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On Melancholy Hill Lyrics

Up on melancholy hill
There's a plastic tree
Are you here with me
Just looking out on the day
Of another dream

Well you can't get what you want
But you can get me
So let's set out to sea
'Cause you are my medicine
When you're close to me
When you're close to me

So call in the submarines
'Round the world we'll go
Does anybody know
If we're looking out on the day
Of another dream

If you can't get what you want
Then you come with me

Up on melancholy hill
Sits a manatee
Just looking off for the day
When you're close to me
When you're close to me

When you're close to me
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Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

In my opinion, this song is about two lonely people in love with someone they cant have. they console each other up on melancholy hill, which can be both a place and a state of mind. the plastic tree is something organic that has been made fake, in that sense, despite they're not who theyd like to be with, it is at least 'medication'. toward the end of the song, the main character decides that instead of pursuing what he cant have, he falls in love with the other person.

or whatever...

u sound like my english teacher

Not Valid

thank you for your enlightenment! incredible interpretation!

My Opinion

This sounds like me and my girlfriend. We used to only talk about Gorillaz, we ended up falling for each other, but that was two years ago, we just started dating almost 9 months ago. :3 This is our song now. xD

My Opinion
Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

My two cents: This is a song about falling back from disappointment and wasting time with a familiar vice, bad habit or addiction. Think video games, porn, drinking, smoking pot or some other pleasurable idle activity. "You" is getting his dose of dopamine ("me") from some artificial amusement while knowing that it's temporal.

"Up on Melancholy Hill, there's a plastic tree" - artificial high in the face of disappointment "You can't get what you want, but you can get me" - easy pleasure to fall back on when you fail to achieve "Just looking out on the day of another dream" - wasting time away in this fake, happy world "cause you're my medicine" - chemical happiness "so call in the submarine" - reference to the Beatles "Yellow Submarine": going about in an idyllic happy fantasy "a manatee" - Manatee's spend half their time sleeping: wasting time away

I can definitely relate to the thin veneer of temporal happiness this song portrays both lyrically and musically. It resonates with my experience with vices (addictions) such as video games or porn all while there was an undercurrent of melancholy in my life from unaddressed or unsolved problems in my life.

This is definitely a very different take from Feel Good Inc. on the themes of wasting time. The sensation portrayed by On Melancholy Hill is idle, almost blissful whereas Feel Good Inc. portrayed a more energetic, socially engaged waste.

Song Meaning

Brilliant. Maby even hinting at that molment when you realize that you're not an alcaholic or junky or porn addict but that you have a big fat me problem followin' you round 4 ever.

-_-.

Not Valid

this is really insightful- I like the idea of not interpreting it as a relationship with another person but instead a relationship with a substance/feeling of happiness. this is a really amazing interpretation!!

This is an interesting interpretation, and if you watch the video of the song, the hunting and almost-killing of the manatee handler on Melancholy Hill could easily be interpreted as the addict trying to fend of, or get rid of (kill) his or her bad habit.

Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

I think he's talking about a dream in where the girl whom hes in love with is with him, where in real life she doesnt want him, "you cant get what you want but you can get me" my interpretation of that is, she doesnt want him but is having bad luck with love so in a way, he wants her to settle for him

thats exactully the same i felt about it

Not Valid

I think it's much less human than that.

Not Valid

@brucebangoe I agree with that just wonder what the manatee part of the song means

Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

Minor correction: Up on melancholy hill Sits a manatee

My favorite song off the album!

I guess this song is fantasizing about being with the person you like, since he talks about 'looking out on the day of another dream' and the plastic tree. Is the manatee supposed to mean anything though? In Native American symbolism, the manatee symbolizes trust.

The manatee doesn't mean anything, because there is no manatee. The line is "plastic tree"

Not Valid

I think he means the beginning of the last verse, that's "manatee".

Not Valid

SunnyD, according to the official lyrics book from iTunes, you are wrong.

Not Valid
Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

Hell yeah! Roller-rink music. This song is one of my favorites on the album. It's really depressing for some reason. Yeah it seems like it's about being with the person you love.

Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

being in love with someone but not being able to be with them for whatever reason. you want to be with them and care for them. but if they can't get whatever it is they're after they can have you instead. so now you're second best. you have them but do they really want you? that's what i get from it. makes mekinda sad but i still love listening to it.

