All In White

If I was to interview the Vaccines one of my questions would be what is the meaning behind these lyrics because All in White is my favourite Vaccines song... Out of the whole album, these were the lyrics that interested me the most. At first they seem random but with what I saw above in respect to Justin Young's comments about the song, I've been drawing some connections.

I think the song is about a girl that Young loved but she was in a relationship with one of his friends and he is very jealous of this guy. In the first verse, the lyrics breaking him at the '37th hour' and 'show me all of your power' relate to the girl being very beautiful.

"I will watch you rise on my back from the ground Friend or foe? I don't know Do you like what you've found?"

I think this part of the verse that is repeated throughout relates to the friend who is in the relationship. The friend is rising above Young to get this girl as if it is some sort of competition and the friend has almost cheated using Young's back to win her. Of course, this is all how he sees it and not what really happens suggesting envy towards his friend. It also leaves Young to question whether the guy is a 'Friend or foe' but he doesn't know.

In terms of the chorus, I think Young is judging himself a little. He wants to be thrown low quotations, to find a solution to his problem and lose the feelings he has. But he sees the girl again and the feelings swamp him once more and the reference to 'All in White' suggests that Young continues to see this girl as a sort of angel, when really deep down he knows that she's a bit of a whore.

From the official album version:

"Break me on the 37th hour, Tout me, doubt me, show me all of your power. I will watch you rise on my back from the ground, Friend or foe, I don't know what you found.

Because, I will one day shine with you, I'll shine on a faithful few. Ahhh Ahhh

Oh, show me low quotations, Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation, Lord, I know your type; I've known you all my life. I was always wrong. You; all in white.

Brush my cause aside with little trouble. Oh my god I think I'm hearing double. I will watch you rise on my back from afar. Friend or foe, I don't know, now they're up in the stars. But, I will one day shine with you, I'll shine on a faithful few. Ahhh Ahhh

Oh show me low quotations, Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation, Lord, I know your type; I've known you all my life. I was always wrong. You; all in white.

Oh, show me low quotations, Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation, Lord, I know your type; I've known you all my life. I was always wrong. You; all in white.

Oh, show me low quotations, Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation, Lord, I know your type; I've known you all my life. I was always wrong. You; all in white."

"This is about jealousy and about victimising yourself. In retrospect, though, it says more about me than it does about other people."

I think some of the above lyrics may be incorrect.

Instead of "I'll shine on a papal view" I think he says "I'll shine on a faithful few" (sometimes he says "you faithful few")

Instead of "show me long quotations" I think it's "show me low quotations"

Instead of "Help you and your strides" It's "Have you earned your stripes?"

I can't quite hear the "little trouble" part but it sounds a lot like "Brush my cause of silent little trouble"

Instead of "Oh my god I begged for a big bubble" It's "Oh my god I think I'm hearing double"

Instead of "Friend, I don't know if you'll like what you've found." It's "Friend or foe, I don't know, do you like what you found?"

The title line confuses me, it sounds exactly like "I was always wrong you all in white" but it makes no sense! I wondered if it was "I was always around you all in white" but it doesn't always sound like that.

If we agree on the lyrics maybe we can now figure out what they actually mean! ;) I would love to know!

Also the lyrics seemed to have morphed in their live show. On the youtube clip of the Sheffield show in Sept 2010 he sang: "I will watch you rise on my back from afar, Friend or foe, I don't know that you're up in the stars"

but in recent clips he has changed it to the other line "I will watch you rise on my back from the ground"

Break me on the thirty-seventh hour Tout me, doubt me, show me all of your power I will watch you rise on my back from the ground Friend or foe? I don't know Do you like what you've found?

I will one day shine with you I'll shine on a faithful few

Show we 'low quotations Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation Lord, I know your type I've known you all my life I was always wrong, you all in white

Brush my cause aside with little trouble Oh my god, I think I'm hearing double I will watch you rise on my back from afar Friend or foe? I don't know now you're up in the stars

But I will one day shine with you

I'll shine on a faithful few

Show we 'low quotations Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation Lord, I know your type I've known you all my life I was always wrong, you all in white

Show we 'low quotations Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation Lord, i know your type I've known you all my life I was always wrong, you all in white Show we 'low quotations Have you earned your stripes? Fabricate salvation Lord, I know your type I've known you all my life I was always wrong, you all in white

Alright, lyrics updated. Thanks for your help everyone!

Justin (Vaccines' singer) said this about the song: "This is about jealousy and about victimising yourself. In retrospect, though, it says more about me than it does about other people." (source: http://its-all-indie.blogspot.com/2011/06/single-review-vaccines-all-in-white.html)

He also said: "This is a song I had for a long time and we started playing it because we all like it. Hopefully its euphony." (source: http://www.craveonline.com/music/articles/168591-advance-vaccines-full-album-stream)

WHAT A TUUUUNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM IN EDINBURGH!

I'm not religious but what I originally thought about this song was that it was someone turning his back on his faith. "Show me low quotations" Could be related to quotes from the bible "Have you earned you stripes?" Could be about having to live a christian lifestyle and earning your entrance to heaven. The rest of the chorus is quite self explanatory. Also he says "you all in white". Jesus is generally pictured in white and white is seen as a pure, holy colour.