Biscuit by Portishead Lyrics Meaning – Delving into the Depths of Love’s Labyrinth
Lyrics
Stranger things will come your way
It’s just I’m scared
Got hurt along time ago
I can’t make myself heard
No matter how hard I scream
Oh, sensation
Sin, slave of sensation
Full fed yet I still hunger
Torn inside
Haunted I tell myself, yet I still wander
Down, inside, its tearing me apart
Oh, sensation
Sin, slave of sensation
I’ll never fall in
I’ll never fall in love again
I’ll never
Never fall
I’ll never fall in love again
Never fall
Never fall in
I’ll never fall in love again
It’s all over now
At last, relief
A mother’s son has left me sheer
The shores I seek
Are crimson taste divine
I can’t make myself heard
No matter how hard I scream
Oh, sensation
Sin, slave of sensation
I’ll never fall in love
I’ll never fall
Fall in love
I-I-I-I’ll, ne-ne-ver, fall, in love
I’ll never fall in love again
I’ll never, I’ll never
I’ll never, I’ll never
I’ll never
Fall in love again
It’s all over now
It’s all over now
It’s all over now
Portishead’s ‘Biscuit’ is not just a song; it is the embodiment of a haunting voyage through the emotional residue left by love lost. In this track, from the band’s seminal 1994 album ‘Dummy’, there’s a confluence of chilling beats, ethereal vocals, and poignant lyrics that create an achingly beautiful mosaic of human vulnerability.
The song’s introspective nature allows listeners to navigate the complexities of the heart and mind, echoing sentiments that resonate on a universal scale. To fully appreciate the song’s essence, it is vital to parse through its cryptic lines and the potent emotions they convey.
Of Hauntings and Hungers: The Emotional Paradox
Within ‘Biscuit’, the lyrics paint a picture of a soul ‘full fed yet still hungering’, encapsulating a profound state of dissatisfaction and yearning. This internal void is a universal feeling, one that speaks to our inherent desire for connection contrasted against the fear of vulnerability brought on by past scars.
As the verses tear at the fabric of our own insecurities, they expose a deeply rooted contradiction—one where love’s absence leaves haunting traces, and an ‘inside torn apart’, a vivid metaphor for the emotional discord that often plagues the lovelorn.
A Siren’s Wail: The Power of the Unheard
The song’s narrator repeatedly expresses a sense of voicelessness, ‘I can’t make myself heard no matter how hard I scream’. It’s a powerful depiction of the futility experienced when trying to communicate anguish, only to have it lost in the void of misunderstanding—or worse, indifference.
This lyric, an almost oxymoronic predicament, illustrates not only the struggle for articulation in times of emotional turmoil but also the isolation that comes with feeling inaudible even in one’s loudest moments.
Diving into the Song’s Hidden Depths
To seek the hidden meaning within ‘Biscuit’ is to traverse the shadowy corridors of human experience. The repeated reference to ‘sensation’ as both sin and slave suggests a dialectical relationship with feeling—where to feel is both a curse and a compulsion.
This duality speaks to the inherent risks and delights of embracing emotion, hinting at a deeper existential struggle between the yearning to feel intensely and the protective urge to remain numb.
The Resonance of Memorable Lines: Echoes of Resistance
Certain lines in ‘Biscuit’ persist in memory, circling the listener’s mind like a mantra of self-preservation. When the voice pledges ‘I’ll never fall in love again’, it’s both a statement of defiance and a silent prayer—recognizing past wounds while trying to restrict future vulnerability.
This declaration, at once melancholic and resolute, becomes a shield against the uncertain tides of affection, a way to claim agency amidst emotional chaos.
Eternal Echoes and the Final Farewell of Love
As the song spirals to its close, the repeating lines ‘It’s all over now’ serve as a haunting refrain, a conscious attempt to mark the end of a painful chapter. Yet, the beauty of ‘Biscuit’ lies in its insistent aftertones that suggest closure is a complex, ongoing process rather than a neat conclusion.
The song leaves us pondering if one can ever truly sever the ties of a past love, or if the echoes of what was, and what could have been, linger in the periphery of the heart indefinitely.
