She is best known for her Christmas song "No Christmas for me", which became a YouTube success in 2007. Zee Avi on this song: “This song was inspired by everything i’ve experienced/read/watched/heard of from movies or stories, about one’s lover being far away for Christmas, be it serving in the army, college, another country, peace corps etc… In a way, it’s also about not losing hope. (…) The words in this one are simple and direct. (…) I stayed with the ‘silent movie feel’ as i think it suits the song.”
Zee Avi's debut album 'Zee Avi' was released May 19, 2009.
Poppy
Zee Avi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He lost that smile I use to adore
He spend his nights slapping his veins
He lost that glow he used to have on his face
Empty, burned bottle on the carpet
My baby lying beside it
Tin foil and melted sugar everywhere
He said his provider was his pharmacist friend Ben
I swear I'm gonna kill him because
I swear I'm gonna kill him because because because
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
My baby used to repeat the news
And now he talks about dragons on the wall
Used to love German expressionism films
Now he drinks until he falls
I was confused, didn't know what to do
So I called his momma, had her come on over
She got him off the ground, started slapping him around
And now she cried, she said she said she said
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The poppy took my baby away from me
The song "Poppy" by Zee Avi is a heartbreaking tale of loss and addiction. The song starts with the singer lamenting how her baby, who used to be an affectionate and happy person, has changed. He no longer smiles, and his face doesn't have the glow it used to have. The nights have been spent slapping his veins, and empty bottles and tin foil and melted sugar are everywhere. The singer's baby blames his pharmacist friend Ben for his addiction, and the singer threatens to kill him. She blames the poppy for taking her baby away from her.
In the second verse, the singer describes her shock at how her baby has changed. He used to talk about the news, but now he talks about dragons on the wall. He used to love German expressionism films, but now he drinks until he falls. The singer calls her baby's momma for help, and she arrives and slaps him around until he comes to his senses. She too is devastated by the loss of her child to addiction, and cries with the singer.
The poppy is a powerful metaphor for addiction throughout the song. It represents the allure and danger of a substance that can take away the person you love. The singer is bereft at the loss of her baby, but in the end, she understands that it was the addiction that took him away. The song is a cautionary tale about the power of addiction and its devastating effects.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby he don't act like himself no more
My partner has changed completely
He lost that smile I use to adore
He no longer smiles or expresses happiness
He spend his nights slapping his veins
He spends his nights injecting drugs
He lost that glow he used to have on his face
He no longer has a healthy, radiant appearance
Empty, burned bottle on the carpet
There is evidence of drug use in the room
My baby lying beside it
My partner is passed out on the ground
Tin foil and melted sugar everywhere
There are remnants of drug paraphernalia around the room
He said his provider was his pharmacist friend Ben
He claims to have received drugs from his friend Ben
I swear I'm gonna kill him because
I want to confront and harm the friend who supplied drugs
The poppy took my baby away from me
The drug addiction has changed and taken my partner from me
My baby used to repeat the news
My partner used to be interested in current events
And now he talks about dragons on the wall
Now, he's delusional and has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy
Used to love German expressionism films
He used to have good taste in art and media
Now he drinks until he falls
He drinks heavily and has become an alcoholic
I was confused, didn't know what to do
I was lost and didn't know how to help him
So I called his momma, had her come on over
I reached out to his mother for support
She got him off the ground, started slapping him around
She used physical force to try and wake him up
And now she cried, she said she said she said
She is upset and repeated her feelings multiple times
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Izyan Binti Alirahman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind