Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Feathers on my breath
Gentle impulsion
Shakes me, makes me lighter
Feathers on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Feathers on my breath

Night, night after day
Black flowers blossom
Feathers on my breath
Black flowers blossom
Feathers on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Feathers on my

Water is my eye
Most faithful mirror
Feathers on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Of a confession
Feathers on my breath
Most faithful mirror
Feathers on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Feathers on my breath

You're stumbling in the dark
You're stumbling in the dark

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Lyrics submitted by Selfmutilized, edited by just1x, TheOldHacker, MycroftJr, eeeeee, Stephen1961

Teardrop Lyrics as written by Robert Del Naja Elizabeth Fraser

Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Teardrop song meanings

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185 Comments

+26
General CommentThe first time I heard this song, I was blown away by what I heard. After a while, I came to the conclusion I wanted to know what the song was about. After reading what is on this forum and information dealing with the song, I think I know what the song is about. I don't know if has been posted here already or not, but the song is about being in love with someone who cannot hear it, due to death. It's hard when you lose someone you love, which is what the lyricist Elizabeth Fraser was feeling when she lost her good friend Jeff Buckley. This is what I believe is the analysis of the song.

"Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath"
-In this instance, she states that love is what she feels and that she's not afraid to say it.

"Gentle impulsion
Shakes me makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath"
-This is speaking of living on without the person she loves, as impulsion means the act of impelling, driving onward, or pushing. The thought of living without this person is bittersweet as it shakes her to tears but it also make her happy to have known that person.

"Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath"
-This can mean two things at once. A teardrop cannot put out a fire. Therefore this means that though she cries for this person, the sadness will not extinguish the passion she has for this person. The other thing this means is that she will not spend the rest of her life crying for this person, as crying when grieving is healthy, but one cannot cry forever if they want to live on.

"Nine night of matter
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath"
-This has to do more with the actual person that died, Jeff Buckley. I believe the nine represents the 29th, which is the day he died, May 29th. Night refers to the last time he was seen alive. Black flowers represent death and farewell. The fact that they are blossoming means that it is not a dismal farewell but one that she grow from.

"Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my..."
-I believe this is a reflection, like she was thinking strongly of the person lost, because after this there is an instrumental part before it starts up again.

"Water is my eye
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath"
-She states that the tears she cries for the person are an honest reflection of her feelings.

"Teardrop on the fire of a confession
Fearless on my breath
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath"
-I believe the confession she is speaking of is a confession of love, which now falls on deaf ears since the person the love confession is to has died and can no longer hear it. She repeated the part about most faithful mirror which goes back that she is being honest about her feelings.

"Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath"
-Repeated from above.

"Stumbling a little
Stumbling a little"
-This is showing how it has been hard to deal with the death.

Also, the "fearless on my breathe" throughout the song refers to not being afraid to speak. In this case, it is that she not afraid to express her feelings about the death.
UneGothNoireon July 08, 2010 Link
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@UneGothNoire

Really well done. I feel the same way since losing somebody very close but was afraid to step out. This song haunts me...
Mrwolfabqon March 28, 2011

I will buy this interpretation. I've been trying to figure this one out for a while now.
vsG734on December 19, 2013

quite agree with your interpretation.. and this song's original video is an unborn fetus, which indicates the reincarnation of the lost friend, or the writer thinks her friend will always stay in her heart.
emmieXpiggyon July 18, 2014
+9
General CommentI was about to come here and voice my disbelief at the ignorance of everyone who provided an opinion about the meaning of this song until I read ",ozoneocean's," post. FINALLY someone used the gray matter between their ears and did some research. This song is clearly about loss, and dealing with loss. The woman who provided the vocals for the song was even quoted as saying that she had her friend Jeff Buckley, who died in a drowning accident, in mind when she was writing it! She said it helped her cope. It could be interpreted as any loss, it depends on hoe the individual listener relates to it. It could be the loss felt due to the ending of a relationship, or the loss felt over a loved one passing away. Anyone who has ever lost someone that meant the world to them knows how difficult it is to deal with it. It's as difficult as trying to put out a fire by standing over it and crying. "Teardrops on the fire...?" You people who say its about abortion are just plain dumb. Yeah, Massive Attack is going to make a song that describes in detail an abortion procedure; are you mad? I seriously doubt a woman would listen to this song for comfort after having an abortion. And those who say that is what it's about because of the video...you're even dumber than the other people. Have you never seen a music video from Tool, or Gorillaz? Their videos have nothing at all to do with the lyrics of their songs. Massive Attack is a new age rock band. Of course their videos are going to be weird. It's how they are defined.

