The band’s key member is guitarist/singer/composer Kevin Shields, a reclusive perfectionist and radically inventive guitarist/engineer. The band’s other original member is drummer/studio maven Colm Ó Cíosóig; during their heyday MBV also included singer-guitarist Bilinda Butcher and bassist Debbie Googe. Their band shares its name with a low-budget Canadian slasher film.
MBV influences include The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Cocteau Twins, late-1970s Wire, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and independent artists such as The Pastels. Kevin Shields has also named The Beach Boys and The Ramones as a personal influence.
After leaving Creation Records in 1992 and signing with Island Records, the band fell into a creative black hole. Rumors spread among their fans of albums being recorded and then shelved. Debbie Googe left the band to form Snowpony; she had not played bass on their recordings since You Made Me Realise. Colm Ó Cíosóig eventually left and formed a band with Hope Sandoval, formerly of Mazzy Star, called Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions. Kevin Shields sporadically collaborated with other artists, most notably Experimental Audio Research, Curve, and Primal Scream. He revealed in a fall 2003 National Public Radio interview that Island Records quit financing his My Bloody Valentine endeavors after he spent half a million pounds of their money.
As of 2006, many rumors mentioned the possible reformation of MBV for a new studio album, but none of these were true. On November 15 2007, My Bloody Valentine announced three upcoming live gigs in the UK for 2008. On June 13 and 14, the band played in public for the first time in thirteen years, offering a pair of "Live Rehearsal" presentations at the ICA in London and officially starting their series of comeback performances. The band went on to play a slew of festivals in Summer and Fall of 2008. Following their appearance at the 2008 All Tomorrow's Parties festival, the New York Times reported that Shields was planning to complete the unfinished album.
On 2 February 2013 they self-released the self-titled album m b v as a download with both vinyl and CD copies shipping on 22nd Feb 2013. The Huffington Post reported that it caused such a public stir that the official MBV website crashed when fans attempted to access the site to purchase a copy.
My Bloody Valentine
my bloody valentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll wash my bloody hands
And we'll start a new life
I ripped out his throat
And called you on the telephone
To take off my disguise
Just in time to hear to cry
You mourn the death of your bloody valentine
The night he died
You mourn the death of your bloody valentine
One last time
Singing
Oh my love
Please don't cry
I'll wash my bloody hands
And we'll start a new life
I don't know much at all, I don't know wrong from right
All I know is that I love you tonight
There was police and flashing lights
The rain came down so hard that night
The headlines read, "A lover died
No telltale heart was left to find,"
When you
You mourn the death of your bloody valentine
The night he died
You mourn the death of your bloody valentine
One last time
Singing
Oh my love,
Please don't cry,
I'll wash my bloody hands
And we'll start a new life
I don't know much at all, I don't know wrong from right
All I know is that I love you tonight
Tonight....
He dropped you off
I followed him home
Then I stood outside his bedroom window
Standing over him, he begged me not to do
What I knew I had to do
'Cause I am so in love with you
Oh my love, please don't cry
I'll wash my bloody hands
And we'll start a new life
I don't know much at all
I don't know wrong from right
All I know is that I love you tonight
Tonight...
The song "My Bloody Valentine" by My Bloody Valentine has a haunting and somewhat disturbing narrative. The song tells the story of a man who has committed a murder and is trying to start a new life with his lover. The opening lines of the song, "Oh my love, please don't cry, I'll wash my bloody hands, and we'll start a new life" suggest that he has done something terrible and is now trying to make amends. The next verse gives more detail and reveals that he has killed someone and is now confessing to his lover over the phone. He tells her to take off his disguise, "just in time to hear you cry when you mourn the death of your bloody valentine."
