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Oily Water Lyrics

Lead in me and me in water
Dangling in my world
I swallowed too much oily water
Now it's slipping down my throat

In a sense of self in decline
Growing fat on sound
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright

My head is full of suspicion
I'm coming home sometime
I've swallowed too much oily water
It's slipping down my spine

In a sense of self in decline
Growing fat on sound
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright
7 Meanings

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Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

I agree with Umup0on with the "lack of sleep" meaning, also this song comes to my head every time that I feel anxiety or paranoia with the inherent need of taking some relaxing stuff, (medication, alcohol, drugs) in some ways you just feel how that substance takes control of your body (slipping down my spine) and it's subsequent relaxing effect (and the whole world will be alright). Later the song talk about being in "self decline" which is some kind of depression when you're sober or clean again and you realize that your thoughts are getting out of control and you need to evade them more frequently, I really think this song talks about depression, paranoia, adiction and the resulting lack of sleep.

@CraftyRatman this is really good dude

Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

I think it's the feeling of being delirious from lack of sleep. You start to say stupid shit and you don't quite know what's going on. Or oily water could mean alcohol (?) and it's affecting his motor skills (slipping down his spine?), and also feelings of paranoia that result from consumption. Just a guess.

Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

this is my favorite song on modrn life is rubbish, the chorus part is so cool, and trippy and at the end, they drag it on for just the right amount of time that you don't get sick of it, but when it's over you don't feel like it should've been longer. it's simply perfect

Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

This song is awesome, but I have no meaning for it. Sometimes I don't care about lyrics.

Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

I think this song is about a hypochondriac. Seems like he's mocking someone who always thinks there's something wrong with them for nonensible reasons that are laughable at best ("I swallowed too much oily water, now it's slipping down my spine."). The music is pretty "out there", and almost has a paranoid vibe to it, especially at the end with the noise over and over.

It could also just be about someone in a paranoid state of mind within a dream... or it could be someone having a problem telling the difference between dreams and reality. The lyrics are pretty abstract; it's hard to pinpoint its meaning...

I love this song though. Radiohead probably wishes they came up with this one for The Bends or something.

Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

This song makes sense to me when I'm lying in my bed awake at 4am in the morning wondering why I'm awake, what my purpose in life is and who on earth I am. The reason Radiohead couldn't come up with this sort of thing has plenty to do with Blur being musically and lyrically simpler, but equally as brilliant. A bill with Radiohead and Blur as double headline acts would be great viewing.

Cover art for Oily Water lyrics by Blur

Woah, this is hands-down my least favourite blur song ever. It would be a nice trip if graham did his usual brilliant job of blowing it open but he doesn't, it's just far too long and really doesn't fit on MLIR at all.

 
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