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.
Tattoo
Tricky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're sitting all alone in the middle of the floor,
There's something uncontrollable,
You sit there watching the door,
Cover me, cover me.
Cover me, cover me.
already feelin' tied to your bad side
Slap your thigh,
Slap your mouth (calf),
Sing your mantra,
Do (leave) your walk,
Cover me, cover me.
Cover me, cover me.
Something fits along my spine,
Just givin' lovin' from behind,
Fortify my arms
Fortify my arms
Cover me, cover me.
Cover me, cover me.
Cover (color) me, cover (color) me.
When you're sitting all alone in the middle of the floor,
There's something uncontrollable,
You sit there watching the door,
Cover me, cover me.
Cover me, cover me.
already feelin' tied to your bad side
(Already feel I'll, tattoo you're bad side)
Slap your thigh,
Slap your mouth (calf),
Sing your mantra,
Do (leave) your walk,
Cover me, cover me.
Cover me, cover me.
Something fits along my spine,
Just givin' lovin' from behind,
Fortify my arms
Fortify my arms
Cover me, cover me.
Cover me, cover me.
The lyrics to Tricky's song "Tattoo" are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The song begins with the repetition of the verse "Cover (color) me," which could be interpreted literally as a request to cover the singer's body or as a metaphor for being protected or guarded. The next lines describe a feeling of being uncontrollable when sitting alone, watching the door. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes this desire for protection.
The lyrics continue with the line "already feelin' tied to your bad side" which suggests that the singer is already connected to someone who is not a positive influence. This line could be a warning to someone else or an acknowledgment of their own bad habits. The following lines "slap your thigh, slap your mouth (calf), sing your mantra, do (leave) your walk" could be interpreted as instructions to the listener or as a reference to the singer's own actions.
The song concludes with the repetition of the same lyrics, but with the addition of the line "Something fits along my spine, just givin' lovin' from behind, fortify my arms," which provides an image of physical protection, possibly from a lover. The repetition of the chorus throughout the song emphasizes the need for protection, either physical or emotional, which is the central theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Cover (color) me, cover (color) me.
Please put a permanent design on my body using different colors of tattoo ink.
When you're sitting all alone in the middle of the floor, There's something uncontrollable, You sit there watching the door, Cover me, cover me. Cover me, cover me.
When you're by yourself and feeling overwhelmed and paranoid, please protect and take care of me.
Already feelin' tied to your bad side (Already feel I'll, tattoo you're bad side) Slap your thigh, Slap your mouth (calf), Sing your mantra, Do (leave) your walk, Cover me, cover me. Cover me, cover me.
I'm already feeling the negative consequences of being involved with you, but I can't resist your charm and influence. Please continue to shield and defend me.
Something fits along my spine, Just givin' lovin' from behind, Fortify my arms Fortify my arms Cover me, cover me. Cover me, cover me.
A tattoo design that goes along my spine represents the love and protection I'm seeking from you. Please strengthen and empower me as I put my trust in you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACOB BEARD, COREY LANE, JOSHUA D. LYONS, JAMES MCGLOTHLIN, JAME MARK WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alina Zarańska
Ta piosenka jest naprawdę wyjątkowa, najbardziej wciągająca
ze wszystkich piosenek na tym albumie
cuatro veinte
Desde mi niñez la música de tricky se empezó a tatuar en mi piel, a mis 27 años estoy seguro de que será un gusto que me acompañará el resto de mi vida.
keynestortoise
This is the perfect soundtrack to a nightmare. Haunting. He is a genius.
ALPHA
Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is something to the affect of Neo-Punk and not necessarily Trip-Hop.
metro donkey
this is ridiculous to listen to now. our dystopia finally caught up with this music
Alina Zarańska
oh_ he is
Alina Zarańska
this nightmare is our life
together with the haunting
&
it'z just reality
it's always h u n g r y
or almost_
jezus
Alina Zarańska
He fucking invented this trip- hop
was one of them !!
&
it sounds inspiring
he has good ideas
103 =%
just like Kurt Cobain
only some different
iwouldlike
2bhisgirlfriend
??
Joeri Schouten
I used to wake up with this song when I had my cd player as alarm... Tricky's my nr. 2 hero... Tom Waits is my nr. 1 and they're gonna record stuff together! it's gonna be a total eargasm
Felix DeVille
Extreme awesome song!! Tricky rules..and i've met him in 2009!!!Love his music!! My kind of taste!