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.
Keep Your Mouth Shut
Tricky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tell 'em shut the fuck up,
I tell 'em shut the fuck up.)
All that she meant was good,
All that she meant was good.
Give her some time,
Give her some room.
Better keep your mouth shut, babe,
Next to your chest,
Better keep your mouth closed baby,
And keep it close to your chest,
Better keep your mouth closed baby
Keep it close to your chest.
All that she meant was good.
(Not goin' down that road)
All that she meant was good.
Give her some time, give her some space.
All that she meant was good.
How she reacted was right.
Mother I'm hungry, mother I'm hungry.
Father will you feed me
Father will you feed me
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me.
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me.
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me.
How you reacted was right.
Not goin' down that road
Not goin' down that road
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me?
Best to keep your mouth shut, baby,
And keep it close to your chest.
Tricky's song Keep Your Mouth Shut appears to be deep and introspective, with a message that warns the listener to watch what they speak, especially in circumstances where tensions run high. The opening line of the song "And if the honeys think I'm stuck up, I tell 'em shut the f*ck up, I tell 'em shut the f*ck up" delivers a clear message of the artist's attitude towards people who may be interfering with his personal life. The song's opening lines are followed by the artist suggesting that all people ought to be cautious of what they say and who they say it to.
The chorus urges one to keep their mouth closed and press it to their chest, which indicates that one must be mindful of their words and actions. The verse's placating tone, "All that she meant was good," may refer to a close friend or loved one who has been wronged or misunderstood. Furthermore, the lyrics' repetition of "Give her some time, give her some space" indicates a desire to restore the relationship's tranquility.
The song's other verse expresses the singer's emotional dependence on the presence of their parents in their life, as indicated by the repeated line, "Mother, I'm hungry," and "Father, will you feed me?" This line may connote the artist's dependency on the company of their loved ones to keep moving, as well as the importance of love and family support.
Line by Line Meaning
(And if the honeys think I'm stuck up,
I tell 'em shut the fuck up,
I tell 'em shut the fuck up.)
If people think I have a bad attitude, I tell them to be quiet and stop talking nonsense.
All that she meant was good,
All that she meant was good.
Give her some time,
Give her some room.
All that she meant was good.
She had good intentions, so try to understand her by giving her space and time to express her true thoughts.
Better keep your mouth shut, babe,
Next to your chest,
Better keep your mouth closed baby,
And keep it close to your chest,
Better keep your mouth closed baby
Keep it close to your chest.
It's best to keep your thoughts to yourself and not let them out in the open, so try to hold them in and keep them close to your heart.
(Not goin' down that road)
All that she meant was good.
Give her some time, give her some space.
All that she meant was good.
How she reacted was right.
We don't want to get involved in any misunderstandings, so let's give her space and time to process her emotions. What she did was justified.
Mother I'm hungry, mother I'm hungry.
Father will you feed me
Father will you feed me
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me.
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me.
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me.
This child is expressing their hunger, hoping that their guardians will feed them and fulfill their basic needs.
How you reacted was right.
Not goin' down that road
Not goin' down that road
You handled the situation appropriately and we don't need to create any more drama by delving into it further.
Mother I'm hungry, father will you feed me?
Best to keep your mouth shut, baby,
And keep it close to your chest.
The child is asking for a basic need to be met, but sometimes it's better to keep quiet and not speak up, so as to avoid conflict or escalation of a situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Sentric Music, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADRIAN NICHOLAS MATTHEW THAWS, BJORK GUDMUNDSDOTTIR, RICHARD LEE STEACKER, DJ CLARK KENT, WILLIE D. HINES, ANDRE G. WESTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@inphanta
If you walked into an abandoned nightclub in Silent Hill, this is what would start playing mysteriously...
@goatmilkofficial
I tip generously to all the strippers at Heaven's Night
@hannahb2871
love seeing my interests and things i like being mentioned together, being a huge Björk and sh fan <3
@metrodonkey8093
yup there's a glorious club in the back rooms, nothing been like this before or since
@maadakeili
W comment
@John-X
@@metrodonkey8093 ppl going through the back rooms don't realize the monsters are just guarding the highly exclusive club 😎
@emmamartinez8381
Tricky and Björk, nothing can go wrong.
@allyshanila6764
actually, it can. they broke up. not in the best way either.
@emmamartinez8381
I don't care, this is great.
@y_o0o_h
I think Something's really wrong bro