Ox4

Here's my take on it. A girl breaks this guy's heart which brings on a deep depression. So he spends all his time in his room feeling depressed and thinking about this girl. So much so that he's kind of lost touch with the outside world things ("Never been so far away"). But he's getting tired of it all. He knows he needs to get out and start living his life again: "I don't think I want to stay in this room anymore" But he's having difficulty finding the motivation: "If I crawl across the floor then I'd be closer to that door but it's too far." And not just the motivation but how to even begin living one's life after spending so much time in isolation "What happens now?" He accepts that the girl he's been spending all this time thinking about is and never was going to come back: "Some fantasy you've been" And at the end of the song, he finally gets the motivation to leave the room and start living his life again. "Pick up the pieces in my mind. I'm going home." The "room" is his depression or his isolation from the world. "Home" is the old life he had before he fell into the depression. The band explores this theme of isolation in other songs like Castle On the Hill "And a friend of mine, one of the few, has locked himself away like Howard Hughes". They even wrote a song about Howard Hughes.

I read an article on "Going Blank Again" with contributions from the band members. They said this tune, "OX4," is about scoring dope in Oxford. What they meant by 'dope' was not specified, but if it is heroin, they did capture that feeling of being dopesick pretty well.

Not totally sure why but this song always reminds me of the Galaxie 500 song 'When Will You Come Home?'...

song about being away from home in oxford probably on tour and thinking about going home. A beautiful song very atmospheric and different to most of Rides more straightforward guitar stuff.

About a drug Xperience......Acid would be the guess here. Actually these lyrics really are quite weak. Funny i never noticed .

It's about missing home. I live in OX4 in oxford, I think I'd miss it sometimes.

I love this song even though it is quite simple lyrically. I think it describes the feeling of being trapped in a situation/place such as a relationship that has lost its spark or a job one has no passion for. Maybe even a cycle of depression? After awhile you sort of become numb to it all and perceive that there is no way out. There are fleeting moments of inspiration to take action but they are quickly abandoned due to the feelings of helplessness. "Just lost the last thought in my head What happens now?" You just float through life, going through the motions, living day by day and not bothering to live it to the fullest. Time drags on. This is conveyed by the repetitive guitars and drawn out, dream-like vocals. I think it is tragic because it describes the endless yearning for "home", or the feelings associated with it such as warmth/familiarity/belonging, but believing that the situation is so hopeless that one loses the motivation to find a way out. "If I crawl across the floor Then I'd be closer to that door It's too far"

I really like what the first bloke said about being trapped in a depression. If it IS about scoring any type of drug then consider my vinyl collection up for sale.

Ride has four members. My take is this is a song about the internal ripples that led to a tidal wave of resentment, creative dissolutionment, and heartfelt yearning for comfort and solace.

It IS about buying drugs. They confirmed this on Twitter. Then i was a bit of a twat to them via Twitter. Feel bad for doing that. This is a very personal song to me because it reminds me of when my Grandy died. Going Blank Again had just been released. I was away at university. Then Mum phoned the hall of residences only phone and broke the news. Having no biological dad since i was 2 years old, i was always close to my Grandy, so i was devastated. I had a ticket to see them at Manchester Academy the following week. I told the others to give it away and i went home. The lines Never been so far away I don't think I want to stay in this room Anymore If I crawl across the floor Then I'd be closer to that door It's too far And the "I'm Going Home" bit at the end. Plus obviously that sweet sweet music. Is it a balalaika? Genius. Still makes me cry even now..