What does Glycerine mean?

Bush: Glycerine Meaning

Album cover for Glycerine album cover

Song Released: 1995


Glycerine Lyrics

Must be your skin that I'm sinkin in
Must be for real cause now I can feel
and I didn't mind
it's not my kind
not my time to wonder why
everything's gone white
and everything's grey
now your here now you away
I don't want this
remember...

  1. anonymous
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    Jul 25th 2010 !⃝

    It sounds like abortion and a never ending regret of that final decision. I reckon he plays this song to the fullest every time out of commemoration for "Phil."

  2. anonymous
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    Mar 1st 2010 !⃝

    Well first off you can sit there and try to figure out the meaning of the song. That you will partly figure out but not as a whole.He writes his songs for the listener. He writes them so you can relate and put your own meaning behind the song.Thats one of the reasons why I love bush,

    He did write this song about his relationship with his ex girlfriend. I can only give my opinion and interpretation of the song, I don't believe that it's a bipolar or back and forth with himself, I believe he writes the song on how he's feeling,and as if the TWO of them were talking in a converstation or singing the statements that were made between the two of them on the day they finaly ended the bitter-sweet relationship.I believe in the song he starts at the end of the relationship and remembers back in time.


    At the begining of the song he says
    "It must be your skin I'm sinking in,I believe he's stating he's finally walking in her shoes,and now knows how she had been feeling.The feeling of being in love.Like how she felt towards him.If you notice in that he also says YOU..thats part of the reason why it proves he was talking to her.

    And I didn't mind, it's not my kind

    Hes trying to say he didn't mind the feeling and he states its not my kind.Hes trying to say its not like him to fall in love.


    When he states
    Must be for real 'cause now I can feel"
    I believe he's talking about being in love.He knows its true because he gets the feeling of being in love!

    When he says
    YOU DIDNT WANT THIS,REMEMBER THAT.
    I believe he's stating the conversation she's saying HE was the one that didn't want the relationship,remember.She had finaly had enough.

    I believe two of the lines in the song in diffrent verses tie together.They were talking to each other on the phone.When your arguing with someone you don't have collected thoughts and is all over the board.When he says

    I'll never forget where you're at

    and

    Are you at one or do you lie


    I believe in the first one he's saying he's not going to forget what she was doing and where she was at when she ended the relationship.I believe she was at a bar with another man.

    When he says are you at one or do you lie.
    He asking her are you going to tell the truth of where your at or are you going to lie to me.These lyrics also make me believe the song started from the end of the relationship because he's remembering where she was at when it eneded.The second lyrics in the other verse is him looking back on the times he would ask if she was at the bar and maybe cheating again,and maybe she was lieing now.

    I believe he is blaming himself in the song for the reason why the relationship ended and was bad.The reason he feels this is because he was the one that was scared to fall in love even though he wanted to and was.Thats why he says it should have been easier by three he starts with
    Our old friend FEAR.He was scared to fall in love and with out the fear it would have been easier on him and her

    "I couldn't change though I wanted to
    Should have been easier by three
    Our old friend 'Fear' and you and me"

    i also believe the reason he's blamming himself for the relationship ending and being so bad was because he states

    It might just be me clear, simple and plain

    and when he says

    well, that's just fine, that's just one of my names

    He saying to her that fine,she was the one in the relationship why can't we just be simple,plain and why can't you be clear with me!
    thats why he says that's just one of my names he's recalling arguments!

    Bad mood wine again
    Bad mood wine again
    As she falls around me

    He's talking about if he was talking about getting drunk if something was ever wrong and him hitting her as you notice after he says
    as she falls around me!

  3. anonymous
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    Nov 7th 2009 !⃝

    Love. The love is so strong. He knows, they know, it's not working. All the pain and all the suffering. And yet they go back, love.

  4. markov
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    Oct 26th 2009 !⃝

    This is pretty coy lyric poetry, but I'd say at least one part of the song is about him making soap out of someone and washing w/ it.. Soap is made from fat, glycerine and lye.. most fat is in or near the skin.. So,

    must be your skin that I'm sinkin' in.. Think tub full of bubbles

    are you at one, or do you lie (lye)

    glycerine

    could've been easier on you

  5. anonymous
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    Sep 26th 2009 !⃝

    heroin is available as an elixir within a glycerine solution.
    the following lyrics make this interpretation even more likely:

    "If I treated you bad
    you bruise my face
    couldn't love you more
    you got a beautiful taste"

    and:
    "when we rise it's like strawberry fields"

    so this song is actually describing the complicated relationship with drugs that some people have to suffer through.

  6. anonymous
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    Aug 15th 2009 !⃝

    "Bad moon wine again" = I have bad night so I drink. again. I'm not sure how you can either miss that or overlook it. This song has some delicate moments, but by no means is it something to "listen to for every day of the past year" looking for deeper meaning.

    come on people, don't make it so complicated. Try analyzing real poetry if this can boggles you.