The image of the "bloody valentine" is ambiguous, and it's not entirely clear who the victim is or how the singer is connected to them. The chorus repeats the phrase "you mourn the death of your bloody valentine" which suggests that the singer is talking to the victim's lover or partner. There are hints throughout the song that the singer is jealous and possessive of this person, and that this has led to violence. The final verse describes how the singer followed the victim home and stood outside their bedroom window before killing them. He begs his lover not to cry and promises to start a new life, but the song ends on a somewhat ominous note with the line "all I know is that I love you tonight."
Overall, "My Bloody Valentine" is a dark and unsettling song that explores themes of jealousy, possession, and violence in relationships. The singer's confession and attempt to start anew with his lover suggest some degree of remorse and desire for redemption, but it's not clear if this is genuine or just another attempt at manipulation.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love, please don't cry
The singer is asking their loved one not to cry and be upset anymore.
I'll wash my bloody hands
The singer is acknowledging that their hands are covered in blood, as though they have committed a violent act.
And we'll start a new life
The singer wants to forget the past and move forward with their loved one.
I ripped out his throat
The artist is confessing to a violent act - they have killed someone by ripping out their throat.
And called you on the telephone
The artist called their loved one after committing the murder.
To take off my disguise
The singer had been wearing a disguise, which they now need to remove to reveal their true identity.
Just in time to hear to cry
The singer was able to take off their disguise just in time to hear their loved one cry, likely because of the news the singer had to share about the murder.
When you
This line does not have enough context to provide a reworded meaning.
You mourn the death of your bloody valentine
The artist's loved one is mourning the death of their 'bloody valentine,' who is likely the victim of the murder committed by the artist.
The night he died
This line provides more context for the previous line - the 'bloody valentine' died at night.
One last time
This line likely refers to the fact that this is the last time the loved one will cry over their dead 'bloody valentine.'
Singing
This line does not have enough context to provide a reworded meaning.
I don't know much at all, I don't know wrong from right
The singer is admitting that they do not have a good sense of morality or what is right and wrong.
All I know is that I love you tonight
Despite their confusion about morality, the singer knows that they love their partner in this moment.
There was police and flashing lights
This line sets the scene of a crime scene investigation after the murder has taken place.
The rain came down so hard that night
This line provides more context about the scene of the crime - it was raining heavily at the time of the murder.
The headlines read, "A lover died
The media reported on the murder, describing the victim as a 'lover.'
No telltale heart was left to find,"
This line is likely a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's story about a murderer who is driven mad by the sound of their victim's heart, which they imagine they can still hear beating after the victim is dead. In this case, there was no evidence left behind to reveal the identity of the murderer.
He dropped you off
This line is likely related to the murder - the victim dropped the singer's loved one off somewhere before they were killed.
I followed him home
The artist followed the victim to their home, implying that this is where the murder took place.
Then I stood outside his bedroom window
The artist watched the victim through their bedroom window before committing the murder.
Standing over him, he begged me not to do
The victim was still alive when the artist approached them, and begged the artist not to commit the murder.
What I knew I had to do
Despite the victim's pleas, the singer knew that they had to go through with the murder (for reasons that are not made clear in the song).
'Cause I am so in love with you
The artist killed the victim because they are in love with their partner and were jealous or upset about the victim's relationship with their partner.
Tonight...
This line does not have enough context to provide a reworded meaning.
Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@richardvoncline
in retrospect probably the best song of the album. i once read it described perfectly. 'this song is melting and so am i'
@Rose-bc3ll
My favorite song of all time. No exaggeration. Will sometimes listen to this, and only this, for days on end.
@tristanmiller2593
Been there dawg, this shit is incredible. An addictive sort of coziness to the melancholy.
@sketchlord
this song is impossibly beautiful. i wish i could meet people who appreciate its beauty.
@grimmvalentine6558
I feel this 🤘🏾
@eatyourcereal8704
I wish it was a little louder
@djfulci
Some headphones and Bilinda whispering "be my lover" into my brain. Life is good.
@startervisions
Is Kevin singing backup vox?
@djfulci
@@startervisions it sounds like it’s all her to me
@startervisions
@@djfulci ok