They began as studio engineers at Mickie Most's RAK recording studio in London, engineering music for British groups like the Pet Shop Boys, Young Disciples, and Robert Plant. In 1997 they were asked by a college friend, Nigel Godrich (who was busy producing 'OK Computer'), to remix Radiohead's "Climbing Up the Walls". They called the mix "the Zero 7 Mix" which stuck.
Witness
Zero 7 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taskmaster burst
The bionic zit splitter
Breakneck speed
We drown ten pints of bitter
We lean all day
And some say that ain't productive
But that depends upon the demon that you're stuck with
I see clearer than most
I sit here contented with this cheese on toast
I feel the pain of a third world famine
Segue
We count them blessings and keep jamming
'Tis him
Scumbag, scum of the earth
His worth was nil
Until he gained the skill of tongues
From 15 years young straight to my grey back self
I stay top shelf material
Jerk chicken, jerk fish
Break away slave bliss
Generate G's and then we stash them in the Swiss
Fools can't see this
Audio pistols
A fistful of hip hop donzai
Progressin' in the flesh
Esoteric quotes most frightening
Duppy took hold of my hand while I was writing
Let go me ting Duppy
Let go me hand
I summon up the power of banana clan...
Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest
Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest
Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest
Swigging that deep root juice
Now we deh 'pon it boost
Set them spirit them loose
Go 'head go slash up the noose
With conclusive proof of both the truth
The right
'Cause whether we hitch hike or push bike
Or travel kinda trash
Manifest that
With wholesome roots rap
Manifest that yeah
I do my zing way
Ain't nutten else I know
Gone up in the life
With this I-ragged born flow
Squeeze the pain from my belly and set my soul free
Travel over ocean land and sea
Faced nuff stress and difficulty
Flung back from the brink
Gwan'ing kind of stink
We don't give a frig about what them fools think
Frig your network
Our dett work will speak for itself
Proof of the trophy
And the champion belt
Come sun come rain come hailstone pelt.
Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest
Bwana Simit
With some old time shit
Let the whole world know
We on some off key tip
Mega manic
When time the pressure start lick
By the hook or by the crook
By the poop or by the kick
He's sickly cryptic
Spitting the code
And most proud to present that cruffatin mode
And it shows that they bro's done
Seen a few sleights
Life throws scenarios
Reality bites
We in collision with the beast
Lost we religion and we can't get no peace
Idiot weakheart want to take I for chief
Stoop to their level and we plotting cold grief
But we should know that
Discipline maketh the geez
Separation of the DAT from the rat that's a must
Proceed set speed with the cruffatin touch
Proceed set speed
Crufatin yow
Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest
Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest
The song "Witness" by Zero 7 is a fast-paced and dynamic song that is filled with a lot of wordplay and metaphors that can be hard to decipher. The lyrics speak about the struggles of life, the need for discipline and perseverance, and the importance of making the most of one's life. The song begins with the line "Well well well, Taskmaster burst, The bionic zit splitter" which may refer to someone who is in charge and has a lot of power. The second line "Breakneck speed, We drown ten pints of bitter" may refer to someone who is living life fast and recklessly without any regard to the consequences.
The line "The pain of a third world famine" is a reference to the struggles of people living in developing nations, reminding the listener of the importance of being grateful for what they have. The lyrics also touch on themes of overcoming one's limitations, as in the line "I stay top shelf material," and the importance of staying true to oneself, as in the line "I do my zing way, Ain't nutten else I know." Overall, the song is a call to action, urging listeners to witness and take action against the injustices and struggles of the world while staying true to themselves and their aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
Well well well
Expression of surprise
Taskmaster burst
Being overwhelmed by responsibilities
The bionic zit splitter
A tool that can easily remove or split zits
Breakneck speed
Going too fast, possibly dangerous
We drown ten pints of bitter
Drinking alcohol excessively
We lean all day
Being lazy or unproductive
And some say that ain't productive
Some people believe that being unproductive is not ideal
But that depends upon the demon that you're stuck with
Productivity is relative and depends on your motivation
'Cause right now
At present
I see clearer than most
Being more aware than others
I sit here contented with this cheese on toast
Being satisfied with simple pleasures
I feel the pain of a third world famine
Being aware and sympathetic toward the suffering of others
Segue
A smooth transition
We count them blessings and keep jamming
Being grateful for what we have and continue working hard
'Tis him
It is him
Scumbag, scum of the earth
One who is worthless and untrustworthy
His worth was nil
He was worthless
Until he gained the skill of tongues
Until he learned how to speak other languages
From 15 years young straight to my grey back self
From childhood to present day
I stay top shelf material
Being of high quality
Jerk chicken, jerk fish
Jerk seasoned chicken or fish
Break away slave bliss
Feeling free after being a slave
Generate G's and then we stash them in the Swiss
Earning money and saving it in Swiss bank accounts
Fools can't see this
Some people are not aware of what's going on
Audio pistols
Powerful music
A fistful of hip hop donzai
A lot of powerful hip hop music
Progressin' in the flesh
Making progress in life
Esoteric quotes most frightening
Profound and scary phrases
Duppy took hold of my hand while I was writing
Feeling spooked while writing
Let go me ting Duppy
Let go of my thing, ghost
Let go me hand
Let go of my hand
I summon up the power of banana clan...
