Up! by M83 Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Cosmic Journey of Liberation and Desire
Lyrics
If I clean my rocket
We’ll go flying today
And we’ll hit the pockets
Of warm and crispy air
Oh you lovely boy you smell so sweet
We ride so well
And we load our pistols as we perch upon
My razor wings
Up to the planets, up to the bodies of the galaxy
We fly, we feed, we suck, we bleed, we need…
[Repeat 2X]
If I clean my rocket
We’ll go flying today
And we’ll hit the pockets
Of warm and crispy air
Oh we flee the scene of our little crime
We feel so free
But the hounds of law they bite our heels
As we retreat
Up to the planets, up to the bodies of the galaxy
Of the galaxy we fly, we feed, we suck, we bleed, we need…
[Repeat 4X]
If I clean my rocket (clean your rocket)
And we’ll hit the pockets
M83’s ‘Up!’ is not just a melodic voyage through the stars; it’s an introspective rollercoaster that marries the personal with the universal. At first blush, it appears to be a fantastical escapade of starships and galaxies, but deeper listens reveal layers of longing and existential thirst cloaked within its dreamy soundscape.
Anthony Gonzalez, the maestro behind M83, has long been celebrated for his ability to weave rich, emotional textures into synth-heavy arrangements. ‘Up!’ continues this tradition, providing an auditory canvas tailor-made for the reflection of skyward ambitions and the human condition, wrapped in a cosmic metaphor.
A Rocket-Fueled Odyssey: Escaping the Mundane
The rhetoric of ‘Up!’ is soaked in the spirit of adventure, of breaking free from the gravitational pull of normalcy. The song starts with the promise of a journey, a cleansing of one’s vessel – ‘If I clean my rocket’ – that speaks to the preparations one undertakes in search of a fresh beginning or a great escape.
This adventure transcends the physical, inviting listeners to confront their own eagerness to find spaces ‘of warm and crispy air.’ These pockets seem to symbolize moments of perfect joy and freedom, a temporary but seizing blow against the monotonous hum of everyday life.
Interstellar Love and Loss: The Emotional Undercurrent
The track’s emotive potency resonates with the mention of a ‘lovely boy’ who ‘smells so sweet.’ These intimate details ground the otherwise expansive themes in personal experience, suggesting not only a partner in crime but also a confidante for the journey.
The lyric ‘We ride so well’ further enforces this bond, highlighting companionship as a vital component of the adventure. Yet despite these bonds, the ‘we’ in the song is still bound to the base human needs as they ‘fly, feed, suck, bleed, need…’ insinuating that even within the vast expanses of space, the yearning and survivalist instincts are inescapable.
The Thrill of the Chase: Outrunning Consequences
There is an inherent sense of rebellion as the travelers in the song ‘flee the scene of our little crime.’ The phrase embodies a tension between liberation and accountability, hinting that their ascent to the stars may be as much about evasion as exploration.
The ‘hounds of law’ nipping at their heels conjure imagery of pursuit, a nod to the idea that, regardless of how high we ascend – ‘Up to the planets, up to the bodies of the galaxy’ – we cannot fully extricate ourselves from the consequences of our terrestrial actions.
The Hidden Meaning: A Sonic Cry for Authentic Existence
Beneath its veneer of intergalactic escapism, ‘Up!’ voices a poignant plea for authenticity and a life lived with intention. In its repeated plea to ‘clean my rocket,’ the song may be urging listeners to declutter not just their physical surroundings, but their lives, to make room for genuine experiences.
This purge is not merely an external one; it’s a journey inward, a call to self-reflect and eliminate the noise that detracts from our core desires. ‘Up!’ beckons us toward an existence less tethered to the anchor of hollow routine, and more aligned with the pulse of personal truth.
Memorable Lines that Resonate Across the Cosmos
‘We fly, we feed, we suck, we bleed, we need…’ This litany-like expression captures the essence of ‘Up!’ in its starkness and simplicity. Each verb strips down the human experience to its most primal form, resonating with the listener’s own fundamental needs and drives.
Such simplicity belies the sophisticated emotional resonance that these lines inspire, reminding us that, regardless of our dreams and our flights of fancy, our basic human conditions will always bind us to the very earth we seek to explore and, at times, escape.
