Glycerine
Capturing the volatility of love one bar at a time.
There's a haunting version of Glycerine covered by Nicole Morenno drifting out of the living room this afternoon. Her voice isn't particularly evocative—I think the acoustics approach is what's really grabbing me. It's loud and soothing.
I've loved Bush's original since its release in 1994.
Right from the launch, 'It must be your skin, I'm sinking in / It must be for real, 'cause now I can feel' is one of those lines that just cuts right through you. If anyone has ever opened you up and let you feel something for the first time—something you didn't know was possible—then you understand.
White and Grey, presence and absence, longing and remembrance... contrasting that feeling with and without.
I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time—duality of existence. To be with someone but feel invisible or unheard is devastating. Even if, especially if it's unintentional... maybe they're doing their best and giving their all, but you still feel like a ghost. How do you fix that? How do you convey the absolute abandonment of being translucent? It's a maddening state.
'Couldn't love you more, you've got a beautiful taste'—I don't know what Rossdale meant when he wrote this, but with the preceding line 'Treated you bad, you bruise my face' it feels like an admission of failure—I'm honest in that I'm failing you, hurting you, disappointing you, but baby, you've given at least as good as you got. We have parity here. Regardless of what happened, I couldn't love you more... it's in my essence and how do you escape your own cellular construction? After all, you've got a beautiful taste. That most powerful of senses.
Bad moon white again — Problems and bad energy blooming full and white
As she falls around me — her descent into madness drives the conflict, possibly a result of his actions, or maybe she's just out of control
Glycerine is a gorgeous title and lyric. Rossdale was pinned down and claimed it was just a reference to the combustible nature of relationships. Glycerin being a component in explosives.
In an interview the writer said, “I was trying to say that the person I was writing the song about was as dangerous as glycerine. It was a girlfriend of mine named Suzie.”
A little internet sleuthing points that to Suze DeMarchi. He had been in a relationship with the lead sing of Baby Animals. Interestingly INXS had considered as a replacement for the late Michael Hutchence.
Listening to “Glycerine” from that angle gives the song a lot more weight, more power. It is easier to hook into feeling what he may have felt with that connection.
Glycerine — Bush 1994
Written by Gavin Rossdale
It must be your skin I'm sinking in
It must be for real, 'cause now I can feel
I didn't mind, it's not my kind
It's not my time to wonder why
Everything gone white, everything's grey
Now you're here, now you're away
I don't want this, remember that
I'll never forget where you're at
Don't let the days go by
Glycerine, glycerine
I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time
Are you at one? Do you lie?
We live in a wheel, where everyone steals
But when we rise, it's like strawberry fields
Treated you bad, you bruise my face
Couldn't love you more, you've got a beautiful taste
Don't let the days go by
Could've been easier on you
I couldn't change, though I wanted to
It should have been easier by three
Our old friend fear and you and me
Glycerine, glycerine
Don't let the days go by
Glycerine
Don't let the days go by....
Glycerine, glycerine
Uh... glycerine, glycerine
Bad moon white again
Bad moon white again
As she falls around me
I needed you more, you 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
Don't let the days go by
Could've been easier on you, you, you
Glycerine, glycerine
Glycerine, glycerine
I think I'll crank up that original raspy rocking version now and soak in it.
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