Placebo – Blind

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  General Comment:It's about masturbation in part. "If I could tear you from the ceiling..." is actually literal; Young guys are known to put posters of hot girls on their ceilings over their beds to (masturbate, and then) fall asleep to. The narrator is simply wishing that his poster-girl is a real woman, because he is very attracted to her and convinced that if she were real he could give her all that she needs. Also note the "Please don't drive me blind." lyrics, as they refer to masturbation yet again, as the narrator pleads not to be alone in his efforts of affection and sexual desire.

  Flagged vivalapandabearon September 19, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:it's " And please don't drive me blind" not "And please drive me blind" and the last lyric is either "I know You broke it" or "I know you're broken" Not I know we're broken.
  
  Anyways I think This song is about a guy who is trying to keep a girl from leaving him. The girl sounds like shes emotional unstable, but the guy still willing to fight for her. "If I could tear you from the ceiling" Lyric sounds like she is fighting some kind demons.(like drugs depression etc) the guy wants to help her through it. "Please don't drive me blind" Saying don't lie and hold things in , let him in not push him away .

  Flag aliberk777on March 10, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:the song is def about someone on drugs and brian is trying to get them to come off them and live a normal life
  
  the way i take it is that he's talking to someone who he feels has superiority over him..
  like the other person feels as though theyre better but theyre not and brian is trying to get them
  to see things the way he sees them.
  
  its about bringing that person down to his level and not having them change everything about him
  about staying where you are and not appeasing people who feel they are above you

  Flag jmtrapani1on February 22, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Well, I personally think that this song is not necessarily about drug addiction. There are a lot of addictions and although it most likely _is_ about drugs (you guys convinced me^^) I still think that it also could be about a person who is differently addicted, not to substances like alcohol or cocaine or whatever, but maybe to self injury or self destruction.
  
  I somehow got the impression that the person the narrator is talking to suffers from a mental illness, maybe clinic depression, eating disorders, maybe bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or whatever, it doesn´t really matter because all these illnesses can include symptoms like self injury, suicidal tendencies, apathy etc.
  So I imagined that the person is seriously ill and lying in a hospital or in the psychiatric ward, maybe because of a suicide attempt that failed, maybe because the person doesn´t care enough for his/her own life so that he/she had to be brought to hospital. The person is in a state of apathy and numbness and all he/she does is staring at the ceiling. That´s where the narrator comes in, who cares very deeply for this person because he/she means everything to him.
  So in my opinion the whole "tear you from the ceiling" thing could mean that the narrator wants the person to react to him, to make him/her look away from the ceiling. "The best have tried" is directed at the psychologists and doctors who have tried to heal the person and probably failed (because you can´t heal someone who doesn´t want to be healed). So the narrator knows that the situation is really serious and that he is about to lose the person he loves the most, so he begs her/him to stay because without her/him there would be no light in his life (the whole "blind" concept) and he promises to make everything better, he tells his lover/friend that he will protect him/her and make him/her see everything in a new way, a better way, that everything their life together will be meaningful, that they can be happy together.
  
  The "I know I broke it" can have many meanings, but in my interpretation it is based on the frailty that persons who are suffering from a mental illness such as depression often possess, so that even a little mistake or an inconsiderate comment from a beloved person can make everything extremely worse or even drive the person to suicide. So maybe the narrator did something that caused the person to turn away from him and fall into self destruction.
  
  
  But as I already mentioned this is only my personal way of interpreting this song, I don´t think that the lyrics were written with that picture in mind =)

  Flag layla-xdon October 26, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:I interpret the first as
  
  "If I could tear you from the ceiling" - The person is high (reference to liquid sky(heroin) further on).
  "And guarantee source divine" - show that their is some sort of god or divine power.
  "Rid you of possessions fleeting" - Take away whats causing the problems
  "Remain your funny valentine" - Will remain yours

