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.
Pumpkin
Tricky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're hollow kid
More how I'm to do
Let the heart give us some
Set the word seeds
Like flowers they
Shine out when
I find what will make you
Life is our find
Hollow is he
(Tricky section)
So hollow
Don't back
Over someone who
(?)
Follow thee
How, how I feel
(Tricky section)
So hollow
How I
Go on
(Tricky section)
I can't breathe and I can't see
MTV moves too fast, I refuse to understand
You go your way and I'll see mine
Feels like wasted time
And it feels like I must be blind
How'd you like yourself, you don't know yourself
I smell of she and I fail to be
Well, anyway
Well, anyway
Well, anyway
I can't breathe and I can't see
I can't see and I can't breathe
The lyrics in Tricky's song "Pumpkin" are somewhat abstract, but appear to address the theme of emptiness felt within oneself and in relationships with others. The opening lines, "You're hollow kid, more how I'm to do, let the heart give us some, set the word seeds," suggest a desire to fill an emotional void within the subject of the song. The theme is strengthened when Tricky repeats the idea that "hollow is he," although it's unclear whether he's referring to another person or himself.
In the later portion of the song, Tricky seems to express dissatisfaction with mainstream culture, particularly in the lines "MTV moves too fast, I refuse to understand" and "Feels like wasted time." The line "I smell of she and I fail to be" seems to suggest a feeling of inadequacy or failure in comparison to someone else, perhaps a person the singer is in a relationship with.
Line by Line Meaning
Pumpkin
The title of this song, which may or may not be significant.
You're hollow kid
The listener is addressed directly and described as being empty.
More how I'm to do
The singer is unsure of what to do next.
Let the heart give us some
The heart is being relied upon to provide guidance or inspiration.
Set the word seeds
Metaphorical seeds are being planted with words, perhaps in order to grow understanding or connection.
Like flowers they
Shine out when
Metaphorical flowers shine or bloom with specific conditions, likely referring to achieving understanding or connection.
I find what will make you
Love me
The singer seeks to understand what will make the listener love them, showing a desire for connection.
Life is our find
Life is what we make of it, or the search for meaning or connection is a vital aspect of existence.
Hollow is he
The artist describes someone as being similarly empty.
(Tricky section)
So hollow
Don't back
Over someone who
(?)
Follow thee
How, how I feel
(Tricky section)
This section is difficult to parse and interpret without more context. It seems to reflect on the concept of being 'hollow' and possibly feeling isolated or alone. The lines may relate to a specific situation or feeling experienced by the artist, but the meaning is unclear.
How I
Go on
(Tricky section)
The singer reflects on how they continue despite feeling empty, perhaps indicating perseverance or resilience.
I can't breathe and I can't see
The artist expresses a sense of suffocation or confusion.
MTV moves too fast, I refuse to understand
The singer feels disconnected from popular culture or society, possibly due to a sense of being left behind or not sharing common values or interests.
You go your way and I'll see mine
The singer accepts that they and another person have different paths or perspectives.
Feels like wasted time
The singer feels unfulfilled or unsuccessful in their pursuits.
And it feels like I must be blind
The artist questions their own understanding or perception of their situation.
How'd you like yourself, you don't know yourself
The artist questions the listener's self-awareness or sense of identity.
I smell of she and I fail to be
The singer may be dealing with feelings of inadequacy or regret, particularly in a romantic context.
Well, anyway
Well, anyway
Well, anyway
These lines may indicate a sense of resignation or acceptance of a difficult situation, or a desire to move on from it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADRIAN NICHOLAS MATTHEW THAWS, ALISON ELIZABETH GOLDFRAPP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind