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.
Soft as Snow
my bloody valentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Penetrate you cannot hide
Feeling lost forever
Really need you
Feeling dark and feeling true
This is all I ever knew
Soft as skin in leather
And I whisper 'you'
Sink away you look happily
Secrets keep forever
They're undressing me
Come inside it's warm in here
Better now to have no fear
Carried on a wave
Where it can lead you?
Touch your head, then your hair
Softer, softer everywhere
Fingertips are burning
Can I touch you there?
Soft as velvet, eyes can't see
Bring me close to ecstacy
High away to heaven
And I'm coming too
Float now coming down on me
Handed you what I cannot see
Feel the big happy
You're exploding me
Soft as snow and warm inside
Penetrate then redivide
Slip away forever
Do we need you
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
The lyrics of My Bloody Valentine's "Soft as Snow" describe an intense and intimate encounter between two people, with the singer becoming lost in the feelings of love and desire. The opening lines "Soft as snow but warm inside, penetrate you cannot hide" convey the idea of the singer being gentle and soft on the outside, but with strong emotions on the inside that they cannot keep hidden. The lyrics then move towards a sense of longing, with the singer admitting they really need their lover and that they feel lost without them.
Throughout the song, the language is highly metaphorical, with the softness of snow, skin, velvet, and leather all used to evoke different emotions and sensations. The chorus repeats the lines "Soft as snow and warm inside, penetrate then redivide, slip away forever, do we need you" which seem to suggest a sense of uncertainty and doubt about the relationship. The final verse of the song sees the singer reaching a state of ecstasy: "High away to heaven, and I'm coming too, float now coming down on me, handed you what I cannot see, feel the big happy, you're exploding me."
Overall, "Soft as Snow" is a song about the intensity and fragility of love, with the singer experiencing a range of emotions from fear and doubt, to longing and desire, and ultimately reaching a state of ecstasy and release.
Line by Line Meaning
Soft as snow but warm inside
The person is outwardly calm, yet internally passionate.
Penetrate you cannot hide
Their intensity is unescapable despite efforts to conceal from it.
Feeling lost forever
The person feels adrift without their partner.
Really need you
The person requires their romantic interest to feel fulfilled.
Feeling dark and feeling true
Their emotions are powerful and undeniably real.
This is all I ever knew
Their life has always been governed by these intense emotions.
Soft as skin in leather
Their passion feels strong and almost dangerous, comparable to the sensation of tight leather against skin.
And I whisper 'you'
The person's desire is so intense they can't help but whisper their partner's name.
Harder you come down on me
Their passion intensifies as their partner becomes more aggressive.
Sink away you look happily
Their partner is satisfied with the encounter, causing the person to become more relaxed and content.
Secrets keep forever
Their secrets are locked away permanently and won't be shared with anyone.
They're undressing me
Their partner is metaphorically undressing not only their clothes but also their emotions and innermost secrets.
Come inside it's warm in here
The person invites their partner to share their company and bask in their warmth.
Better now to have no fear
They encourage their partner to let go of any anxiety or hesitation and fully enjoy the moment.
Carried on a wave
The person is swept up in the passion and emotion of the moment, comparable to being carried by a wave.
Where it can lead you?
The person questions where this intense passion and emotion will eventually lead them or their relationship.
Touch your head, then your hair
They slowly and sensually touch their partner's head and hair, building the passion and anticipation.
Softer, softer everywhere
The touch becomes increasingly gentle and tender, covering every inch of their partner's body.
Fingertips are burning
Their fingertips feel as if they're on fire with desire for their partner.
Can I touch you there?
They ask for permission to touch their partner in a more intimate area.
Soft as velvet, eyes can't see
Their partner is so soft and sensual that it almost feels like velvet, and their vision becomes blurry with passion.
Bring me close to ecstacy
They are on the precipice of achieving euphoria with their partner.
High away to heaven
The intense pleasure and satisfaction they feel is otherworldly, comparable to being transported to heaven.
And I'm coming too
Their own pleasure is intensifying and they are reaching orgasm themselves.
Float now coming down on me
As their pleasure reaches its peak, they feel weightless as if they are floating, and their partner is still on top of them.
Handed you what I cannot see
They gave all of themselves in that moment, even though it was invisible or intangible.
Feel the big happy, you're exploding me
They are experiencing intense joy and satisfaction, and their pleasure is overwhelming their senses.
Soft as snow and warm inside
They feel peaceful and content, despite the intensity of their emotions.
Penetrate then redivide
They have let their partner in to their heart and soul, allowing the two to become one, before separating once more.
Slip away forever
Despite the intensity of the moment, eventually it will come to a close, and they will be separated.
Do we need you
In the aftermath of their encounter, they question the necessity of their partner in their life.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Colm Michael O'Ciosoig, Kevin Patrick Shields
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind