Maxïmo Park – Our Velocity

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I’m not a man, I’m a machine
Chisel me down until I am clean
I buy books, I never read
And then I’ll tell you some more about me

Beneath the concrete there’s a sound
A muffled cry below the ground
There is a poison in the air
A mix of chemicals and fear

My words are just hunches
I’m not sure what they mean
You’re asking for commitment
When I’m somewhere in between

Never, never try to guage temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It's our velocity

Is it cold where you are this time of year?
You didn’t leave a scar

A stream of numbers hit a screen
And you’re expected to know what they mean
throughout the conflict I was serene
I can't outrun the sadness I’ve seen

Are you willing to resist
For people you’ve never met
The devil's wheel revolves
But it needs to be reset

Never, never try to guage temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It's our velocity

Please tell me
Is it cold where you are this time of year?
You didn’t leave a scar

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore

I’m just alone
With these thoughts

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore

I’m just alone
With my thoughts

I watched a film to change my feelings
Strong enough to bear a burden
If everyone became this sensitive
I wouldn’t have to be so sensitive

If everyone became so sensitive
I wouldn’t have to be so sensitive

Love is a lie, which means I've been lied to,
Love is a lie, which means I've been lied to,
Love is a lie, which means I've been lied to,
etc.

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore
I’m just alone
With these thoughts

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore
I’m just alone
With my thoughts

Never, never try to guage temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It's our velocity

Send "Our Velocity" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by bing_redboy


Our Velocity song meanings
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41 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think the lyrics are a mix of observations on society (the war-type stuff as previously mentioned) and about self-criticism of the band. There's definite political references (the "Are you willing to resist..." part, etc.) but the part about "I buy books, I never read" seems to be Paul critiquing his own lyrics, and the chorus "Never never try to gauge temperature when you tend to travel at such speed as our velocity", I think, is basically saying that it's impossible for the band to tell how well they're doing or how well they'll be remembered in the long term while their career is rising and progressing so quickly.
    Flag AmbroseCadwellon June 23, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about being in a relationship that went too fast, and it's effects. Our Velocity refers to the pace of the relationship, and when he says "never try to gauge temperature," he means that because of their speed, they didn't define the relationship or figure out what they meant to each other. And because of that, she "didn't leave a scar" when they broke up.
    Flag racheldeniseon May 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ye its 'love is a lie, which means ive being lieing too'

    love is a lie, but ive bee in love so ive been lying by loving i think
    Flag robbravaz4on October 14, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I could orgasm on this song. I know that sounds ridiculous but I love it THAT much. The line that always jumps out at me is, "If everyone became so sensitive, I wouldn't have to be so sensitive" - never a truer line spoken. I often listen to that line and just smile because it's what I think every single day.

    Serves me right for being so flipping sensitive.

    Awesome song.
    Flag kattykitty88on February 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i agree it's probably political.
    but i think lots of people can relate to 'i've got no one to call in the middle of the night anymore' line.
    just that abandoned feeling of having nobody to confide in or to comfort you.
    Flag zoe.TRAGIC!on February 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I don't like to interpret it politically, I prefer it to be about a break up.. Not sure why, though. One of my favorite MP songs.
    Flag Taeiiron February 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hmm..well, this is probably just because I've been reading Catcher in the Rye over and over again for my English GCSE, but... to me this is about some kind of mental breakdown, maybe for romantic reasons, maybe political, maybe something else. I mean, he's hating himself in the first verse, being very paranoid in the second, questioning himself in the third, then the chorus and third verse sound very out-of-controllish, the bit about resisting for people you've never met sounds like Holden Caulfield trying to be an individual but not being able to cope in society any more. And the rest of song is a load of desperation and isolation and basically... yeah. That's probably not right, but oh well.
    Flag ^.^on September 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Matthew Logan?...funny, i always thought the inspiration was andreas gursky...the busy obliviousness of modern life, different layers of reality that we have to deal with and take an interest in...the video with the multiplied band also worked well with this theory
    Flag bunburyon September 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The bits at the begining could be about his home town, Billingham in the north east of england...

    Beneath the concrete there’s a sound
    A muffled cry below the ground
    There is a poison in the air
    A mix of chemicals and fear

    this could be about the chemicle works billingham is surrounded by, and the mines that are underneath billingham

    Its about his feelings of isolation
    Flag jamesstokeron August 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:erm, lyrics aren't quite correct

    Love is a lie, which means I've been lied to
    Love is a lie, which means I've been lying too

    i'm pretty sure that's important.

    amazing song though. love this band...
    Flag Srahon January 15, 2008   Link

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