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Splitting the Atom Lyrics

The baby was born
Nettles and Ferns
The evening it chokes
The candle it burns
This disguise covers
Bitter lies
Repeating the joke
The meaning it dies
Pass me a coat I'm not a-
'fraid to leave
I'm letting you know
I know what you need
I'll turn you around
This beautiful town
And then you'll believe it when your eyes then deceive you

Its easy, dont let it go
Its easy, dont let it go
Its easy, dont let it go
Don't Lose It

Its getting colder outside
Your rented space
They shadow box and they
Paper chase
It never stops
And we'll never learn
No hope without dope
The jobless return
The bankers have bailed
The mighty retreat
The pleasure it fails
At the end of the week
You take it or leave
Or what you receive
To what you receive
Is eternited leave

Its easy, dont let it go
Its easy, dont let it go
Its easy, dont let it go
Don't lose it

Incandescent light at doors
In adolescent menopause
In little clicks you got the music stops
The needle sticks and the penny drops
The summer's gone before you know
The muffled drums of relentless flow
You're looking at stars that give you Vertigo
The sun's still burning and dust will blow
Honey scars I'll keep you near
Our blood is gold nothing to fear
We killed the time and I love you dear
A kiss of wine we'll disappear
The last of the last particles
Divisible invisible
The last of the last particles
Divisible invisible
Song Info
Submitted by
frosmk On Oct 09, 2009
8 Meanings

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Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

IMO, it seems this is about the bomb hiding inside us. This song seems to tell a story of the "beginning and the end" A baby born then dies, a man ready to leave, but his life follows and haunts him to the point of self destruction. Again, just my take on it. Either way this a dark song on an equally dark and amazing album. One of MA's best!

Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

I think the entire song may just be about having your hopes crushed when things don't turn out the way you'd envisioned.

The first few lines seem to be about a relationship/marriage gone sour. Then after the chorus of "it's easy, don't let it go..." the second stanza seems to be about a financial failure.

For the third stanza containing the title of the track... Well... I'll have to think about it. I don't quite get it yet.

Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

Sounds to me about the kind of repetitiveness of modern life. People are born and are young with hope and ambition to change the world but slowly start to find the world worse and turn to drugs to cope and lose all hope. They manage to get a job and work to get their weekly pay and find a partner and have children and the whole thing happens again.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

just to clear up the things:

"'Splitting the Atom' is about the repetition of certain circles and trying to work out where you fit in the loop," says Del Naja of the EP's lead track. "For us now socially, in the UK, in the new recession, remembering the recession of the '80s and watching us repeat the same thing, I think it's interesting watching the cycle of life, not necessarily positively interesting."

Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

I'm not sure what this song is about its entirety but these lines seem political.

"They shadow box and they Paper chase It never stops And we'll never learn"

paper chase = wall street greed?

"No hope without dope The jobless return The bankers have bailed The mighty retreat"

the economy?

"The pleasure it fails At the end of the week You take it or leave"

people are a slave to their paycheck?

Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

I think this song is about the end of the world due to an atomic bomb. ?

My Interpretation
Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

Does anyone know what the lyrics are to 3D’s background vocals?

Cover art for Splitting the Atom lyrics by Massive Attack

it's 'the last of the last particles, the visible invisible.' not 'Divisible invisible'

 
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