C'mon people, think before you post dumb crap. This is a very sweet and touching song. Don't ruin it's meaning with the macabre.
IrishWxmanon October 28, 2012 Link
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@IrishWxman

don't get mad just tell your opinion without screaming, by the way i was here just to say the same ozone and yourself said, thanks to him and u for the good explanation
france0360on October 31, 2012

i think your right, but in your fit of rage you have overstated yourself, and thats when you begin to look like an idiot yourself. the song can be about abortion because that is loss aswell. you can assert yourself if you believe you are correct and justify, but there is no need to criticise.
lyricaljoyon November 19, 2012

Bitter much?
MiquelaJermanon April 28, 2013

bang on my son. Good work.
SgtReznoron September 29, 2013

I think the whole reason songs are made with such vague lyrics is so that they take on different interpretations. This very site has categories such as "My Opinion, My Interpretation." Now if you want what the ARTIST was thinking about when he/she put it down to relate to other people- maybe, yes, there is one meaning for that person. Or maybe, again, for one person it could have multiple meanings as they try to make sense out of the world and relate to others through music. Some songs are written purposefully to inspire thought and feeling and what it means to that individual, so I wouldn't knock others too hard. I can definitely see how this song could be about abortion... even though maybe that's not what the artist meant. I actually thought it meant something completely different than both of these things, but I will buy the death/loss interpretation because I was looking for what the artist was talking about.

Here is my, somewhat looser interpretation of such a vague song:

"Love, love is a verb" - Verbs are action words, love is more than words, it is action
"Love is a doing word" - Possibly talking about sex here- sex is the act born out of love
"Fearless on my breath" - I'm still not sure she says "breath" every single time. I've listened to this hundreds of times to try and find out. At any rate, fearless on my breath could mean she's not afraid to express herself sexually.

"Black flowers blossom" - Obviously unpleasantry is blooming. Could be death, or just consequence.

"Teardrop on the fire of a confession" - A confession was made, and through the confession that individual is seeking freedom from pain. The fire of the confession may be punishment for one's sins- wrath of God, hell, etc.

"Water is my eye"
"Most faithful mirror" - The person making the confession is crying and will never be the same, and will never look the same in the mirror

I don't know- this one is still tough. The "confession" word does not fit the explanation about loss of a loved one. What would either party have to make a confession about? Also, why would loss of a loved one involve crying in the mirror? And, she keeps repeating "Fearless on my breath" as if to remind herself of the bad decision she made.

The jury is still out on this one for me personally. Also remember, just because an artist tells a story to the camera, it doesn't mean it is true. There are plenty of songs out there that are puzzles like this. It's the artist's way of hiding the truth in plain sight.
vsG734on December 19, 2013

@IrishWxman Actually you need to do some research about the gorillaz. Their videos have very much to do with the lyrics. Not all of it. But you obviously know nothing about the gorillaz. I could go into detail. But I'll leave you to figure out the relation to the extensive history of the virtual members of the band and the music and the videos.
I would also recommend looking at "Rise of the Ogre"
eric972938on December 14, 2016

@IrishWxman For many, a spontaneous abortion *is* a loss. A loss of someone they in many ways already loved, and waited for. A unfulfilled love. I agree that the song song is not about the performance of a medical procedure. But if it is about *loss* (in general), grief after an abortion (spontaneous or not) is still a valid personal interpretation.
Untunedon July 28, 2017

