Reggae by BLACK MIDI Lyrics Meaning – Deciphering the Contrasts and Revelations in a Poetic Labyrinth
Lyrics
And it may be poor
And it may be back
And it may be forward
And it may be done
And it may be sick
And it may be sweet
And it may be
It may be new
And it may be cross
And it may be sweat
And it may be woe
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
And it may be dark
And it may be mould
And it may be back
And it may be old
And it may be done
And it may be sick
And it may be soon
And it may be tongue
But as long as I keep an hourglass, everything’s in line
Maybe it’s an hourglass, everything in line
But I wish I could be as elegant as Soo
The way he comes in through a room in a way I cannot do
In a coat of nine tails and fresh leather shoes
Straight from the cow, I tell you
Straight from the cow
But my shirt is so un-ironed it could be a mountain range
My shoes, the rotting flesh of a mange
My shirt is so un-ironed it could be a mountain range
And I have no name to the skin folds near who show no face
But all I can hear as they gawk, and they gurn, and they scream, and they laugh
I must make a new plan, if I hope to ever last
And it may be
It may be
And it may be
And it may be
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
It may be hard
And it may be hard
It may be hard, it may be hard, it may be, may be, may be
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep everything will fall into line
BLACK MIDI’s song ‘Reggae’ is at first glance a cryptic labyrinth of language, playing with contradiction, repetition, and seemingly disjointed thoughts. Yet within this maze lies a nuanced exploration of the human condition, teetering on the edge between the mundane and the profound.
The song becomes a canvas upon which the band paints a story of dichotomies – ease and struggle, new and old, elegance and disarray. It beckons listeners to delve deep into its cryptic structure, deciphering both the explicit path of its lyrics and the underlying trail of introspection it inspires.
The Dichotomy of Existence – An Analysis
At the heart of ‘Reggae’ is the omnipresent dichotomy of life. Each line begins with ‘It may be’, propelling us into a state of uncertainty. The song emphasizes the liminal space between opposing states—’sweet’ and ‘poor,’ ‘new’ and ‘cross,’ ‘dark’ and ‘mould’. This toggling between contrasts encapsulates the human experience, where every aspect is subject to change and interpretation.
BLACK MIDI doesn’t just illustrate these dichotomies; they immerse us in them. We are compelled to feel the push and pull of expectations against reality, of desires clashing with limitations. It’s in this space that the song finds its rhythm – not to a beat of certainty, but to the pulsating heart of existential versatility.
The Consistent Inconsistency – Embracing the Chaos
The repetition of ‘It may be,’ followed by a string of varied continuations, reflects life’s inconsistent nature. We see a reflection of our daily struggles mirrored in the song – constant and yet ever-changing. But it’s not only about the flux of external circumstances; it’s also about internal contradiction.
The track doesn’t resolve this tension but rather embraces it. This acceptance of inconsistency becomes almost a meditative mantra, grounding the listener in the reality that nothing is ever truly defined or finished – everything is perpetually ‘may be’.
A Sartorial Metaphor – Unraveling the Fabric
While the track’s title points to a genre, the song’s content strays far from the conventional reggae themes. In a seemingly random shift, BLACK MIDI introduces a sartorial metaphor: ‘But my shirt is so un-ironed it could be a mountain range / My shoes, the rotting flesh of a mange’. Here, the band juxtaposes the concept of personal presentation with the chaotic reality beneath the surface.
This metaphor extends beyond attire to self-perception and societal expectations. The contrast between an ‘elegant’ Soo and the narrator’s tattered appearance serves as a reminder of the facades we construct—physical, emotional, and social—and how these constructions are subject to decay and the relentless passage of time.
Searching for Identity Among the Anonymous
In a poignant moment of introspection, ‘Reggae’ tackles the theme of identity: ‘And I have no name to the skin folds near who show no face’. This line paints a vivid picture of anonymity among the masses, of an individual lost among undistinguished others.
The haunting imagery of faceless onlookers ‘gawk, and they gurn, and they scream, and they laugh’, evokes a world where identity is drowned out by the cacophony of the crowd. The resolve to ‘make a new plan’ speaks to the desire to endure, to carve out a place of distinction in a world that often seems intent on erasing it.
The Hourglass as Redemption – Time’s Saving Grace
Interspersed throughout the song is the motif of the hourglass, symbolizing the passage of time and the continuous cycle of life’s ebb and flow. ‘But as long as I keep an hourglass, everything’s in line’ suggests a lifeline amid the chaos, a measure of control and order.
The hourglass, by its nature, is a reminder that time is both fleeting and renewing. It reassures us that despite the incompleteness and raw edges of our existence—as un-ironed shirts and rotten shoes, metaphorically speaking—there is a rhythm and a certainty in the cyclical. As long as time persists, there is hope for renewal and alignment.
