Now dissolve me, two tabs on your tongue
A herd of shepherds to herd the sheep, sleep now my only one
Broken sweethearts, who sleep apart
Both still pine for the other's side spine, spoon as sleep starts

And pulse to pulse, now shush

She makes the sound, the sound the sea makes to calm me down

I am see-through, soap sliver you're thin
As I begin rubbing lathers up your state worsens on my skin
And gold, fatless finger to lip, one two three four hush

And pulse to pulse, now shush

She makes the sound, the sound the sea makes to calm me down
She makes the sound, the sound the sea makes. I'm tired now

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea
She makes the sound the sea makes, knee-deep in the North Sea

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Lyrics submitted by shemovesshe, edited by pab, APetRam, expressurself, Maritachibana

Dissolve Me Lyrics as written by Gwilym David Dylan Sainsbury Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-hamilton

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Dissolve Me song meanings

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20 Comments

+17
General Comment
“Dissolve Me is about the bedtime routine I had as a child with my mum - she would play this game in which she would describe a day out to the beach. Together we would go over who was there, what they were doing and wearing, the food we had brought, the ice creams being sold, the weather and all the sounds of the beach. Then I would drift off to her making sounds of the sea.” - Alt-J's comment on dissolve me on their soundcloud page

“Dissolve Me is about the bedtime routine I had as a child with my mum - she would play this game in which she would describe a day out to the beach. Together we would go over who was there, what they were doing and wearing, the food we had brought, the ice creams being sold, the weather and all the sounds of the beach. Then I would drift off to her making sounds of the sea.” - Alt-J's comment on dissolve me on their soundcloud page

Reason:

jjbbcon October 17, 2013 Link
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@jjbbc
+7
General Comment
I thought it was about two lovers who for some reason are separated (broken sweethearts who sleep apart) and the narrator has trouble sleeping. Hence he needs sleeping pills (two tabs which dissolve on his tongue) to act as shepherds to herd the sheep (counting sheep being a way to try to sleep). Also he's imagining being with her as he lies in his bed - he tries to spoon her and can almost feel her pulse. Unsure about the soap bit or the gold fatless finger, but it's a lovely song.

I thought it was about two lovers who for some reason are separated (broken sweethearts who sleep apart) and the narrator has trouble sleeping. Hence he needs sleeping pills (two tabs which dissolve on his tongue) to act as shepherds to herd the sheep (counting sheep being a way to try to sleep). Also he's imagining being with her as he lies in his bed - he tries to spoon her and can almost feel her pulse. Unsure about the soap bit or the gold fatless finger, but it's a lovely song.

Reason:

henrystnnetton August 17, 2012 Link
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@henrystnnett

The gold could be referring to a wedding ring. I get the feeling that the soap sliver thin line could indicate illness on her part and being "see through" could mean locking oneself inside and becoming very pale.

MiguelMon September 26, 2013

@henrystnnett I also think it's about a man who loses his fiance or wife and is shattered. There really seems to be some pain in the gooold part. I believe now dissolve me means now forget about me. I think the soap part is actually "I am see through, soap slivery all so thin. As I begin rubbing lathers out your state worsens on my skin" and I think it means he is trying to forget her but the more he tries the more he thinks about her. He is dissolving (see through).

namenottakenon May 14, 2023
+5
General Comment
I think this song might be about drugs. And lovers. And sleep. And finding peace. It's beautiful.

I think this song might be about drugs. And lovers. And sleep. And finding peace. It's beautiful.

Reason:

kmkon June 22, 2012 Link
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@kmk
+3
General Comment
I think the sound the sea makes is a reference to his lovers breathing when she is sleeping. The breathing in and out related to the crash and lull of waves.

I think the sound the sea makes is a reference to his lovers breathing when she is sleeping. The breathing in and out related to the crash and lull of waves.

Reason:

joshfcumon March 03, 2013 Link
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@joshfcum
+2
General Comment
I think that this song is about taking drugs to try and forget about somebody that the singer used to be with.

I think that this song is about taking drugs to try and forget about somebody that the singer used to be with.

Reason:

katiemhugheson June 28, 2012 Link
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@katiemhughes
+2
My Interpretation
I think the song is all about trying to fall asleep and to forget hence the two tabs (sleeping pills) on my tongue bit and the thing Joe says his mother used to do to help him sleep. Maybe the person is having trouble sleeping and longs for his Mother to be there to make the sounds of the sea

I think the song is all about trying to fall asleep and to forget hence the two tabs (sleeping pills) on my tongue bit and the thing Joe says his mother used to do to help him sleep. Maybe the person is having trouble sleeping and longs for his Mother to be there to make the sounds of the sea

Reason:

FPosfordon August 29, 2013 Link
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@FPosford
+2
General Comment
Pretty sure this is about LSD, considering it usually comes in tabs. Also, if you look at the album artwork for the single, its clearly two acid tabs with the alt-j triangle on them. The "She makes the sound the sea makes to calm me down" is possibly his lover, or friend, trying to calm them down during a bad trip

Pretty sure this is about LSD, considering it usually comes in tabs. Also, if you look at the album artwork for the single, its clearly two acid tabs with the alt-j triangle on them. The "She makes the sound the sea makes to calm me down" is possibly his lover, or friend, trying to calm them down during a bad trip

Reason:

moz0408on November 22, 2015 Link
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@moz0408
+2
General Comment
What a beautiful song, and soo nice that like most of their songs, no matter the intention why it was written, that the listener can develop their own meaning. Found that with the whole album, just perfect! Interesting to know the story with his mother. I saw it as as a trip between lovers after a couple of tabs and being in that moment together, trying to express a moment that can never be understood. Bliss.

What a beautiful song, and soo nice that like most of their songs, no matter the intention why it was written, that the listener can develop their own meaning. Found that with the whole album, just perfect! Interesting to know the story with his mother. I saw it as as a trip between lovers after a couple of tabs and being in that moment together, trying to express a moment that can never be understood. Bliss.

Reason:

Shodneyon January 25, 2017 Link
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@Shodney
+1
General Comment
I read somewhere that the singer's mum used to lull him to sleep by describing the beach and making ocean noises or something, so it's partly a reference to that. Also, drugs, definitely drugs.

I read somewhere that the singer's mum used to lull him to sleep by describing the beach and making ocean noises or something, so it's partly a reference to that. Also, drugs, definitely drugs.

Reason:

tiggydongon July 19, 2012 Link
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@tiggydong
+1
General Comment
the singer said in his comments on the song on soudcloud that he used to play a game with his mother to help him fall asleep where she would make ocean sounds. maybe it's about someone who can't sleep because they miss their "sweetheart" and are trying a combination of drugs and remembering the sounds his mother made to comfort him and "calm him down" I think that the second part of the song he is saying the more he tries to wash away the memories of his lover, the worse he gets. he is remembering the touch of her thin, tan fingers, maybe as she was breaking up with him.

the singer said in his comments on the song on soudcloud that he used to play a game with his mother to help him fall asleep where she would make ocean sounds. maybe it's about someone who can't sleep because they miss their "sweetheart" and are trying a combination of drugs and remembering the sounds his mother made to comfort him and "calm him down" I think that the second part of the song he is saying the more he tries to wash away the memories of his lover, the worse he gets. he is remembering the touch of her thin, tan fingers, maybe as she was breaking up with him.

Reason:

ariana419on April 27, 2013 Link
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@ariana419