thinks he will eventually forget about her
She wants to fly
She wants to escape her problems
She wants to cry
She wants to express her emotions
Makes me wanna die
He feels overwhelmed and hopeless
She'll mix emotion
She has a complex range of emotions
She's an ocean
Her emotions are deep and complex, like an ocean
She's still alive
She is still clinging to life, despite her problems
Don't forget
He urges himself not to forget about her
Don't regret
He doesn't want to have any regrets
Don't see me now
He doesn't want her to see him currently
Don't see me then
He doesn't want her to dwell on the past
She's too Gen-X
She epitomizes the Gen-X era with her complicated emotions and lifestyle
Then we flex
Then they show off or boast
Imagine that
He is still in disbelief
Sniff cocaine
He continues to use drugs
Try to pick a fight with my chick
He is trying to start an argument with his partner
'Cause she might put a fine stick right quick
Because she might hit him with a weapon quickly
Fought city girls then we tried shit
He has had conflicts with women in urban areas and then experimented with drugs
Then it's off to Chanel's, hit nice Brits
Then they go to a fancy store and meet attractive British girls
The babes with the skinny waist and wide hips
The women they meet are physically attractive
Ain't just a pretty face with nice tits
They are not just physically attractive, but also intelligent and interesting
She's on to me left well alone
She knows what he is up to and wants him to stay away
What a pace, Scarface to get the telephone
He is moving quickly, like the character Scarface, to answer the phone
From the mouth to the right ear
He is relaying information between two people
Then she might yell with her
She might get angry with him
I see her and boy take off the mic and
He sees her and another guy leave the microphone area
In my world the babes are quite rare
In his world, he doesn't often come across attractive women
Me and my girl would make a nice pair
He thinks he and his partner would make a good couple
She ain't slow when it's time to make go
His partner is motivated and fast when it comes to getting things done
Like fake 'ho frontin' on the main road
Like a woman pretending to be more than she is on a public street
My blue-billed girl that takes the payroll
His partner is responsible for taking care of the money
With the crew, with their dirty faces and halos
He is with his friends, who are both rough and angelic
Stay low - trying to sell that snow
They are trying to sell drugs while staying under the radar
My bitch so hot they call her El Paso
His partner is so attractive that she is compared to the hot climate of El Paso, Texas
See the slap I flop with that though
See the connection I make with that statement
Or the little black 'ho
Or the woman he is with
I'm pattin' my afro
He is touching his hair
I'm jokin' but you know how that go
He is joking around, but knows how things can go wrong
She likes to be in full control like Castro
His partner likes to be in complete control like Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba
I stay high so I don't get low
He uses drugs to maintain his high spirits
You know this flows from out the ghetto
He is from the ghetto and this is his style of music
Scrape up the knees, scrape the elbows
He is telling his partner to be prepared for physical scrapes and bruises
Before I breeze I make the girl know
Before he leaves, he wants his partner to understand his intentions
Girl is skinny now and shaking her breasts
She is thin and dancing provocatively
Don't be a loudmouth make your bread
Don't be too talkative, focus on making money
Diamonds is a girl's best friend
Women love diamonds
Diamonds is forever-yes/no
Diamonds are a permanent symbol of love, but are they worth it?
Here in the bed we have
In this situation, they have
Don't be screwing a girl in the Lexus
Don't have sex in a luxury car
You make room
You prioritize her over other things in your life
Cash their jarole
Get money now
Before they try lickin' her out on the down low
Before they try to secretly have oral sex with her
She don't open- no
She doesn't easily give in to sexual advances
But a nigga tries suits
But a man will still try to seduce her
She ready forgot the kind of go for the Sambo
She is willing to forget about what she wants in order to please him
Reloads the ammo
She is getting ready for another round of sex
One for the go
One last sexual encounter before she leaves
Let's laugh as they at you
Let's joke around at your expense
She's her mother's daughter
She inherited her mother's traits and personality
Ready to slaughter any punk
She is ready to aggressively confront anyone who disrespects her
Who puts his hands in her garter
Who tries to touch her intimately
A weed see?
Do you see what I am dealing with?
She deadly and she do anything for me
She is dangerous and will do anything to keep him happy
Niggas better cash their jarole
Other men better make money quickly
Before they try chatting to the girl I know
Before they try to flirt with his partner
She called, you know the flow
She contacted him and he knows what she wants
When she used her hand
When she masturbated
To rub it down low for your dough
To pleasure herself for the promise of money
She ain't a 'ho
She is not a prostitute
She's scandalous
She is involved in shady or illicit activities
Messed up all and your in an ambulance
She will leave you hurt and needing medical attention
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADRIAN NICHOLAS MATTHEW THAWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind