From the sleeve notes for the latest release End Titles...Stories For Film released in July 2008, the current line-up is stated as James Lavelle and Pablo Clements, also a member of the Psychonauts.
The original line-up was James Lavelle, Tim Goldsworthy (now a member of DFA) and Kudo (Major Force West, Skylab). This incarnation released several EPs and singles, usually involving collaborations with other Mo'Wax affiliated artists.
In 1998, after the departure of Goldsworthy and Kudo, Lavelle enlisted US producer DJ Shadow to help complete UNKLE's debut album, "Psyence Fiction". On this album they collaborated with a variety of guest artists including Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Badly Drawn Boy and Richard Ashcroft (The Verve). The album contained songs which merged indie-rock with hip hop.
In 2003 UNKLE released "Never, Never, Land". At this time UNKLE consisted of Lavelle and new collaborator Richard File, and the album also featured Ian Brown (The Stone Roses), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) and others.
A third album entitled "War Stories" was released in July 2007. It features collaborations with Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Ian Astbury (The Cult), Autolux, Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), The Duke Spirit, and Gavin Clark, and is far more strongly rock-influenced than previous releases. The album was preceded by an EP, Nights Temper, of which a limited pressing was released in May 2007.
Lavelle has also released several mix albums and remixes under his own name and under the name UNKLEsounds (together with Richard File).
UNKLE is known for remixing music from artists such as Explosions in the Sky, Massive Attack, and Oasis.
Cowboys Or Indians
UNKLE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A gaze at my lover
I hear the thunder
As they walk away
They walk away
They walk away
They walk away
They walk away
Nothing now sacred
Go and forsake this
Pray that I perish
Reclaim your relic
Fills you with hatred
Left me sedated
Look what I'm faced with
Moment you'll cherish
I see your menace
I cannot take this
State of neurosis
Effecting my closest
Making no progress
Still look on hopeless
Double the dosage
Self medicate
Fills you with hate
Burden again, vermin astray
Righteous prophet led the vermin away
Drowning in wonder
Taking me under
Pray for the thunder
As they walk away
Forever in hunger
I pray that the others
Wait for the thunders
As they walk away
They walk away
They walk away
They walk away
Walk
Away
Bet with the Devil indebted I lost
Paid with my soul and now fret at the cost
Watching him revel and laugh at my loss
Sick with the sins that I failed to wash
Met with the Devil indebted I lost
Paid with my soul and now fret at the cost
Watching him revel and laugh of my loss
Nothing now sacred
Your praying I perish
I see your hatred
This here forsaken
Go and I'll make it
Go and forsake this
A moment to cherish
Reclaim your relic
This only makeshift
The omen now faceless
I am nobody
I'm just a vessel
Not holy or special
I'm just a vessel
You're holding your medal
I see your hatred
I see your hatred
Watching you perish
Walk away
Walk away
Walk away
Walk away
Walk away
Walk away
They walk away
Walk away
They walk away
Walk away
They walk away
Walk away
They walk away
Walk away
They walk away
Walk away
The song Cowboys or Indians by UNKLE feat. Elliott Power MINK YSÉE is a complex and poetic exploration of religion, power, and loss. The lyrics describe someone who is drowning in wonder and love for their lover, while also being overcome by a sense of loss and despair as they watch the people they care about walk away. The singer of the song is struggling with their faith and feeling disconnected from their own sense of purpose or identity. The lines "I am nobody, I'm just a vessel / Not holy or special / I'm just a vessel" speak to this sense of emptiness and confusion.
Among the song's themes is the idea of sacrifice and betrayal, with the singer seemingly having given up their soul in exchange for something (perhaps success or power) and now feeling lost and alone. The lines "Bet with the Devil indebted I lost / Paid with my soul and now fret at the cost" hint at this theme, while the repeated phrase "Walk away" suggests that the people the singer cares about have also abandoned them in some way. The song's final lines, "Watch you perish," are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they suggest a sense of despair and hopelessness.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh in my wonder
I'm amazed and curious about something
A gaze at my lover
Looking at my romantic partner
I hear the thunder
I hear imminent trouble approaching
As they walk away
People are leaving and abandoning me
They walk away
Repetition to emphasize that people are leaving
Nothing now sacred
Values and traditions I once held dear are now meaningless
Go and forsake this
Abandon this situation completely
Pray that I perish
Hope that I die
Reclaim your relic
Take back something important to you
Fills you with hatred
Being consumed by negative emotions
Left me sedated
Left me feeling numb and unresponsive
Look what I'm faced with
This is the difficult situation I'm dealing with
Moment you'll cherish
A moment that you will remember fondly
I see your menace
I perceive danger and threat from you
I cannot take this
I can't handle this anymore
State of neurosis
A state of anxiety and stress
Effecting my closest
Negatively impacting the people closest to me
Making no progress
Unable to move forward or make any advances
Still look on hopeless
Continuing to feel hopeless
Double the dosage
Take twice the recommended amount of medication
Self medicate
Treat oneself with medication without medical supervision
Fills you with hate
Being filled with negative emotions
Burden again, vermin astray
Troublesome issues have surfaced again, and they are difficult to handle
Righteous prophet led the vermin away
A leader has guided the problem or troublemakers away
Drowning in wonder
Being overwhelmed by curiosity and questions
Taking me under
Causing me to feel submerged or suffocated by my thoughts and emotions
Forever in hunger
Longing for something that you can't have and will never satisfy
I pray that the others
I hope that other people will experience what I'm going through
Wait for the thunders
Anticipating trouble or challenge
Bet with the Devil indebted I lost
Made a deal with the devil and lost everything
Paid with my soul and now fret at the cost
Sacrificed everything and now regret it
Watching him revel and laugh of my loss
The devil is enjoying and mocking my downfall
Sick with the sins that I failed to wash
Tormented by the wrong actions I committed that I can't undo
Your praying I perish
You hope that I die
This here forsaken
This situation is abandoned and hopeless
Go and I'll make it
Leave and I'll manage on my own
A moment to cherish
An experience that will be remembered positively
This only makeshift
This is only a temporary solution
The omen now faceless
The warning is now ambiguous and unclear
I am nobody
Feeling insignificant and unimportant
I'm just a vessel
I'm just a conduit or container for something greater
Not holy or special
Not someone who is revered or has any unique qualities
You're holding your medal
You are holding on to your high status or accomplishments
Watching you perish
Seeing you suffer and die
Walk away
Leave this situation behind
They walk away
Emphasizing that people are leaving and abandoning the situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Gabriel Leo Lavelle, Jack Leonard, Matthew Puffett, Elliott Power, Dorian Lee Drew Lutz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Wire_Mother
UNKLE just keeps getting better all the time! ♡
@romapetrun2600
"The Road" this is one of the best albums that I listened to
@w4rpho3nix
This is one of the reasons why UNKLE is an amazing artist
@kuba-cg5js
band*
@micheli2521
Project**
@madsunday3621
I agree ☝️
@Auzep
I found out about unkle in 2011 when I was in a shitty place in my life, now I'm still in a not so good place but somehow unkle music makes me feel nostalgic about the past.
@albertcode2882
One of the best album in 2017. This song is fantastic!.
@janethomson2120
I love this album ❤️
@nourhassoun7099
This song is criminally under-viewed