A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend with weed is better
A friend with breasts and all the rest
A friend who's dressed in leather

A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend who'll tease is better
Our thoughts compressed
Which makes us blessed
And makes for stormy weather

(Dawning, skins crawling)
(Dawning)

A friend in need's a friend indeed
My Japanese is better
And when she's pressed she will undress
And then she's boxing clever

A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend who bleeds is better
My friend confessed she passed the test
And we will never sever

Day's dawning, skins crawling
Day's dawning, skins crawling
Day's dawning, skins crawling
Day's dawning, skins crawling
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning

A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend who'll tease is better
Our thoughts compressed
Which makes us blessed
And makes for stormy weather

A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend who bleeds is better
My friend confessed she passed the test
And we will never sever

Day's dawning, skins crawling
Day's dawning, skins crawling
Day's dawning, skins crawling
Day's dawning, skins crawling
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning
Pure morning

A friend in need's a friend indeed
My Japanese is better
And when she's pressed she will undress
And then she's boxing clever

A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend with weed is better
A friend with breasts and all the rest
A friend who's dressed in leather


Lyrics submitted by Ice

Pure Morning [Album Edit] Lyrics as written by Stefan Olsdal Brian Molko

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Pure Morning song meanings
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94 Comments

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  • +10
    General Comment

    It's about a guy hooking up with a friend when they got high. "A friend who bleeds is better" means that he was hoping she would have her period. & "She passed the test" is a positive pregnancy test. He got her pregnant and is going to stay with her. The whole song is about taking responsibility of your actions and learning to deal with the "morning after" problems.....The next day its just pure morning (mourning)...

    GODSAVEMYSOULPLEASEon December 29, 2011   Link
  • +7
    General Comment

    everyones syaing the right things but not connecting it, doesnt anyone think its a story song other than me? 1st verse: a girl has some weed, shes fit and the guy likes her, shes in leather of some sort which he likes, ones down about something so they get high together 2nd verse: shes teasing him sexually and he enjoys it, its like ther thoughts are compressed and they dont see the bigger picture, that they're heading for a rocky ride or stormy weather" 3rd verse: ther still in need of something, its all foreign to them (japanese referance) she ends up undressing they end up having sex 4th verse: she was in need, she thought she was pregnant after that night but her period came and she tested negative on the pregnancy test so ther friendship remaind 5th verse: the lines about skin crawling and pure morning etc: it works because it was a pure morning, they woke up together and had done an act which is considered pure or dirty depending on the way u look at it. ther skin was crawling through frustration or something maybe 6th verse: even though they where scared that the girl was pregnant, they're blessed bcoz they enjoyed the sex and theyre blessed because things didnt go wrong and the girl didnt wind up getting pregnant

    the rest is just repetative and goes over the same meanings. Its just a story of two mates getting high, making them feel sexually charged and the worries of the morning after when one things that theyre pregnant, its a common thing these days and i think placebo have covered it really well. one of my favourite tunes laters

    Princess |\/.\/|on September 07, 2002   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I agree that this song is in a way a celebration of friendship with women..but it has some serious undertones...this song is a real self-examination....its like "what are you in it for?" it isn't just with women either, it seems it could be for any friend (although this song specifically was certainly about a female friend)...maybe I am getting too deep here, but its the age-old question "is man generally good or generally evil?" meaning good- naturally giving and friendly and helpful even if there is no personal gain in it? or evil-viewing life as a businessman and only maintaining relationships that prove to be "assets" to you? I think it kind of bothers the singer that he has personal lust and needs that need to be fulfilled in order to make the friendship "better" or even exsistent in the first place..and he knows that ideally they shouldn't matter....but they do..........so ask yourself - are you a giver or a taker? (we are all a little bit of both, and I think that's the message, you know, just to keep things in balance) ....but this friendship seems to be over simplified ("our thoughts compressed") and people always want to believe there's "something more"(more than the giver-taker thing I mean), so this over-simplification leads to some problems ("makes for stormy weather") 'cause nobody want to get the short end of the stick.

    giventofly26on July 19, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I agree with Princess |\/.\/| on almost everything. I think that he's saying that a friend who'll just tease him is better than one who will have sex with him. Her teasing goes so far, that Brian (or whomever) pressures her into having sex and they do.."stormy weather." Also, I think she IS pregnant because "a friend who bleeds is better," which refers to her period. It would be better if she wasn't pregnant, but since she isn't "bleeding," she is pregnant. Then she confessed that she passed the pregnancy test and is pregnant, but they will never have an abortion..or break up. When the day comes, their night of fun is over, and they have to face the real world.

    Injected_Smileon September 17, 2002   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    I think this song is referring to the use of Methamphetamine. It is full of so many references that refer to it. First and foremost, the chorus. "Day's dawning, skins crawling, Pure morning" The day is dawning after being up all night, skin crawling is a common association with Meth use, the user thinks that bugs are crawling under their skin. Pure morning refers to the user ingesting the pure meth (not cut) to get through the day.

    The references to the female friend, is in reference to a female accomplice who scores off him in return for sex. "And when she's pressed she will undress, And then she's boxing clever" means that when she has no meth she will come to him and undress and seduce him for her fix without giving away her intentions. "A friend with weed is better" simply refers to him wanting the friend to bring weed as it will help him to relax and boost the euphoria after ingesting the meth. The reference to passing the test and also the bleeding is in reference to a pregnancy scare, possibly with another man ("And we will never sever"), or possibly with him as inhibitions are non-existent whilst on methamphetamine.

    "Our thoughts compressed", may be in reference to the fact that whilst using meth, your focus is only taken up by the thing you are currently doing at the time. For example, if you are being seduced, your entire thought process is taken over by sex. "It makes us blessed" I guess could refer to being blessed in a heavenly euphoric state and having each other to enjoy. "And makes for stormy weather" Could refer to the time shortly after after their bender sexcapade. It could be either about them fighting because she thinks she may be pregnant, or that they feel like rubbish after using hard for a while.

    Sorry if this is too jumbled up

    WiteDragonon November 08, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    um.. i can't understand half of that

    losecontrolon July 21, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Although Princess |\/.\/|'s story interpretation is pretty damn impressive, and makes snse, actually... This song has always stuck me as nothing more than an experiment in the studio that involves phrases and words that rhyme. In an interview on 120 minutes, Placebo stated that it was amazing to go into the studio at the beginning of the day and then come out with a song at the end, indicating that this was a quick composition. Given where the vocal inflections occur in the actual singing of the song, the stream-of-consciousness interpretation of the lyrics could also work.

    presidentandceoon September 10, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Best Plaebo song EVER!!!

    Tishleton October 05, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I have always wondered in "boxing clever" could be rhyming slang for something?

    -k.Jarvis.86

    kjarvis86on March 23, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I personally think you've all got it wrong. I think its about someone who manipulates their friends for sex ( a friend with breasts and all the rest a friend who's dressed in leather), drugs (a friend with weed is better), a friend that suffers ( a friend who bleeds is better), and someone who is insecure ( our thoughts compressed which makes us blessed). I think the bit about stormy weather basically means juicy gossip or trouble.

    kalim123on July 05, 2012   Link

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