Blush Response
Vangelis feat. Mary Hopkin Lyrics


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[Rachel:]
"Do you like our owl?"

[Deckard:]
"Is it artificial?"

[Rachel:]
"Of course it is"

[Deckard:]
"Must be expensive"

[Rachel:]
"very"

[Rachel:]
"I'm Rachel"

[Deckard:]
"Deckard"

[Rachel:]
"Its seems you feel our work is not a benefit to the public"

[Deckard:]
"Replicants are like any other machines"

"They are either a benefit or a hazard"

"If they're a benefit, it's not my problem"

[Rachel:]
"May I ask you a personal question?"

[Deckard:]
"sure"

[Rachel:]
"Have you ever retired a human, by mistake?"

[Deckard:]
"No" [Rachel:]
"but in your position that is a risk"

[Tyrell:]
"Is this to be an empathy test?"

"Capilary dilation of the so called blush response"
"... fluctuation of the pupil"
"Involuntary dilation of the iris"

[Deckard:]
"We call it Voight-Kampf for short"
[note: named after the people who developed this test]

[Rachel:]
"Mr. Deckard, Dr. Elden Tyrell"

[Tyrell:]
"Demonstrate it. I want to see it work"

[Deckard:]
"Were is the subject?"

[Tyrell:]
"I want to see it work on a person"
"I want to see a negative before I provide you with a positive"

[Deckard:]
"What's that gonna prove?"

[Tyrell:]
"Indulge me"

[Deckard:] "on you?"





[Tyrell:]
"Try her"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vangelis's song Blush Response are actually a re-enactment of a scene from the movie Blade Runner. In the scene, Rachel and Deckard are engaging in a conversation where Rachel takes pride in showing off her artificial pet owl to Deckard, which leads them to discuss whether or not Rachel herself is an artificial being. As the conversation proceeds, they delve into the morality of replicants and whether they should be considered a benefit or a hazard to society. Rachel then goes on to ask Deckard if he has ever accidentally killed a human while performing his job as a Blade Runner, a question that seems to catch Deckard off-guard. It's at this point that the conversation takes a darker turn, leading to the introduction of Dr. Tyrell and his interest in administering an empathy test to Deckard.


Overall, the song's lyrics capture the tense, mysterious atmosphere of Blade Runner, a dystopian sci-fi movie set in a future where replicants (bioengineered beings) are created and used as slave labor. The lyrics touch on the nature of humanity and whether or not replicants could ever truly be considered human. It's a conversation that hints at the deep moral questions that the movie grapples with, as it explores the idea of what it means to be alive, to have consciousness and the capacity for love and compassion.



Line by Line Meaning

"Do you like our owl?"
Rachel is initiating a conversation with Deckard by asking if he likes the artificial owl present in the room.


"Is it artificial?"
Deckard is asking Rachel if the owl is real or machine made.


"Of course it is"
Rachel confirms that the owl is indeed artificial.


"Must be expensive"
Deckard assumes that creating such an advanced artificial owl must have been costly.


"very"
Rachel agrees with Deckard and emphasizes that creating this artificial owl was indeed an expensive feat.


"I'm Rachel"
Rachel introduces herself to Deckard.


"Deckard"
Deckard reciprocates by introducing himself to Rachel.


"Its seems you feel our work is not a benefit to the public"
Rachel brings up the issue of public perception of their work with Deckard, implying that he sees it in a negative light.


"Replicants are like any other machines"
Deckard compares replicants to other machines, suggesting that replicants are not exceptional in any way.


"They are either a benefit or a hazard"
Deckard asserts that replicants, like any other machine, can be either useful or dangerous.


"If they're a benefit, it's not my problem"
Deckard implies that his concern is not whether replicants are helpful or harmful, but whether they pose a threat to the public.


"May I ask you a personal question?"
Rachel requests Deckard's permission to ask a personal question.


"sure"
Deckard affirms Rachel's request to ask a personal question.


"Have you ever retired a human, by mistake?"
Rachel asks a sensitive question about Deckard's past, specifically whether he has killed an innocent person accidentally.


"No"
Deckard denies having retired a human by mistake.


"but in your position that is a risk"
Rachel acknowledges that even though Deckard may not have killed someone by mistake, it is still a possibility in his line of work.


"Is this to be an empathy test?"
Tyrell questions Deckard about the purpose of the upcoming test, asking if it is to measure his empathy level towards others.


"Capilary dilation of the so called blush response"
Tyrell explains what the test will involve to Deckard, signaling how it will measure physical responses based on emotional reactions.


