Glycerine by Bush Lyrics Meaning – A Deep Dive into the Melodic Pathos of the 90s Hit
Lyrics
Must be for real ’cause now I can feel
And I didn’t mind, it’s not my kind
It’s not my time to wonder why
Everything gone white, everything’s grey
Now you’re here, now you’re away
I don’t want this, remember that
I’ll never forget where you’re at
Don’t let the days go by
Glycerine
Glycerine
I’m never alone, I’m alone all the time
Are you at one or do you lie?
We live in a wheel where everyone steals
But when we rise, it’s like strawberry fields
If I treated you bad, you’d bruise my face
Couldn’t love you more, you’ve got a beautiful taste
Don’t let the days go by
Could’ve been easier on you
I couldn’t change though I wanted to
Should’ve been easier by three
Our old friend fear and you and me
Glycerine
Glycerine
Don’t let the days go by
Glycerine
Don’t let the days go by
Glycerine, glycerine
Oh, glycerine, glycerine
Bad moon white again
Bad moon white again
As she falls around me
I needed you more, you wanted us less
Could not kiss, just regress
It might just be clear, simple and plain
Well, that’s just fine, that’s just one of my names
Don’t let the days go by
Could’ve been easier on you, you, you
Glycerine
Glycerine
Glycerine
Glycerine
Bush’s ‘Glycerine’, with its haunting chords and evocative lyrics, remains one of the quintessential tracks of the 90s. As lead singer Gavin Rossdale plucks at the strings of introspection, listeners are swept into a contemplative state that transcends the era of its origin.
The song’s lyrics, seemingly simple, resonate with a depth that only magnifies under scrutiny. Tinged with romantic melancholy, ‘Glycerine’ serves as both an anthem for the heartbroken and a canvas for broader existential musings.
The Complexity of Intimacy Unveiled
When Rossdale sings, ‘It must be your skin, I’m sinking in,’ the listener is thrust into the tactile experience of closeness and the vulnerability that comes with it. This sensory beginning starkly juxtaposes with the alienation articulated in the lines ‘I’m never alone, I’m alone all the time,’ which convey an enduring loneliness intrinsic to human experience, perhaps even within intimate relationships.
The song’s title, ‘Glycerine’, itself a smooth and slippery substance, might be a metaphor for the complexities of love and connection—dangerously combustible when mixed with certain elements yet stabilizing in other compounds. It’s a balancing act, much like the emotional push and pull Rossdale voices throughout the track.
A Clock Ticking Against Complacency
‘Don’t let the days go by’ could be seen as a clarion call against the stagnation in life and relationships, a reminder that time’s relentless march waits for no one. These words set to the backdrop of an increasingly dark and layered instrumental build amplify the urgency of this message, creating a juxtaposition of melodic gentleness with a lyrical punch.
The repetition of ‘Glycerine’ after the line serves both as a refrain and a cue, perhaps to reflect on the fleeting nature of human experience where joy and pain are ephemeral, crystallized in moments that once passed, slip through our fingers like drops of glycerine.
The Song’s Hidden Meaning: Strawberry Fields and Fear
A striking phrase in the song is ‘when we rise, it’s like strawberry fields,’ a possible ode to the Beatles’ own surreal exploration of memory and innocence. In the context of ‘Glycerine,’ these stolen moments of ascent represent a bittersweet realization that life’s beauty often comes from its impermanence and imperfection.
Additionally, as Rossdale reflects on the trio of ‘our old friend fear and you and me’, it seems to underline the central theme of the song: the internal and external struggles that shape our relationships. Fear, personified as an old friend, is the ever-present third wheel, influencing choices and feeding into the cycle of joy and anguish.
Memorable Lines: Love’s Contradictions and Regrets
‘Could’ve been easier on you / I couldn’t change though I wanted to’ encapsulates the crux of the human condition—our fallibility. With these lines, Rossdale exposes the dichotomy between desire and action, recognizing his shortcomings and the pain they may inflict, despite his intentions.
Furthermore, the remorseful ‘could not kiss, just regress’ speaks to the stagnation and decay of a relationship untouched by the affection it needs to survive. It’s a lament for love unfulfilled and a call to action before disintegration takes full hold.
The Evocative Power of Repetition in ‘Glycerine’
Beyond the poignant lyrics, the song’s power lies in the hypnotic repetition of the word ‘Glycerine’. This echoes throughout the track as a haunting mantra, a lyrical touchstone that pulls listeners deeper into the song’s emotive core.
‘Glycerine, glycerine,’ he croons, a poetic refrain that lingers long after the song ends, inviting contemplation and drawing listeners into a cyclical musing on the transience of love, the inevitability of pain, and the perseverance of hope amidst the temporal drift of life.
