alt-J – Breezeblocks

My InterpretationYOU ARE ALL MISSING THE POINT. Don't take it so literally!

Alt-J is a highly poetic band. They never go out and say it. This isn't about necrophilia OR drugs.

Think about it, it's about a relationship gone completely sour. It has gone completely monotonous and she is desperately wanting to leave him. The sad part is that he is completely in love with her. Her love (probably sex) is his complete addiction. He needs this girl. He compares himself to an animal, a wild thing. He knows that he is sucking the life out of her (this is where you think it is about cannibalism) but he'd rather have her lifeless (not literally) and miserable than lose her. It's a dark way of looking at a failing relationship.


She may contain the urge to run away --- (she wants to leave.)
But hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks --- (he's tying her down in the relationship, breeze blocks are like bricks)
Citrezene your fever’s gripped me again --- (here he is comparing her to a drug, citrezene is a drug for fevers, "she keeps him numb")
Never kisses all you ever send are fullstops, la la la la --- (she continues to turn him down)


Do you know where the wilds things go --- (he is calling himself an animal, perhaps a bear or something fierce)
They go along to take your honey,la la la la --- (her he is taking the "bee's honey", her happiness)
Break down now weep build up breakfast now --- (she always cries, but he doesn't care)
Let’s eat my love my love love love, la la la la --- ("there's nothing wrong, stop crying. by continuing to eat breakfast, he proves to himself that nothing is wrong)

Muscle to muscle and toe to toe --- (all through his body...)
The fear has gripped me but here I go ---- (the fear of losing her is suring through him)
My heart sinks as I jump up --- (he tries to be happy, or atleast show it but he knows it's all wrong)
Your hand grips hand as my eyes shut --- (she's praying, while he sleeps)
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah, ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah

Do you know where the wild things go
They go along to take your honey, la la la la
Break down let’s sleep build up breakfast now------ (repetition - monotony)
Let’s eat my love my love love love, la la la la

She bruises coughs she splutters pistol shots --- (the relationship is killing her)
But hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks ---- (still he holds her down in the relationship)
She’s morphine queen of my vaccine my love my love love love, la la la la --- (he's her drug, she numbs him from the world, morphine is EXTREMELY addicting)

Muscle to muscle and toe to toe
The fear has gripped me but here I go
My heart sinks as I jump up------------------- (repetition - the fear won't go away)
Your hand grips hand as my eyes shut
And ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah, ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah, ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah

She may contain the urge to runaway ---- (she's begging to leave)
But hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks ---- (still holds on)
Germaline disinfect the scene my love my love love love --- (he knows the scene of their relationship is greusome, he knows what a toll it's taking on her, yet he still loves her)
But please don’t go I love you so my lovely
Please don’t go, please don’t go, I love you so, I love you so
Please don’t go, please don’t go, I love you so, I love you so ---(self explanatory)
Please break my heart, hey --- (he knows he's lost her love)


Please don’t go, I’ll eat you whole ---- (he desperately wants her to stay, but he knows that he will "eat her away", her love of life)
I love you so, I love you, so I love you so
Please don’t go I’ll eat you whole
I love you so, I love you so, I love you so, I love you so

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  @Gabinlove
  +3

  Muscle to muscle and toe to toe - this seems like they are dancing or having sex.

  Flag karlpaon July 19, 2013  

  +1

  at first I loved this song but i was severely creeped out by the lyrics. you opened my eyes to how meaningful they are. thank you. xx.

  Flag harrystyleson January 22, 2014  

  +1

  Great interpretation. Best i've seen thus far. The only part I disagree with is the "muscle to muscle and toe to toe" part. This is definitely some kind of two-person interaction. Perhaps rape, but metaphorically. Just as the breeze blocks are a metaphor.

  Flag rdpage1on May 04, 2014  

  0

  I LOVE this interpretation!! Thank you!