  Flag mikereston August 30, 2010   Link

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  General Comment: placebo songs always stimulated your mind and imagination so you could find your own interpretation..not necessary the real story that brian had in mind when he created the lyrycs and that`s interesting about this band..yep.this song is certainly about drugs..cause brian had drug problems and that`s inspiring him to write these songs..i could figure out just a part of the song meaning ..its about someone who tries desperately to save his lover from this depravity(if i could tear you from the ceiling-she/he`s hiiiigh above him ..the effects of drugs) so..his lover`s probably in a hospital trying to come the grips with drugs(i know the best have tried-the doctors tried to overcome the coma).He`s feeling guilty and is blaming himself for this situation.(i know i broke it..or.. i know we`re broken)He gave her first drugs but it seemed that her volition was far too low and she couldn`t stop doping herslef.Now he`s afraid of losing her(don`t go and leave me) and his live will never be the same like she was the light in his life(please don`t drive me blind).He just want her back just like she was in the old days,he wish he never did this to her and if she`s going to get thrugh the illness,he`s going to apreciate her more and make her realise that she`s loved and important(i`d feel your every breath with meaning) and also the lines that i like the most-If i could tear you from the ceiling,I`d freeze us both in time,And find a brand new way of seeing,Your eyes forever glued to mine...it sounds like this:if i have just one more chance to be with you again, i won`t broke it like i did before.i`ll stop the time in the moment you`re looking into my eyes cause only then i`m feeling alive and happy and i want to feel this for the rest of my live....something like this...

  Flag ijustwannabeafreakon April 25, 2010   Link

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  General Comment: placebo songs always stimulated your mind and imagination so you could find your own interpretation..not necessary the real story that brian had in mind when he created the lyrycs and that`s interesting about this band..yep.this song is certainly about drugs..cause brian had drug problems and that`s inspiring him to write these songs..i could figure out just a part of the song meaning ..its about someone who tries desperately to save his lover from this depravity(if i could tear you from the ceiling-she/he`s hiiiigh above him ..the effects of drugs) so..his lover`s probably in a hospital trying to come the grips with drugs(i know the best have tried-the doctors tried to overcome the coma).He`s feeling guilty and is blaming himself for this situation.(i know i broke it..or.. i know we`re broken)He gave her first drugs but it seemed that her volition was far too low and she couldn`t stop doping herslef.Now he`s afraid of losing her(don`t go and leave me) and his live will never be the same like she was the light in his life(please don`t drive me blind).He just want her back just like she was in the old days,he wishes he never did this to her and if she`s going to get through the illness,he`s going to apreciate her more and make her realise that she`s loved and important(i`d feel your every breath with meaning) and also the lines that i like the most-If i could tear you from the ceiling,I`d freeze us both in time,And find a brand new way of seeing,Your eyes forever glued to mine...it sounds like this:if i have just one more chance to be with you again, i won`t breake it like i did before.i`ll stop the time in the moment you`re looking into my eyes cause only then i`m feeling alive and happy..and i want to feel like for the rest of my live:D....something like this...

  Flag ijustwannabeafreakon April 25, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:I think you could also interpret it as being directed toward someone who is dying. When someone you really loved dies, you're left with this hopeless feeling of being left behind, and maybe you even beg the departed person not to go. IE: "Don't go and leave me"
  And this person's death can blind you to the outside world, leaving you numb ("Please don't drive me blind.")
  The person being addressed may have passed on already, or is about to die. The "tear you from the ceiling" line could actually be referring to the memories of that person being stuck in your mind, and being unable to move on.

  Flag MurderCandyon January 30, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I agree with a lot of the comments on this song, but mostly only parts of many comments. Here is my take on one of my favorite Placebo songs.
  
  He has a flirty, fun relationship with someone. He's realized however, that the person is bad for him in that they manipulate him, and drive him to do things with them like drugs etc. He has a hard time saying no to the person, when they are there its like he's "blind" to the reality of what they are doing to him.
  
  Now that he see's the truth, he really wishes he could help them see what they do, but realizes its futile. So he wishes he could go back in time, and just have the friendship with them that they had in the beginning. He doesn't want to stop being their friend, so he's begging them to stop dragging him down with him.
  