My Opinion

I think there might be a bit more to it than that, in addition to what you're saying. The idea of the song is kind of sad, that the guy would be second best when all he really wants in life is this girl. But he seems happy. "'Cause you are my medicine when you're close to me." It seems like, even though he's disappointed that he's not first in her life, the guy is still happy because she's close to him.

Not Valid

Zombie and Poly, i do agree with u both! :)

Not Valid
Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

Up on melancholy hill There's a plastic tree Are you here with me? Just looking out on the day of another dream

[There in fake little world, where its just them, and they dont have to worry about the troubles and hinders of their seperate lives.]

Well, you can't get what you want But you can get me So let's set up and see, love 'Cause you are my medicine

[she cant get what she wants in her life which is seperate from his. maybe she cant get what she wants in a relationship shes in, shes not fulfilled. but he wants her, and when shes with him shes happy.]

When you're close to me When you're close to me

So call in the submarines 'round the world we'll go Does anybody know her? If we're looking out on the day of another dream

[they're looking out on the day of another dream because when they aren't together they don't really know when they might see each other next, but when they do it feels like a dream.]

If you can't get what you want Then you come with me

[again, if she doesnt get what shes wanting out of her life ie, realationshipwise, she goes to him and they sit up on melancholy hill.]

My Interpretation

wow

This interpretation is similar to what i am going through right now. I want this woman who is taken. I can't get my mind off of her.

Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

Just picked up the album! Really great, I think it's gonna be one of those albums which grows on you more and more as you listen. That's how I felt about Demon Days, anyway.

This song is one the highlights to me, along with RhineStone Eyes and SuperFast Jellyfish.

Just a really heartfelt song.

probably one of my faves off the album

Not Valid
Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

Well, there's no denying that Noodle and Murdoc have always had chemistry. Weird as that sounds. Murdoc is obviously a little eccentric, but Noodle always seems to know what's going through his head. In "Kids With Guns," watch the two of them on that tank. Murdoc kind of looks off to the side, then looks eh, to the other side, and kind of directs his gaze to Noodle. Noodle pretends not to notice, but there's a smile on her face.

2-D may sing this song, but Murdoc probably wrote it. He's the band leader, after all.

It was inevitable that Noodle was going to make the transition into womanhood. The so called "fan art" was, in my opinion, propaganda.

There might be some symbolism in these music videos and her maturity. For instance, after her "death" to childhood in windmill, you see her reemerge finally as a woman. The process of maturity is melancholy. I think the creators of Gorillaz believe this. Even literally speaking, the years between childhood and adulthood have been filled with nothing but pain and fear for Noodle. Noodle has always had an optimistic disposition, but beyond that, she has always been hard-edged and volatile. She is quick to combat, from giving the finger to taking out her gun. I think this is what makes her an artist: her struggle between carefree idealism and jaded reality.

Murdoc obviously really misses her. Well, EVERYONE misses Noodle!! But instead of Murdoc being glad that Noodle is finally of age, I think he feels sad that she suffers. I think, more than anything, he wants her to be safe and happy.

My Interpretation

Maybe not chemistry but out of every member in the band murdoc has always found sympathy for noodle almost as like russel feels like he's noodles big brother. So maybe murdoc and russel are always trying to protect her and 2d is just too clueless so noodle somehow connects with him as a friend more. Look up a picture were murdoc is teaching noodle how to play billards and russel is rite there keeping an eye on them while 2ds all happy and clueless.

Not Valid

yeah all right except replace all the time you say "murdoch" with "2-d"

Not Valid

This is a really good point.

Cover art for On Melancholy Hill lyrics by Gorillaz

Yeah, my favorite line, as others have mentioned already, "You can't get what you want, but you can get me." And yeah, I think it's about a guy who is in love with a friend that can't have the guy she wants (I kinda paint in a meaning that she always ends up in bad relations, but that is just cause I totally feel I am in this situation with a friend of mine) so he is just dreaming that she will settle for him; also he truly believes that he could make her happy if she gave him a chance.

Very heart-wrenching song, just because I relate to it very much. And the music itself is great, and Damon is so good at this kind of depressing song; I am a hug Blur fan as well, makes me think of the album "13"

I seriously agree with you. that's my favorite line. & i actually FELT his pain when i heard the acoustic version on BBC.

Not Valid