  Flag amy1047813on June 06, 2014  

  +1

  I agree with the others, I like your interpretation a lot. This is the first song by Alt-J I've ever heard so I can't really say anything about their usual style, but I think it would be terribly plumb to talk about cannibalism so outrightly. As for the part about the Wild Things, that is a reference to Maurice Sendak's children's book "Where The Wild Things Go", 'please don't go, I'll eat you whole, I love you so' is very similar to a famous line from the book, "Please don't go, we'll eat you uo, we love you so."

  Flag sjorsdottiron November 14, 2014  

  +2

  I believe this poem/song is also referring to an abusive relationship. He WANTS to hold her down (with soggy clothes and breezeblocks), and he is justifying his abuse with how much he loves her (I love you so, I'll eat you whole). He is stifling her to keep her as his own, and he has no intention of letting her go. She is miserable (break down now weep) but they go on pretending as though nothing is wrong (build up breakfast now lets eat). In Alt-J's allusion to "Where the Wild Things are" by Maurice Sendak, the lyrics play on the quote from the book "please don't go, we'll eat you up, we love you so!" The man in this song is showing his love and affection by "gnashing his terrible teeth" and "showing his terrible claws" and condoning it with "I love you so, I love you so." He is addicted to her yes, definitely. He is keeping her, the woman he is addicted to (which is equated with love in this song) by diminishing her: "she may contain the urge to run away/ but hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks."

  Flag melissa556on November 27, 2014  

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  @Gabinlove@Gabinlove Totally agree, I love your interpretation but the part you say 'he'd rather have her lifeless (not literally)' I think he literally rather have her lifeless than loosing her forever. And the part he says hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks, I think he's thinking about killing her If he can't hold her down. It was just that, I agree in everything else. And once again, I love your interpretation!

  Flag stoykoon May 16, 2015  

  -1

  @Gabinlove I think if you watch the film clip for it you'll change your mind on how literal they were about breezeblocks.

  Flag Jburman88on June 18, 2015  

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  @Gabinlove@Gabinlove YEAH! Somebody that gets it. Thanks for breaking it down to these ppl. I love this song. I listen to it over n over when I need a therapeutic cry.... (I was the guy and my hubby was the chick that was over us) nobody I know listens to alt j, its nice to read these things since I can't conversate about music with my actual friends. Have you heard patient 113 awake to you? That's a good one. Its what led me to listen to alt j on YouTube...

  Flag allifoolson June 26, 2015  

  +1

  @Gabinlove Adding on to what you said, since Where The Wild Things Go's line is a big deal in this song and the fact that its a children's book, maybe the cinder blocks he is holding her down with is the child she is impregnated with? Germaline disinfect the scene, I think she might have had an abortion and she's trying to cover up the fact that she did it.

  Flag zombieuknoon July 31, 2015  

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  @Gabinlove Ahhhh, I think you're really on to something. A couple things that you might consider instead:
  Muscle to Muscle toe to toe ---> This sounds like facing off to a fight. So, maybe this is where the dysfunction in their relationship is? They get ugly and go toe to toe with each other.
  Let's eat my love ---> I don't think he is referencing her. As in, he's not calling her his love. He's talking about, let's eat my heart out. Let's kill my love for you so I can stop all of this. Think towards the end of the song when he begs her to "Please break my heart."
  Anyways, I like your take on the song. Let me know what you think of my notes. Later

  Flag abetz02on December 26, 2015  

  0

  @Gabinlove Love I know this is from a while ago but this interpretation! I never could break down even literature to save my life but you nailed it here!! Love this song!

  Flag camille102on January 29, 2017  

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  @Gabinlove obviously something is holding her down. I love this song, and tour interpretation is spot on though I would say this reminds me of a rmabusive relationship I was in I started getting high w him cuz it was do or leave I wasn't ready to but her praying to leave while he sleeps and the husky dark dark almost dangerous sound to the song I'm going to argue something dangerous or harmful that he may enjoy is holding her there. The end with please break my heart he is starting to want to break away from that too. I will kind of argue drug addicted abusive relationship cuz of certain things I remember like using antihistamines to subdue withdrawal, germiline when I missed a shot all staples to long term use and had an infection. Hard thing about songs is love and addiction are so similar but different spectrums. Love this song but gives me a sense of dread.