@IrishWxman i am unclear as to why if one's opinion differs from yours, that you must not only perceive him or her as "dumb" but also publicly state this. you don't stop there tho, you feel the need to go on as to suggest such people are "mad."

btw massive attack are a trip hop band, not a new age rock band. notice how i can state this without insulting you.

you are lacking understanding if you do not know that an abortion is a tremendous loss with accompanying guilt. i agree with the writers who point out why a confession if the song is taken at the given meaning? as another mentioned, artists frequently mislead us with the actual meaning of songs. i could make a short list off the top of mine head.

i don't know that its meaning is ruined if it was in fact about an abortion (which other tunes by liz suggest, such as "perhaps some other aeon"), and for the record this was one of the most comforting songs if not THE most comforting after abortion gave me its permanent scar.

""Teardrops on the fire...?" You people who say its about abortion are just plain dumb."

......abortion, as any death- is permanent. no amount of crying can change it. the lyrics apply quite well.

"Yeah, Massive Attack is going to make a song that describes in detail an abortion procedure; are you mad?"

...... liz wrote the lyrics!
and they do not describe an abortion procedure- not in detail and not at all. they do happen to perfectly describe the post-abortion experience, however.

as you wrote "C'mon people, think before you post dumb crap". not to be insulting, but perhaps you should follow your own advice?
pookabootson September 08, 2017

@IrishWxman So one thing im hung up on, at the very end, no matter how many times i turn this up and listen to it. The current lyrics dont fit what i hear at all It sounds like she's saying "You're stumbling in the daaaark
You're stumbling in the daaaaark" given that this is about someone who died, and their being in the "hereafter" or on the "otherside". It would make sense. Maybe she feels that he's lost with out the friendship they had? Or his stumbling in the dark is a reflection of her belief that there may not be anything after death and so he's stumbling, tripping over other souls in the dark. Idk. Those are just my thoughts.
Jamestaylor1973on November 17, 2017

@IrishWxman @SgtReznor
Also
"Water is my eye"
"Most faithful mirror" - The person making the confession is crying and will never be the same, and will never look the same in the mirror

This explanation is way to vague.
"Water is my eye"
Being a practitioner, water is a reflective element. It can reflect back, but can also be used to see through to certain truths. water is my eye to me sounds like she's saying that her eyes are quite literally water. They reflect, just like water, and in doing so any look in her eyes gives her feelings away. They tell a truth.
And how does she translate that truth? In the next line, "most faithful mirror" she can depend on her eyes and face and the water in her tears to be a most faithful mirror, even when she doesnt want them to be. Like a mirror she cant hide her feelings about her friends death.

Jamestaylor1973on November 17, 2017
+7
General CommentWHY IS MUSIC SO AWESOME?
slinkstersarson March 28, 2005 Link
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@slinkstersars
+6
My InterpretationAs quoted from the Guardian. [The news that Buckley had disappeared — he drowned, swimming in the Wolf river in Memphis — came while Fraser was recording Teardrop with Massive Attack. "That was so weird," she says. "I'd got letters out and I was thinking about him. That song's kind of about him — that's how it feels to me anyway." It seems she is haunted by guilt: for not being there for Buckley, for everything. As she puts it: "I need to forgive myself."]

It's her process of breaking up with him and forgiving herself and her feelings of being responsible for it..

Her feelings of love, fearlessly saying it, and crying drives her forward in her process of mourning.. black flowers are goodbyes/farewells to let that love for him go...
IzzyKayon June 17, 2013 Link
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@IzzyKay

She had an abortion and said so in an interview. Elizabeth Fraser sang it and wrote it. She was in the Cocteau Twins.
vortex1138on May 25, 2014
+5
General Commentim a huge rock/metal fan, but for some odd reason i really really like this song. its just...mesmerizing.
MusicIsLifeon May 09, 2002 Link
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+5
General Commentoops, i posted this as a reply just now instead of a comment.

