Lyric discussion by davjax 

Cover art for Northern Whale lyrics by Good, the Bad and the Queen, The

...i don't think the lyrics in the booklet are accurate, sounds like he says:

Lying by a 'sad' machine (instead of 'dark)

Before anybody gets into an argument (not likely, very few people have heard TGTBATQ) it started off as a love song to Albarns partner, but then when that whale washed up that river, he changed it to a song about that whale...Now the lyrics make sense

note the whale calls everynow and again in the background