Flesh Mechanic

This is my fave Placebo song, the way brian speaks out the lyrics and i like these lines "I swallow words like a placebo" and "I had one who sent me her heart in a Tupperware container" I found an intrepetation on the lyrics at a placebo forum ; Taking into account that it may be written from several points of view, I get the impression that this is about a failing relationship. It seems the boy in it is trying his best to please the girl, but the girl is not interested, and has become bored. "Tries to embrace her, she wants him to race her" suggests that the boy is trying to be loving towards the girl, but she wants something more from the relationship, and is not satisfied. "Conversation growing dull" also shows that the relationship is becoming 'tired' and boring.

The "I took a vow of silence" parts seem to be from the girl's perspective, as she is saying that when the boy tries to open up his heart to her, she just gets gets bored and is not interested and 'turns on the tv'. I think the "Says he's a poet, this time he's gonna blow it, 'cause he's dancing with his ego" part may be the girl saying that when the boy tries to show his affection (ie. through poetry) he is not doing it for her, he is only trying to boost his own ego, and that if he carries on like this he will lose her.

The "You think this love is bona fide you're being taken for a ride" bit is the 'narrator' talking to the boy, telling him that he's putting his heart on the line but the girl is really abusing him. So the moral of the story may be to not be so vulnerable and not to wear your heart on your sleeve, as it may get broken.

~x

I'm probably the only one who sees it like this but after listening to this song so many times and thinking what it could mean, all things considered, I think the song is about shallowness, cosmetic surgery, being morally depraved, empty people and possibly drugs.

agree with most of that

love the way he sings the word "placebo" in this

agree 2 what scenefronter said....ahhhhhhhh....

i love the bit where he says 'Placebo'

is this song only available on the Flesh Mechanics rarities collection?

this sounds like Sonic Youth's stuff.

I get the feeling the choruses starting with "Says he's a poet" is from the girls point off view (if the song is about a failing realtionship that is) and everything else (or, most of it) is about how he tries to please her?

that's how I interpret it...

I llooove this song! I think it may literally be about a man trying to be a poet. And the part about the tupperware container sounds like his poem. The girlfriend is losing interest, and shes cynical. She's sick of wasting her time with someone who is wasting their time trying to be a poet.

I always thought this was about a three way relationship, kind of like the one between Max, Sally and Brian in 'Cabaret'