  Flag sparklespriteon November 16, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:After reading some of your comments I wonder if something is being overlooked. But I'll post my whole interpretation and get to that on the way.
  
  If I could tear you from the ceiling/And guarantee source divine/Rid you of possessions fleeting/
  Remain your funny valentine
  
  In this instance I agree with the drug interpretation and here is why. The first two lines indicate trying to remove someone from some kind of high and promising a better one--which could mean anything,essentially. But possessions indicates actual objects, and fleeting ones likely refers to how you consume drugs and they are quickly gone. The last line suggests that the narrator cannot stay a funny and joyful presence in this person's life unless these possessions are removed also indicating the possessions are somehow bad.
  
  Don’t go and leave me/And please don’t drive me blind
  
  This is where my interpretation diverges a little. The first line is pretty straightforward but I don't think the second one is. There are two sayings that refers to blindness "blinded by love" and "driving blind." Although it sounds as though the second may have more meaning in this context I'm also compelled to look at the first one. Obviously, the first line is a plea--don't go and leave me (which although may be speaking about the severing of a relationship, I think may actually be referring more to death--especially if this song refers to drugs and the narrator is desperately trying to get the subject off of drugs). Now, the second line could mean don't blind me with love--another plea. The narrator seems to be trying to help the subject. If he/she becomes blinded by love this could mean he/she would be unable to help. And due to the fact that the subject is driving the narrator to blindness, this suggests that the subject is somehow creating a situation in which the narrator/helper is being impaired. To drive blindly could actually be used in conjunction with blinded by love--the narrator may be saying don't blind me with your love and cause me to not know how to help you. This would mean the narrator was making random and desperate attempts to help without actually being able to figure out how to do so because they are being blinded.
  
  If I could tear you from the ceiling/I know the best have tried/I'd fill your every breath with meaning/And find the place we both could hide
  
  The second line backs up the drug interpretation. "The best have tried" likely referring to rehab facilities/family interventions/etc. The third line also backs up the drug interpretation. When a person is an addict their life revolves around drugs and his/her life's meaning becomes attaining and using. If the narrator can get the the subject off of drugs he would try to become that person's life meaning--become the subject's everything. Finding a place for both of them to hide indicates that the subject and narrator had the same vice at some point but the narrator's already ahead of the subject. If the narrator can get the subject off of the drugs they can hide from their vice together and be each others' everything (as indicated by the third line).
  
  You don’t believe me/But you do this every time/Please don’t drive me blind
  
  This could mean you always make me love you and you always blind me from being able to help you--hence repeating the plea at the end.
  
  I know you're broken-- The repetition of this line three times kind of reminds me of someone saying the same thing over and over again. Possibly the subject goes on and on about his/her problems--constantly repeating them. The narrator is saying, I know, I know, I know--almost saying ok, I get it, lets get beyond this and move on.
  
  If I could tear you from the ceiling/I’d freeze us both in time/And find a brand new way of seeing/
  Your eyes forever glued to mine
  
  The narrator saying if he/she could get the subject off of drugs he would freeze the moment so that the subject could never go back to drugs.
  Again the reference to seeing and eyes that is seen in the chorus. If the narrator can get beyond his/her blindness and actually help him/her they could find a new way of seeing together. It is possible the narrator is blinded and also the subject is blinded because of the drugs. So instead of them both being blinded metaphorically (meaning being unable to see clearly) they could learn to see the world in a different way outside of drugs (again--the suggestion the narrator may have suffered from the same affliction). So instead of the drugs--they could see each other and see with each other and through each others eyes (my favorite line in this song--well one).
  
  So, that's my interpretation. If it doesn't make sense--I apologize. Although I don't see the sex concept in these lyrics it is not that I don't know placebo to be a very sexual band. It just doesn't seem to be indicated in this song.
  
  
  
  

  Flag ladylibertineon September 13, 2009   Link

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