Meaning of Wilbur Soot’s Melatonin 130

Melatonin is a compound produced by the brain which most notably regulates our sleeping cycles. As such, it is also sold as a prescription medication to treat sleep disorders. And it is as such that Wilbur references it in the first line of the song. More specially, the vocalist sets out to illustrate that melatonin as well as other drugs he’s taking, valium, are not achieving their intended and desired effect of making him more relaxed. And on that note, it should probably be noted that it’s not recommended to use melatonin and valium concurrently without professional supervision.

That theme permeates into the second verse, where it appears that Wilbur is having an exchange with his therapist or advisor. And what this person seems to be telling him is that ultimately, taking drugs is not going to cure his anxiety. Rather, he has to confront his stress at its source.

But that is not to imply that this is an anti-drug song. The third verse then proceeds to read as if Soot, as depressed as he may be, is addressing his romantic interest. And what he’s telling her is that he intends for their relationship to be a permanent one, depression and all. And with that, it can also be speculated that certain lines in the first verse, when the singer expresses a desire to “teleport from here” and rather land on “the space in between” the addressee’s “neck, where it meets (her) shoulder” may also be a romantic reference. In fact, two recurring themes we have come across on Mammalian Sighing Reflex is not only the vocalist feeling gloomy and alienated but also coming off as if being with his sweetheart is the only cure to these maladies. In other words, this may actually be a project replete with indirect, mental illness-referencing love songs, which are sort of Soot’s specialty.

But the fourth and final verse seems to steer us listeners in a slightly different direction. Wilbur may still be singing to his girlfriend, but his musings read generally philosophical rather than personal per se. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it’s actually easy to understand what he’s arguing. But most simply interpreted, it reads as if the vocalist is doubling down in asserting that he has become disinterested in life, though this time around also coming off as if such, in the grand scheme of things, is unavoidable.

Melatonin 130 ultimately concludes with an interesting line, with Soot revealing that he’s “just been doing, like, music and stuff”. That statement comes off as if Wilbur has grown bored with his own profession and even its associated success. And that notion is also, as far as we can tell, a recurring theme found on Mammalian Sighing Reflex.

Wilbur Soot may be a musician with a very unorthodox lyrical approach, his songs, during their respective eras, tend to revolve around the same ideas. And in this case, his 2023 project, it’s as if the entertainer wants the world to know that success is not all it’s cracked up to be, that along with the fame and materials also comes stress and interpersonal issues. Or at least, that’s how his experience has apparently been. And what is most depressing, as inferred, is that the singer’s melancholy has also negatively affected the relationship with the woman he loves.

Facts

Wilbur Soot gets sole writing and production credit for this song. And it is derived from his second full-length album as a soloist, Mammalian Sighing Reflex, a project that made its way onto the marketplace on 30 November 2023.

To note, there does not appear to be any actual drug or chemical known as “melatonin 130”.  So for now, why Wilbur added the “130” to the title is a mystery.