Trying to invoke the power of the banana clan
Witness the fitness
See the strength
The cruffatin liveth
The rough and tough way of life
One hope one quest
One goal and one mission
Swigging that deep root juice
Drinking a concoction for strength
Now we deh 'pon it boost
Now we're being energized by it
Set them spirit them loose
Unleashing the animal within
Go 'head go slash up the noose
Break free from the chains of society
With conclusive proof of both the truth
Being certain of the truth
The right
The correct thing to do
'Cause whether we hitch hike or push bike
Regardless of our method of travel
Or travel kinda trash
Even if we travel in uncomfortable or bad conditions
Manifest that
Make it happen
With wholesome roots rap
With genuine and true music
Manifest that yeah
Let it be done
I do my zing way
Doing things my own way
Ain't nutten else I know
There's nothing else I'm good at
Gone up in the life
Becoming successful
With this I-ragged born flow
With this unpolished music style
Squeeze the pain from my belly and set my soul free
Expressing emotions through music
Travel over ocean land and sea
Traveling to many places
Faced nuff stress and difficulty
Having to deal with a lot of stress and obstacles
Flung back from the brink
Being saved from a bad situation
Gwan'ing kind of stink
Having a bad attitude
We don't give a frig about what them fools think
Ignoring what others think
Frig your network
Disregarding your group
Our dett work will speak for itself
Our hard work will show its value
Proof of the trophy
Evidence of the rewards we have earned
And the champion belt
Being recognized as a champion
Come sun come rain come hailstone pelt.
Regardless of the weather or challenges we will face
Bwana Simit
Master Simit
With some old time shit
With a classic style
Let the whole world know
Spreading our message worldwide
We on some off key tip
We have our own unique style
Mega manic
Being extremely enthusiastic
When time the pressure start lick
When there is pressure
By the hook or by the crook
By any means necessary
By the poop or by the kick
Unconventional ways of doing things
He's sickly cryptic
He speaks in a strange way
Spitting the code
Rhyming's structure and meaning
And most proud to present that cruffatin mode
Proudly displaying our rough and tough way of life
And it shows that they bro's done
It's apparent that they are finished
Seen a few sleights
Witnessed some trickery
Life throws scenarios
Life can be unpredictable
Reality bites
Life can be difficult
We in collision with the beast
We are fighting against the system/systems that oppress us
Lost we religion and we can't get no peace
We have lost our faith and can't find peace
Idiot weakheart want to take I for chief
The oppressor is trying to take control
Stoop to their level and we plotting cold grief
Descending to their level would result in violence
But we should know that
We need to remember that
Discipline maketh the geez
Discipline ensures success
Separation of the DAT from the rat that's a must
We need to differentiate honest people from dishonest ones
Proceed set speed with the cruffatin touch
Continue moving forward with our rough and tough way of life
Crufatin yow
Our rough and tough way of life (Jamaican slang)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MELENI SMITH, TOBIAS GAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Helix Drone
such a tune!!!!
A. B.
♥
Bassculture NL
Siiiiiick!!!
Dylan
shouts to wigtop welsh
Palios33
Παράνοια!!
Jacob Zlogar
wubba wubba wub