Your eyes are just like black spiders
Your hair and dress in ribbons, baby cakes
In despair or incoherent.
Nothing in between
China white, my bride tonight
Smiling on the tiles

Bring that minute back
We never get so close as when the sun-ward flight begins

I share it all with you
Powder blue
Stumble through the crowds together
They're trying to ignore us, that's o.k.
I'm proud to be the one you hold when the shakes begin

Sallow skinned, starry eyed, blessed
In our sin
Bring that minute back
We never get so close to death
Makes you so alive
I share it all with you
Powder blue



Lyrics submitted by bmerz

Track duration: 04:31

"Powder Blue" as written by Guy Edward John/potter Garvey

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Powder Blue song meanings
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35 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I think the main line everyone seems to have missed out on, and my favourite in this song, is 'never get so close as when the sunward flight begins'. For a while, due to the video, I interpreted 'the sunward flight' as smashing through the windscreen of a car and flying forwards. But later I worked out that it probably actually ties in with the drug addict interpretations, and that 'the sunward flight' refers to getting high (flying towards the sun). This would make the line mean that these two codependent drug addicts are never as in love as when they get another hit of wahtever they're taking. Brilliant song.
    Flag FeederForLifeon November 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yes, it is interesting how people interpret things differently. And Guy Garvey ? He just smiles.
    For me I is love song. The confession of love from the heroin addict man to the heroin addict girl. But sometimes I think that the confession is more stronger to the heroin than to the girl.
    So another interpretation ? ;-)))
    Flag raslaon April 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Actually, here is a link to Guy Garvey's comment on the song: drownedinsound.com/in_depth/…
    It is about the couple, but one of the best parts about music is that the same lyrics can mean different things to different people.
    Flag DizzyPITAon March 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Car Crash - what the ??????
    Its about drugs, Heroin .... china white (type of heroin) my bride tonight smiling on the tiles..when the shakes begin = drug addict on their cluck, withdrawals..... Indespair or incoherent nothing inbetween (trying to get money to score or off your face etc etc etc
    also i might be wrong about this but i've always heard the first line as
    Your eyes are just like black spikes (takeing heroin = dilated pupils, pin point point eyes = black spikes ..hmmm seems to fit in with the rest of the song better than somthing about spiders...
    Flag Tom1980on February 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song has always been about heroin to me. I wanted to point out "Opium" by Marcy Playground. That band's lead singer was an opium addict, and the way he sings about "blue" has an equally achingly beautiful quality.

    songmeanings.net/songs/view/50104/
    Flag lensflairon March 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the minute i saw it was called powder blue, the thought of it being about cocaine just entered my head, so i relate it to that, i dont think a car crash is a deep enough insight into this ?
    Flag katybbzon March 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think most of the Car Crash interpretations come from the video which is indeed a car crash.
    Flag JPKDon January 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've always thought this song was about addiction (to heroin). Was quite surprised to hear some people think it was about a car crash. Interesting how people interpret things differently! But, yes, it's definetely about addiction!
    Flag Iemanja75on July 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'Powder blue' refers to a dyed strain of crack, or so I've been told.
    Flag erosandduston April 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about a couple addicted to drugs, if I remember correctly. The lines fit this idea much better than a car accident, or any other explanation phrased here.

    "They're trying to ignore us" - this is the stigma of being a junkie, people pretend not to notice them.

    I love how he follows with "that's okay", as in, all that really matters is they have each other. There's an irony in that, because their dependence on each other links with their dependence on "powder blue", or their drug.

    "I'm proud to be the one you hold
    When the shakes begin
    Sallow-skinned, starry-eyed
    Blessed in our sin"
    I don't see how this could be anything other than reference to drugs and coming down from the high. There's tenderness in the normally horrid notion of a junkie crashing. She crashes, and he's there to take care of her - proud even, of his drug-addicted lover.

    To me it's a song about acceptance with an "us against the world" sentiment. This song always makes me think of my city, Elbow's home. They nailed it.
    Flag lyingzombieon March 02, 2008   Link

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