Even before reading the lyrics, one immediately feels the sensuality present in this song. I believe this song is about giving in to the passion one feels, confessing your love for another person, and being unafraid of the possibility of having made a mistake.

Love is a verb; love is a doing word: -the singer is convincing herself to act on her desires.
Fearless on my breath: -almost like a mantra, this phrase is repeated throughout. it has to do with being confident and unafraid to express what you are truly feeling.
Gentle impulsion: -an impulsion is a thrust, a push forward, representing her desire to act, with an obvious sexual connotation. It is a confession of love or the act of making love or giving in to her physical desire.
shakes me makes me lighter: -reservations are cast off. this line evokes a sense of releasing a burden. the singer is casting aside her fears and doubts and giving in to the passion she feels.
Fearless on my breath: -aware of possible consequences, but unafraid.
Teardrop on the fire: -This line does not represent futility so much as it represents the fire of passion consuming any remorse or regret she might feel.

Nine night of matter: -it has already been mentioned on this thread that nine nights are Jamaican multi-day wakes. Rather than mourning a lost loved one, the friends and family throw a big party and sing songs and play games and share food and memories. The singer is acknowledging a potential loss by giving in to her desires, and she is celebrating that loss rather than mourning it.
Black flowers blossom: -same idea. black flowers are both dark and beautiful. this is a symbol of lustful, passionate sex.

Water is my eye: -this is an obvious metaphor for crying. the singer is feeling remorse, most likely after the act at some point.
most faithful mirror: -her own eye is her most faithful mirror, in other words she knows herself better than anyone else. she knew there would be remorse and loss.
fearless on my breath: -but she is still unafraid and has no regrets.
Teardrop on the fire of a confession: -her passion was so great that she had to acknowledge it and act on it (love is a verb, after all) regardless of the consequences.

stumbling a little: -mistakes are inevitable, but it is better to feel passion and pain than to live in fear.

The video is a metaphor. The child is shaken from it's place of comfort and thrust into the world, which is a big scary place rather than being allowed to stay in the peaceful tranquility of the womb, much like the singer who opts to live passionately and stumble a little rather than play it safe and never learn or grow.

That's my take on this beautiful song.
coldpheasanton November 19, 2008 Link
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+4
General CommentThey played this song at the funeral of my sister... this song is so beautiful.
FeyTHon October 12, 2004 Link
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@FeyTH
+3
General CommentStrange lyrics but the song is truly beautiful...look at my arm! Goosebumps!
fadedon May 01, 2002 Link
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@faded
+3
General CommentThe song is about mourning and love lost.
"Love is a doing word" love to her in this context wasn't just something she said, it was active and real.
"Tear drop on the fire" simply describes eyes hot with tears. There's also the reference to "shakes".
The lyrics "night, night of matter" are a clear reference to death and "black flowers blossom" concern mourning.
"Fearless on my breath" probably means these emotions are freely and openly expressed.
"stumbling a little" - not completely coping.

The singer has said that she was thinking of the death of her good friend Tim Buckley when she wrote the lyrics.
ozoneoceanon September 16, 2011 Link
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+2
Song MeaningI think I understand now! This song is about declaring one's love to another person at cost of his/her peace of mind:

Love, love is a verb//love is shown by acts
Love is a doing word//love is said and done
Fearless on my breath//I'm not scared to admit it.

Gentle impulsion//Love makes me go for it
Shakes me makes me lighter//this is what it makes me feel
Fearless on my breath//However, I'm not scared.

Nine(I think it's 'nigh') night of matter//A difficult time is coming
Black flowers blossom//With hardships
Fearless on my breath//But love makes me fearless.

Teardrop on the fire//suffering won't extinguish my love (fire)
Fearless on my breath//I'm not scared.

Water is my eye//I cry
Most faithful mirror//Tears are enough to show my feelings

Teardrop on the fire of a confession//My sadness means nothing, I'm telling you how I feel.

Stumbling a little//I did it and I feel insecure.
Snipeon February 27, 2009 Link
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Teardrop

Massive Attack

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