  Flag Wcoastroseon May 24, 2018  

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  i was told that in martial arts when you're "toe to toe" you're fighting...you do this to keep them close enough to make contact when you go to hit or punch

  Flag haylo740on November 03, 2018  

My InterpretationThe band themselves said it's based on "Where The Wild Things Are." It's about loving someone so much you'd be willing to hurt yourself or hurt them to keep them forever. It's specifically based on the line, "Please don't go. We love you so. We'll eat you whole."
All of this stuff about drugs and cannibalism is stupid. The band wrote an abstract song about an abstract topic. Obsessive love, folks, that's all it is.

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  @annej
  0

  Never thought that someone would have an obsessive love ;) :)

  Flag zeroZon July 26, 2013  

  0

  all I see is love like a sexual canibalistic tradition of treating each and every part of a lover's body part like a cannibal but one who is inloved. Did you know that some afrikans have the tradion of eating their loved one. This is how I see it, just evolving physicaly, and I'm thinking just about exchanging fluids and treating eachother like dinner. I don't like that...It's disgusting to my bone marrow, phew...

  Flag zeroZon August 20, 2013  

  +2

  Definitely makes sense when you read the book or watch the movie

  Flag zelipe2on November 25, 2013  

  +1

  Wow, I never realised it was literally about Maurice Sendak's novel. I mean I knew it contained a reference. I was always under the belief it was about a domestic relationship gone sour ending in deadly consequences. And I'm not just interpreting from the video either but actually the lyrics.
  
  In other words, it sounds like someone is paranoid of losing his 'soulmate' who feels domesticity isn't all it is. So when she lashes out at him.. in a streak of paranoia, he begs her to stay only to end up murdering her in the end.
  
  Germanine, disinfect the scene..
  
  I've always looked at that line as the moment he realizes what he's done and he's trying to clean up his tracks, essentially. The ending stanzas..
  
  Please don't go! Please don't go! Please break my heart!!
  
  ...was basically him remembering the fallout after all was said and done.
  
  So I agree with the obsessive love. But I feel it ended in deadly consequences. In other words, domestic violence gone wrong.

  Flag mwanteroon December 30, 2013  

General CommentI think the video is pretty shocking but has little to do with the actual lyrics from a narrative perspective.

If we take the soggy clothes and breeze-blocks as a metaphor for those things in our lives which anchor us into a relationship it makes quite a bit of sense. Here we have an intense relationship which is disintegrating, but still has sparks of passion. However they manifest themselves as intense hostility.

The woman feels trapped and sees no way out. The man increasingly desperate and desperately in love, pleads continually for her not to go, even though they both know the relationship is not good and ultimately destructive for both of them.

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  @shanerk71

My OpinionI think this song is about a guy who has a weird, nasal voice. It's a big turn-off for every woman he meets....so he's been a lonely guy for his whole life. He finally meets a girl who talks to him for more than 2 minutes, so he instantly falls in love with her. She only wanted directions or some trivial information, so when the conversation is over she tries to move on ....only to have the singer start begging her to stay. He repeats he loves her over and over again in a shrill, bizarre cadence. The poor girl realizes he's an emotionally disturbed person and tries to run away, but he blocks her, telling her he'll "eat her whole"....... in his diseased mind he reasons this will keep them together forever. He'll never be alone again due to his vocally challenged condition.

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  @redjac
  0

  I agree with you 100%. Everyone else here is just missing the whole point of it all.

  Flag jemrayon May 31, 2013  

General CommentOh come on you guys, you can't honestly think this is literally about cannibalism? The line "please don't go, I'll eat you whole. I love you so, I love you so" is a direct reference to "Where the Wild Things Are" quote: "I'll eat you up, I love you so"

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  @shadylane

General CommentMy first and favourite Alt-J song!