    "in some its bad moon wine again and in some lyrics its bad moon wine again" - utkrisht represents your posts entirety well.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
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    May 4th 2009 !⃝

    Many people like the reference to nitro-glycerine as a an explosive, but what most fail to recognize is that nitro-glycerin is also a medication for people with heart attacks. They take it to keep their heart pumping when they get attacks. Now that sounds more like a love song chorus.

  8. anonymous
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    Mar 30th 2009 !⃝

    glycerine is a reference to heroin.
    Backed up by lyrics like "and when we rise, it's like strawberry fields" it's rather obvious what this song's about.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. jwilson924
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    Feb 22nd 2009 !⃝

    I am bipolar, or I have maniac depression. This song does share alot of similarities with my day. You go from happy to sad, from comfort to emptiness. This song really captures that. I can see the aspect of a relationship problem to. Like things are just going back an forth from good to bad. I think it means what ever you want it to. Its got alot of room for anyone to put it to a situation in their life.

  10. anonymous
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    Feb 3rd 2009 !⃝

    Glycerine is used as a comparison to Heroin...I'm sure you can figure out the rest :P

  11. utkrisht
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    Jan 5th 2009 !⃝

    Every one has a different feeling about this song heres mine
    meaning glycerin is term used as an artificial tears.
    It Must be your skin
    (That)I'm sinking in
    skin is term used as a sense for touch or feel
    sinking in
    meaning drowning in or thinking
    It must be for real
    'Cause now I can feel
    he is confused about her identity and his feelings todwards her
    (And)I didn't mind
    It's not my kind
    And it's not my time
    To wonder why
    he dosent care who she is .........
    I can keep goin about this song but for short the key words are
    Everything's gone white
    Everything's grey
    white for peace ie the singer has made peace with his relationship
    grey meaning that the moment now he has is dull n dark
    I'll never forget
    Where you're at
    meaning she is in heart

    Don't let the days go by
    Glycerine
    Glycerine
    dont waste your days by your fake tears for me

    I'm never alone
    I'm alone all the time
    Are you at one,
    Or do you lie?
    he has company but feels alone
    one refering to time 1 o clock or watching carefully side of you ie 12 is straight of you 1 is side

    We live in a wheel
    Where everyone steals
    But when we rise
    It's like strawberry fields
    wheel goes round ie meaning earth
    strawberry feilds ie red
    colour of love blossons
    watch the strawberry feilds....... (I)

    Couldn't love you more,
    You've got a beautiful taste
    taste meaning taste of lips ie kiss

    Could've been easier
    On you
    I couldn't change,
    Though I wanted to

    Could've been easier
    By three:
    Our old friend fear,
    and you,
    and me

    it was easy for the girl to let go but the singer finds it hard
    three meaning side 180 degree or horizon Bad moon, white again
    As she falls around me

    I needed you more
    (As we) Wanted us less
    I could not kiss
    Just regress

    It might just be
    Clear, simple, and plain
    Well, that's just fine
    That's just one of my names

    in some its bad moon wine again and in some lyrics its bad moon wine again
    ne ways bad moon wite again meaning in darkness he sees a light ie moon . He is refering to moon as hope. and she falls around me meaning he sees her in dreams in night
    she is not there for him now
    and lastly
    there is nothing clear simple and plane so
    so as his name is anymous

  12. anonymous
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    Dec 27th 2008 !⃝

    i like most of the interpretations; nitro-glycerin, preservative, or just plain surreal. thought i'd add that glycerine is also used as a lubricant for condoms.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    Dec 8th 2008 !⃝

    Personally, i love bush, gavin's lyrics and attitude toward's his work inspire me to this day. Like other's have said, his lyrics are meant to be interpreted by your own opinions, from your own personal experiences. Yes glycerin is an highly explosive, when he sings "don't let the days go by.... glycerine." he could be asking it to go off and end all of his hurt, don't let the days go by... but also like the other opinion glycerin is also used to preserve flowers, he could be asking to let it go on, because he still feels love..
    But I love the way Gavin puts his lyrics into perspective and describes things so beautifully but still leaves them mysterious to the listener, so even if like some critics say his lyrics make no sense, to me, his lyrics are perfect.

  14. anonymous
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    Nov 17th 2008 !⃝

    The song is takes it's meaning from it's name. Glycerine, or glycerin is short for nitroglycerin, which is a highly unstable and explosive substance that can ignite without influence. It's about how a relationship can be fine and then when something gets added in ("Our old friend fear and you and me"), it becomes unstable and one day it falls apart in your hands.

  15. anonymous
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    Oct 25th 2008 !⃝

    Ever been in a relationship that went from love love to hate love, and it's hard to let you, even though you want to. That's this song.




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