The song I think most likely relates to experiences abroad touring. If I had to be specific: Manics in Bangkok 1994. The single was released 2001, but the song was likely recorded/written earlier, ('Five years later I'm still shaking', so it was probably written in 2000).
I don't usually like to assume a lyric directly relates to the author's own life, but it's pretty plain to see here. Nicky has mentioned that particular tour as being really awful, the start of a downward spiral, that they all came back with some kind of 'bug', etc.
The lyrics particularly refer to a number of issues. Quite prevalent is the fear Nicky had of being abroad, in Thailand. He hated the food, didn't eat anything apart from apples reportedly, it was all too weird. The fauna, the customs, the disorientation that comes with being surrounded by things you don't understand in the heat. At this point also he has said that his hypochondriac tendencies were a problem, especially in Bangkok, being preoccuopied with all the unkown food and places. Nicky was said not to leave his room if he could help it.
There was an incident to do with disrespecting the royalty which caused some disturbance I gather. They played Repeat, and Nicky followed up with 'Long live the King! May he reign in hell!'. This does not make for good for publicity in Thailand. From this stemmed a paranoia of arrest, by military police.
So the basis for the song seems to be the chaos of that time, not helped by tensions within the band. Bangkok saw Richey get given a set of knives by a fan, cut his chest onstage, and get a handjob from a hooker much to the scandal of the British music press. Nicky was not a very happy bunny, so he wrote a song about it five years later.
The song I think most likely relates to experiences abroad touring. If I had to be specific: Manics in Bangkok 1994. The single was released 2001, but the song was likely recorded/written earlier, ('Five years later I'm still shaking', so it was probably written in 2000).
I don't usually like to assume a lyric directly relates to the author's own life, but it's pretty plain to see here. Nicky has mentioned that particular tour as being really awful, the start of a downward spiral, that they all came back with some kind of 'bug', etc.
The lyrics particularly refer to a number of issues. Quite prevalent is the fear Nicky had of being abroad, in Thailand. He hated the food, didn't eat anything apart from apples reportedly, it was all too weird. The fauna, the customs, the disorientation that comes with being surrounded by things you don't understand in the heat. At this point also he has said that his hypochondriac tendencies were a problem, especially in Bangkok, being preoccuopied with all the unkown food and places. Nicky was said not to leave his room if he could help it.
There was an incident to do with disrespecting the royalty which caused some disturbance I gather. They played Repeat, and Nicky followed up with 'Long live the King! May he reign in hell!'. This does not make for good for publicity in Thailand. From this stemmed a paranoia of arrest, by military police.
So the basis for the song seems to be the chaos of that time, not helped by tensions within the band. Bangkok saw Richey get given a set of knives by a fan, cut his chest onstage, and get a handjob from a hooker much to the scandal of the British music press. Nicky was not a very happy bunny, so he wrote a song about it five years later.