Embarrassed, possessed and so uncivilised
Just take a look at the whites of my eyes
See me now and I will apologise
For me for you we knew they were lies

It makes me angry ashamed but really alive
It may have worked but at what price
What's the point in always looking back
When all you see is more and more junk

It was no surface but all feeling
Maybe at the time it felt like dreaming

Maybe richer maybe wiser
Seems so easy to not go too far
Beg me to stop hate my face I know
Tell me forever just to go

Just one thing before I get to sleep
Nothing here but the stains on my teeth
No not blood just liquid from you
I only wish it was the truth

Feel the guilt of a sinner feel the cold of a winter
It was no surface but all feeling
Maybe at the time it felt like dreaming


Lyrics submitted by Ice

No Surface All Feeling Lyrics as written by Nicholas Jones James Bradfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

No Surface All Feeling song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

11 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment
    This song is more about Richey and Nicky's friendship than Edward's disappearance. Wire acknowledges here that they bonded so closely through their sickness (Wire's liver disease, Richey's depression) and wrote hoards of material together picking apart the world over a bottle of wine and reinforcing each other's somewhat bleak viewpoints. They had a rare love for each other that was indeed no surface... Wire once commented that what he and Richey missed out on was a 'normal' friendship just being mates and goofing around - they didn't have the opportunity to as one or bother were often in hospital or recovering or writing albums like "The Holy Bible". This song beautifully recalls the intensity of their bond, one of which only an certain extremes can create.
    lateleighon December 15, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I also believed this was about Richey, but Nicky said this was one of the first songs he wrote for the album, before Richey disappeared. He claimed it's really about his friends growing apart as they started families.
    cmp744on December 23, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    At the Manics' recent Melbourne gig, Nicky was talking before the song, and he said it was for Richey. I don't know whether that means he wrote it for Richey in the first place, but it was certainly dedicated to him that night. It made the already-melancholy lyrics even sadder for me.
    icedgreenteaon December 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    A lot. I really like it. Especially the chords at the beginning.
    bob123on January 13, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I don't know what it's about.
    festijunkon September 28, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Beautiful song. Amazing live. One of my favourite Manics songs
    cherry_blossomon January 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    To me, this is an apology from Nicky to Richey. Nicky feels guilty for not helping Richey with his problems. Beautiful.
    markalexanderon May 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    IT is a beautiful song... Love it somuch...
    Iowa $evenon April 02, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This always make me think of someone talking pish (rubbish) "No not blood just liquid from you I only wish it was the truth" Anyway my favourite line is: "What's the point in always looking back When all you see is more and more junk" I go along with these sentiments!
    Onlineon November 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Even if it is about them growing apart "his friends" could probably be something to do with Richey, even before he disappeared
    latristessedureraon April 24, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
X French T-Shirt
Shudder to Think
This song is timeless, and nearly 20 years after its creation, still possesses the mystique it did the first time i heard it ~1994. To me, at first blush, all those years ago, it had some kind of homo-erotic allure. The line "so that the others may do" tells of something which must be done for others to follow suit. It felt like like some kind of roxy-glam-pop invitation to sexual liberation. Upon further introspection I think the song may not have an intrinsic meaning, but simply represents a sort of "holding open the door" for people who otherwise might be affronted by this song/band's unusual style. I know, as a sort of armchair rock-historian, that there have been few bands so daring and so true to the sound that wanted to emerge from within, whether the creator wanted it or not. This band handled it with elegance and grace seldom, if ever, seen.
Album art
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
I believe this is another amazingly on point and nuanced commentary on the insanity that follows emotionally abusive relationships. The abuser has no anxieties, no emotional pain, or salience/memory for that matter, so the survivor appears to be the crazy one, obsessed with the abuse and that buzzword that seems to ignite arguments about diagnosing people without a degree, etc. funny how you say the words domestic violence, abuse, abuse survivor and boom the subject changes. Anyways, I especially relate to her midnights becoming afternoons, complex PTSD often leads to this phenomenon, whether due to purposeful sleep deprivation by the abuser, or just hyper vigilance associated with the PTSD, along with the fear of facing people, especially your loved ones, who Never actually understand, even if they try, because all they see is you, on fire, screaming about the arsonist that no one ever sees, and who has been spreading lies about your alleged mental instability, deceptive personality, etc. the whole time. While the last thing survivors need is more blame, our society supports a narrative that blames the objectively innocent party because the blatantly guilty party has spent their entire lives fabricating a persona and we’re just being human, and human psychology is quite counterintuitive especially in the context of trauma. Look at Amber Heard. Vilified and not believed, regardless of what any abuse survivor could recognize as a fellow survivor instantly. But Johnny depp is a malignant narcissist, a man, and wealthy as all get out. It’s sick.
Album art
MAZZA
slowthai & A$AP Rocky
This track is the first official collaboration between the rappers. It was produced by SAMO, slowthai himself & Kwes Darko. The track was released on January 5, 2021, in anticipation of his latest studio album titled "TYRON".
Album art
Better Than Feeling Lonely
Olivia O'Brien
This standalone single is the latest in the artiste's album run out. It was produced by Rogét Chahayed, Taylor Dexter & Wesley Singerman, and released via major streaming platforms on January 1, 2021.
Album art
Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth
Black Keys, The
This standout track comes off the artiste's latest reissue titled "Brothers Deluxe Remastered 10th Anniversary Edition". The track was produced by Mark Neill, Patrick Carney & Dan Auerbach. It was released via major streaming platforms on December 18, 2020.