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  @Leaveboyalone

General CommentThis sinister love song is a single from their debut album, An Awesome Wave and was partly inspired by Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's picture book Where The Wild Things Are. Newman explained to Interview Magazine: "The song is about liking someone who you want so much that you want to hurt yourself and them, as well. We related that idea to Where The Wild Things Are, which we all grew up reading, where in the end the beasts say 'Oh, please don't go! We'll eat you whole! We love you so!,' that they would threaten cannibalism to have that person - it's a powerful image."

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  @vdubstep1

My InterpretationWhen hearing this song and reading the lyrics and think Its about two people who are no longer in love and are living life on repeat. The man is holding his partner down and not letting her be happy, he is stopping her from living her life. All they do is argue and they they reach a point where all they have for each other is hate. And once the wife is dead (perhaps murder or suicide) he realizes how much he loved her, or he is trying to make up for his actions with guilt because he realizes he has killed someone.

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  @ElectraHeart2000

General CommentI love this song all the more for it making reference to my favourite Children's book Where The Wild Things Are. "Do you know where the wild things go?" as well as the lines "Please don’t go, I’ll eat you whole, I love you so" being very similar to the lines "Please don't go, I'll eat you up, I love you so" in the book.

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  @MayaMoo
  0

  Exactly my thoughts.
  
  Been a long while since i stumbled upon an entire album i enjoyed this much, and little details like the reference to where the wild things are just keep piling up, i feel, much to my delight.
  
  With music like this to colour it, I really think this world can be beautiful.

  Flag rustrumon October 01, 2012  

General Commentits nice that everyone is taking the video (which is awesome) so literally, but you're entirely missing the point.

this song is not about murder or cannibalism... its about drugs and addiction.

citerzene is an antihistamine its something to sooth an allergy... like the one this poor bloke has to society.

the 2nd verse references morphine "queen of my vaccine" the only thing that works anymore..

the 3rd verse refers to germolene.. which is a cleaning agent... and trying to get out of the cycle of addiction.

its about depression "Break down now weep build up breakfast now
Let’s eat my love".. that's his day before he gets his heroin

"The fear has gripped me but here I go
My heart sinks as I jump up
Your hand grips hand as my eyes shut"

this is fear of his own mortality.. about leaving his own consciousness.. forever one of these days...

this is a dark song.. the video is a great representation with a nice storyline of its own.. its catchy as hell and I like it..

but make no mistake.. this song is about drugs.. just like all the good ones...

he's saying don't do heroin kids.. that shit will kill you.. enough that you'll be begging for a broken heart so you don't have to come back

Please don’t go, I’ll eat you whole
I love you so, I love you, so I love you so

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  @diklindy
  0

  I completely agree with this suggestion. This song is definitely about drug addiction. I believe that the reference to 'murder' in the video has more to do with the 'romance' with drugs. How when someone is addicted, they can hold the ones they love as a hostage. I believe the reference to holding her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks has more to do with the weight of the 'hit' and the intense rapture that follows.
  
  Withdrawals are akin to murder. In order to successfully kick the habit, one must destroy the desire. So the video depicts the murder of the 'habit' , not a jealous woman.
  
  The reason I believe this is the reference to where the wild things are. Where the monsters chanted please don't go, I'll eat you whole. Everything in the woods was fine as long as you 'played by the rules that don't exist' . So the lyric relates to the love affair with a drug (probably heroine) and the desire to kick.
  
  The reference to knowing "where the wild thing go...they go away to take your honey" refers to that hit, and coming off. The wild things go away as the hit dies. They go away to take your honey...or when the hit dies, things get decidedly sour.
  
  I don't know, it's just my guess. I LOVE this song though, and it is DARK, regardless of what it actually turns out to be about!

  Flag stlheadakeon May 09, 2013  

  -2

  lindyworld.tumblr.com/

  Flag diklindyon May 09, 2013  

  0

  While this is definitely a valid interpretation, I think this is much more of a stretch than a human relationship interpretation. Some of the things you've mentioned do fit with the drug idea, but they also fit just as well with the relationship idea. It's common for people to assume drugs are the meaning of a song when the song seems abstract, but this is actually not the case most of the time, despite what many people seem to think.

  Flag XtremeHairballon May 12, 2013