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.
Every Day
Tricky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll make thunder when the night calls
I'm full moon and earth rotates
I am Adam and Eve she waits
I'll forsake, I'm the bird that flies
On low tides and sunrise
I am playing in a friendly sky
I fly on wings and the promise it brings
I am hope on a loose end rope
I'm alive, found dead, I'm your last breath
I'm season, I'm reason, I'm why you should end
You hate me you love me, I'm your best friend
I'm earthquake (and TV), the fish that swims free
Straight to your plate, you can eat me
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
Tricky’s song “Every Day” is a reflective and introspective track that explores the essence of existence, the fluidity of identity, and the paradoxes of life. The first line of the song, "I am nothing, I move through walls," suggests the singer's detachment from the physical world and his/her fluidity across boundaries. The imagery of making "thunder when the night calls" reflects the singer's power and influence over their environment.
The following lines, "I'm full moon and earth rotates, I am Adam and Eve she waits," refer to the singer's duality and associations with both nature and biblical figures. The phrase "she waits" may allude to the idea of the singer being at the mercy of a higher power. The line "I'll forsake, I'm the bird that flies" suggests the singer's tendency to abandon things or situations and move on.
"I am playing in a friendly sky, I fly on wings and the promise it brings," refers to the singer's freedom and optimism. The lines "I am hope on a loose end rope, I'm alive, found dead, I'm your last breath" further emphasize the singer's association with life and death. The singer is also portrayed as representing different beliefs or ideologies: "I'm season, I'm reason, I'm why you should end/You hate me you love me, I'm your best friend."
The final lines, "I'm earthquake (and TV), the fish that swims free/Straight to your plate, you can eat me/I'm every day," emphasize the singer's omnipresent and ever-changing nature. The repeated phrase "I'm every day" suggests that the singer is a ubiquitous entity that exists in everyone's life, regardless of their awareness of it.
Overall, "Every Day" is a thought-provoking and evocative song that challenges the listener to contemplate the complexities of existence and the nature of identity.
Line by Line Meaning
I am nothing, I move through walls
I am a fleeting presence, invisible and unnoticed, able to pass through barriers that others cannot.
I'll make thunder when the night calls
I have the power to make noise and cause disturbance, especially when the environment is dark or oppressive.
I'm full moon and earth rotates
I am a natural force that has a cyclical impact on the planet and its inhabitants.
I am Adam and Eve she waits
I embody the archetype of primal human instincts and desires, and there is someone who is willing to indulge in them with me.
I'll forsake, I'm the bird that flies
I am able to abandon commitments and responsibilities, and take flight to escape from them.
On low tides and sunrise
I am linked to the natural rhythms of the ocean and the sun, which represent the ebb and flow of life.
I am playing in a friendly sky
I am carefree and adventurous, enjoying the freedom and openness that comes with the boundless expanse of the atmosphere.
I fly on wings and the promise it brings
I rely on my own strength and willpower to achieve my goals, and am always looking for opportunities to ascend higher.
I am hope on a loose end rope
I am the possibility of redemption or salvation, even in situations that seem hopeless or tenuous.
I'm alive, found dead, I'm your last breath
I am the paradox of life and death, and I have the power to shape the final moments of existence.
I'm season, I'm reason, I'm why you should end
I am the passing of time and the justification for change, and sometimes the best option is to let go.
You hate me you love me, I'm your best friend
I am both divisive and unifying, able to elicit strong emotions and loyalties in equal measure.
I'm earthquake (and TV), the fish that swims free
I am an unpredictable natural phenomenon or a source of entertainment, and I can be elusive or difficult to catch.
Straight to your plate, you can eat me
I am a resource that can be consumed or exploited for sustenance or profit.
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I am a constant presence, an omnipresent force that is only noticed when I change or fluctuate.
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I am the rhythm of life that continues on, no matter what other changes or disruptions may occur.
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I am the mundane and the extraordinary, the trivial and the meaningful, all rolled into one.
I'm every day, I'm every day, I'm every day
I am the perpetual cycle of birth, growth, decline, death, and rebirth that shapes existence itself.
Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.