Adrian Thaws (born 27 January 1968), better known as Tricky, is a rapper an… Read Full Bio ↴Adrian Thaws (born 27 January 1968), better known as Tricky, is a rapper and musician from Knowle West, Bristol, England who is important in the trip-hop scene (despite loathing the tag) and remains influential on the British scene more generally.

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.

I Sing For You
Tricky Lyrics

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We're the only ones here so speak your mind,
I feed your appetite, so you feed mine.
I sing for you, so you can find your way home.

There's nothing to fear but fear itself,
If you know how to look inside yourself.
I sing for you.

Forget all you learned from yesterday,
If you learn how to change, you'll change today.
I sing for you, so you can find your way home.
I pray for you.

And I breathe aside my impurities,
But I can't take your insecurities.
If you trust, then trust me now.
Can you trust?

Round and round together, round and round forever.
Pray for me, pray for me so I can find my way home.

Leave me now, so I can be alone.
Can you be alone?

Overall Meaning

Tricky's song, "I Sing For You", is a soulful ballad with beautifully crafted lyrics that touch upon themes of trust, self-discovery, and finding one's way home. The song begins with Tricky making an invitation to his listener to speak their mind, assuring them that they are the only ones around. Tricky perceives this exchange as a mutual feeding, as the listener feeds his appetite by opening up and sharing, he reciprocates and gives them a song that helps them find their way home.

Tricky then emphasizes that fear is the only thing standing in the way of self-discovery and finding one's way home. He tells his listener to forget everything they were told in the past and urges them to embrace the possibility of change, pointing them towards this path with his singing. Tricky's singing serves as a prayer for his listener, hoping that through it, he can touch them in a way that leads them home.

The final verse is an open question, where Tricky confronts his listener's insecurity, acknowledging that he cannot rid them of it. All he can ask is whether or not they are able to trust him. The song ends with Tricky reassuring his listener that they are in this journey together always, yet also reminding them that being alone is sometimes a necessary condition for self-discovery and growth.

Line by Line Meaning

We're the only ones here so speak your mind,
In this moment, we have each other's undivided attention, so don't hold back your thoughts and feelings.

I feed your appetite, so you feed mine.
Our connection is symbiotic, as I satisfy your needs, you fulfill mine in return.

I sing for you, so you can find your way home.
Through my music and presence, I offer comfort and guidance to help you navigate through life's challenges and uncertainty.

There's nothing to fear but fear itself,
The only thing that should hold you back from achieving your dreams and goals is your own fear and self-doubt.

If you know how to look inside yourself.
By gaining self-awareness and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, you can overcome obstacles that may have seemed insurmountable before.

I sing for you.
Through my music, I offer reassurance that you're not alone in your struggles and that someone is there to support you.

Forget all you learned from yesterday,
Don't let past mistakes or regrets hold you back from making positive changes in your life today.

If you learn how to change, you'll change today.
By embracing personal growth and making conscious efforts to improve, you can become a better version of yourself starting right now.

I pray for you.
In addition to offering guidance and support through my music, I also wish for your wellbeing and success in life.

And I breathe aside my impurities,
I acknowledge my own imperfections and baggage, but I won't let them interfere with our connection or my desire to help you.

But I can't take your insecurities.
Although I'm here to offer support, ultimately you must learn to overcome your own feelings of self-doubt and insecurity.

If you trust, then trust me now.
For our relationship to be successful, we must both be willing to trust each other and be vulnerable.

Can you trust?
I'm asking if you're willing and able to let your guard down and put your faith in me.

Round and round together, round and round forever.
Our connection is timeless and enduring, as we navigate through life's ups and downs together.

Pray for me, pray for me so I can find my way home.
While I offer guidance and support to others, I also seek my own guidance and spiritual connection to help me stay grounded and centered.

Leave me now, so I can be alone.
Sometimes it's necessary to step back from social interaction and spend time alone to reflect, recharge, and find inner peace.

Can you be alone?
I'm asking if you're comfortable with yourself and able to find contentment even when you're not surrounded by others.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADRIAN NICHOLAS MATTHEW THAWS, CATHERINE DORIS ANNE COFFEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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