Born Slippy by Underworld Lyrics Meaning – The Hedonistic Odyssey of a 90s Anthem
Lyrics
In the doorway boy
She was a lipstick boy
She was a beautiful boy
And tears boy and all in your inner space boy
You had hand girls boy and steel boy
You had chemicals boy, I’ve grown so close to you
Boy and you just grown boy
She said come over, come over
She smiled at you, boy
Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy
In the doorway boy
She was a lipstick boy
She was a beautiful boy
And tears boy and all in your inner space boy
You had hand girls boy and steel boy
You had chemicals boy, I’ve grown so close to you
Boy and you just grown boy
She said come over, come over
She smiled at you, boy
Let your feelings slip boy
But never your mask boy
Random blonde bio high density rhythm
Blonde boy, blonde country, blonde high density
You are my drug boy, you’re real boy
Speak to me and boy dog, dirty numb cracking boy
You get wet boy, big big time boy, acid bear boy
Babes and babes and babes and babes and babes
And remembering nothing boy
You like my tin horn boy and get wet like an angel
Derail
You got a velvet mouth
You’re so succulent and beautiful
Shimmering and dirty wonderful and hot times
On your telephone line and God and everything
On your telephone and in walk an angel
And look at me
Your mom squatting pissed in a tube-hole at Tottenham Court Road
I just come out of the ship
Talking to the most blonde I ever met
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega, white thing
So many things to see and do in the tube hole true
Blonde going back to Romford
Mega, mega, mega, going back to Romford
Hi mom are you having fun
And now are you on your way
To a new tension headache
Upon its release in the mid-90s, Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ emerged not just as a song but as a cultural artefact, emblematic of a generation caught in the throes of hedonism and existential malaise. The intricate layers of the track’s dynamic electronic soundscape merely act as a vessel for its elusive lyrics—a hybrid of stream-of-consciousness and pointed imagery.
Propelling listeners into a reverberating journey, the track flutters between club euphoria and the grittiness of real-life experiences. The song exudes palpable energy that demands analysis beyond its intoxicating beat. And though often misread as an anthem glorifying the rave culture, ‘Born Slippy’ provides a poetic exploration of the human condition.
Sonic Euphoria Meets Linguistic Paradox
‘Born Slippy’ is an auditory embodiment of euphoria, its pulsating techno rhythms underpin a lyrical menagerie that juxtaposes purity with depravity, adolescence with maturity. Each line of the song, while seemingly disjointed, converges to construct a narrative that feels both intensely personal and universally relatable.
The repetition of ‘boy’ throughout the song morphs from a term of endearment to one of insistent urgency. It’s as if the repeated calls to the ‘angel boy’—with every adjective change—capture snapshots of a life being lived on the razor’s edge between pleasure and self-destruction.
Diving into the Underworld: A Rave New World
‘Born Slippy’ doesn’t merely reflect the rave culture; it absorbs it into its very DNA. The high-octane basslines and swift percussive elements mirror the surreal, adrenaline-fueled world of underground clubs where nights bleed into mornings and identities are as fluid as the rhythms pounding through the speakers.
The picture painted is one of complete immersion—the loss of self to the collective heartbeat of the dance floor, the dilution of reality amidst the sweat and the chemical rush, until what’s left is a barely coherent shout into the abyss: ‘lager, lager, lager.’
The Ephemeral Whisper of Identity in Chaos
‘Let your feelings slip boy, but never your mask boy.’ This line whispers a cruel irony, a deadly double-edged weapon—embrace the chaos but remain hidden, protected behind a facade. In the maelstrom of Underworld’s musical oeuvre is a delicate thread of the existential fear of vulnerability.
The composition challenges the listener to ponder the tenuous balance we all maintain—between revealing our inner selves and safeguarding our hearts against the raw friction of the world. It’s a tale spun on the loom of the human psyche, a warbling ballad of self-protection.
Memorable Lines that Etch the Cultural Psyche
It’s hard to ignore the chant of ‘Shouting, lager, lager, lager’ as anything less than iconic. It reverberates through time, a call to arms for those moments lost in the thumping bass of a nighttime escape. Yet, ‘Mega, mega, white thing’ adds a layer of opaque intrigue, perhaps alluding to the vapid materialism and consumption that echoed through the ’90s.
These phrases, although abstract, resonate with the collective memory of a generation. They serve as an adhesive, joining individual experiences into a shared historical narrative—a zeitgeist captured in a few memorable beats and repeated proclamations.
Unearthing the Hidden Meaning in the Mundane
When stripped of its electronic shell, ‘Born Slippy’ confronts us with the poignant imagery of a ‘mom squatting pissed in a tube-hole at Tottenham Court Road,’ serving as a mirror to the mundane realities that often escape the glamorized vision of the ’90s club scene.
This glaringly vivid snapshot is a counterbalance to the ecstatic escapism of the surrounding lines. It forces a recognition of the bleak, often overlooked corners of urban existence—the backdrop against which the fleeting ecstasy of the nightlife is painted.
