Can you hear them? The helicopters I'm in New York No need for words now We sit in silence You look me In the eye directly You met me I think it's Wednesday The evening The mess we're in And ooh The city sunset over me The city sunset over me Night and day I dream of Making love To you now baby Love making on screen Impossible dream And I have seen The sunrise over the river The freeway Reminding of This mess we're in And ooh The city sunset over me The city sunset over me The city sunset over me The city sunset over me What were you wanting? (What was that you wanted?) I just wanna say Don't ever change now baby I'd thank you I don't think we will meet again And you must leave now Before the sun rises Over the skyscrapers And the city landscape comes into view Sweat on my skin Oh This mess we're in Ooh The city sunset over me The city sunset over me The city sunset over me The city sunset over me



Lyrics submitted by shut

Track duration: 03:57

"This Mess We're In" as written by Polly Jean Harvey

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

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This Mess We're In song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:just a guess but i think new york its him, somehow, and skyscrapers... the daily routine that binds him to "reality"? helicopters? i dont know but its not litteral you know its all metaphoric. a a vivid dream lol the freeway...maybe time that wont stop. intense song almost unbearable to listen to..
    Flag heartofsunon September 07, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:He's attached, meaning he has another lover, and they get together from time to time, although it goes on and on about "never seeing again". I think it just what they say every time he leaves before the dawn, and then they always get back together. I mostly think of this b/c of the line

    "Night and day
    I dream of making love to you now, baby
    Love making on screen
    Impossible dream"

    Love making on screen means going out in the open about her, and that's something he can't do, since he has the other girl. And it's definitely an affair, that's the "mess" they're in, but at the same time though they can't be together, they just can't be apart, even when "sitting in silence, no need for words"...

    The best part, as boss_2k said, when PJ Harvey's "sweat on my skin ugh" and Tom Yorke's "sin" overlap. It's obvious, the sweat the "ugh"... they're having sex, and though it's a sin for him, seeing her happy with him is worth it... that's why he keeps dreaming the impossible dream.
    Flag 311210on August 29, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Memory:This song reminds me of the movies "before sunrise/before sunset" (Julie Delpy - Ethan Hawke), that perfect connection wtihin two strangers that wouldn't be so perfect if they stay together. So they decide to stay away because of their different worlds they belong to.
    Flag comprimidaon March 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:A heartbreaking beauty of a song. In my mind, these two lovers met and made inspiring, romantic love to the New York Skyline but ultimately had to decide on what was best for both of them and part ways, never to see each other again. What kills me is when she says

    "Don't ever change

    And thank you

    I don't think we will meet again"

    That really gets at my heart man and makes this song hard to listen to. The first time was all worth it though. Power, grace and beauty.

    Flag Onelifeon December 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's about lovers, but only for one night. He probably went on some kind of a business trip to New York and saw her in a bar. Their eyes met. They felt passion that is surreal, the kind of passion that haunts you, lingers on you. I don't think they are in love, but it was destiny, or whatever that brought them together, because he keeps thinking about it. And they (or perhaps just he) are married or engaged, so what happened to them is sin and mess.
    I love this song because it's so sensual, sexy, perverse in a way but not vulgar, it gives me goosebumps, pins and needles and a dirty sensation on my skin, as if I've witnessed something I shouldn't have. And the feeling of passion you just can't escape, the one that asphyxiates and overpowrs you, is immense.
    What a song! *faints*
    Flag apocalypsespiriton November 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:oh my god, what happened between them?
    loved the "sweat on my skin/sin" comment.
    good job ^_^
    Flag polion March 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Brief encounter.
    Flag missmeon February 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the I am legend and 1984 are onto something. These both treat society as a nightmare, and she's saying that marriages that deprive us of opportunities for love are a nightmare. They're having an affair, disoriented, "I think it's wednesday" the only detail that matters is how they love each other.

    Or it might be she caught the eye of someone in the subway or a cafe or sidewalk, and dreamed it all up, the love that was too good to be true, the goodbye forever,
    Flag locolacanianon January 06, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The song reminds me of the secretive relationship between Winston and Julia in totalitarian society in "1984" by George Orwell where love is forbidden.

    Can you hear them?
    The helicopters?
    -Reference to the helicopters that fly over the rooftops as Big Brother discovers Winston & Julia's secret room in which their love-making takes place.
    I'm in New York

    No need for words now
    We sit in silence
    You look me in the eye directly
    You met me
    -When they are captured, they don't say anything but reminisce in their memories.
    I think it's Wednesday
    -In the dystopian society, the people are no idea of the real day, month or year as the government constantly manipulates information to their discretion.
    The evening, the mess we're in


    The city sun sets over me
    The city sun sets over me



    Night and day
    I dream of
    Making love to you now baby
    Love making on screen
    Impossible dream
    -Making love is impossible under Big Brother's regime where the feelings of love and pleasure derived from sex is eradicated.
    And I have seen
    The sunrise over the river
    The freeway, reminding of
    This mess we're in
    -Winston's and Julia's incarceration in room 101.


    The city sun sets over me
    The city sun sets over me



    What were you wanting?
    I just want to say
    Don't ever change
    And thank you
    I don't think we will meet again
    -By the end Winston and Julia are "brainwashed" to the point of not wanting to see each other again.
    I really must leave now
    Before the sunrise
    Above skyscrapers
    The sin and
    This mess we're in

    The city sun sets over me
    The city sun sets over me
    Flag angus_stoneon December 10, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:you're right lauradee, that was dumb.
    Flagged akagoldfishon October 05, 2008   Link

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