"... fluctuation of the pupil"
Tyrell elaborates on the factors that contribute to the test, emphasizing how the dilation of the pupil will indicate emotional states.


"Involuntary dilation of the iris"
Another indicator mentioned by Tyrell is the dilation of the iris, an involuntary reflex that occurs based on emotional states.


"We call it Voight-Kampf for short"
Deckard tells Rachel and Tyrell the name of the test and its common abbreviation.


"Mr. Deckard, Dr. Elden Tyrell"
Rachel introduces Deckard to Dr. Tyrell, who will administer the Voight-Kampf test.


"Demonstrate it. I want to see it work"
Tyrell instructs Deckard to demonstrate the Voight-Kampf test so he can witness it in action.


"Were is the subject?"
Deckard inquires about where the subject is for the test to proceed.


"I want to see it work on a person"
Tyrell emphasizes that he wants the test to be performed on a human subject to see its effectiveness in reality.


"I want to see a negative before I provide you with a positive"
Tyrell explains that he wants to see the negative effect of the test first, before deciding on its positive implications.


"What's that gonna prove?"
Deckard questions the relevance and importance of performing the test, wondering what its conclusions will demonstrate.


"Indulge me"
Tyrell insists that Deckard should perform the test, asking him to comply with his request.


"on you?"
Deckard tries to clarify who Tyrell wants to perform the test on, whether it is him or Rachel.


"Try her"
Tyrell tells Deckard to perform the test on Rachel, as she is the subject he wants to use for the assessment.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EVANGELOS PAPATHANASSIOU

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@davidetarantino1836

Do you like our owl?"
"Is it artificial?"
"Of course it is"
"Must be expensive"
"very"
"I'm Rachel"
"Deckard"
"It seems you feel our work is not a benefit to the public"
"Replicants are like any other machines"
"They are either a benefit or a hazard"
"If they're a benefit, it's not my problem"
"May I ask you a personal question?"
"sure"
"Have you ever retired a human, by mistake?"
"No" [Rachel:]
"but in your position that is a risk"
"Is this to be an empathy test?"
"Capilary dilation of the so called blush response"
"... fluctuation of the pupil"
"Involuntary dilation of the iris"
"We call it Voight-Kampf for short"
"Mr. Deckard, Dr. Elden Tyrell"
"Demonstrate it. I want to see it work"
"Were is the subject?"
"I want to see it work on a person"
"I want to see a negative before I provide you with a positive"
"What's that gonna prove?"
"Indulge me"
"on you?"
"Try her"



All comments from YouTube:

@swampii

to me that dialogue adds to the atmosphere of the song.

@amaliagrassi6870

I cannot find words significant enough to describe this track...

@hedende

Beyond reality

@paulstierna1397

This film is SO deep...Vangelis captures, even dominates, its message SO well.

@samuelkerckhoff2039

"Is this to be an empathy test? Capillary dilation of the the so called blush response. Fluctuation of thee pupil. Involuntary dilation of the iris."

"We call it Voight-Kampff for short"

@RCAvhstape

All these years and only recently did I realize that the actor who played Dr. Tyrell is the same guy who played the bartender in The Shining. No wonder Tyrell creeps me out a little.

@ethereal8655

Duuuuuuude, this one gives me chills in the best way possible. This is so deep I'm speechless...

@amatplayer

It always gives me thrills listening to this piece, even 20 years after I heard it

@davidetarantino1836

Do you like our owl?"
"Is it artificial?"
"Of course it is"
"Must be expensive"
"very"
"I'm Rachel"
"Deckard"
"It seems you feel our work is not a benefit to the public"
"Replicants are like any other machines"
"They are either a benefit or a hazard"
"If they're a benefit, it's not my problem"
"May I ask you a personal question?"
"sure"
"Have you ever retired a human, by mistake?"
"No" [Rachel:]
"but in your position that is a risk"
"Is this to be an empathy test?"
"Capilary dilation of the so called blush response"
"... fluctuation of the pupil"
"Involuntary dilation of the iris"
"We call it Voight-Kampf for short"
"Mr. Deckard, Dr. Elden Tyrell"
"Demonstrate it. I want to see it work"
"Were is the subject?"
"I want to see it work on a person"
"I want to see a negative before I provide you with a positive"
"What's that gonna prove?"
"Indulge me"
"on you?"
"Try her"

@SzokkozS

Like somewere between heaven and hell.... TOP CLASS!

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