Just saw them play this song live on the Hyde Park reunion concert dvd, and I think i finally realized what Coffee and TV is about. After years of listening to the song I can finally see it as more than just awesome sounding guitars with a catchy melody, and ambiguous lyrics.
Coffee and TV was primarily written by Graham Coxon; blur's lead guitarist. He has always struck me as a shy, socially awkward introvert (In the best possible way. After all, it takes one to know one.) He even looked liked he had a hard time addressing the audience at Hyde Park before starting the song, and was very subdued during the performance.
For some reason, the lyrics were more clear than ever. Coxon was singing about his state of mind (in 1998-ish, the point in time when he wrote it) at the height of the band's career. "Practically floored" references being burned out and a general "I'm over this" state of mind. The song seems to be all about struggling with being out in society, around other people that make you feel uncomfortable, and finding refuge in a single like-minded person that takes all that social pressure away.
What makes it even more compelling is that the guy was a frikin' rock star by the time he wrote these lyrics. Meaning his job required him to always be "Holding out your heart to people who never really care how you are." In other words, he had no choice but to be out in the world constantly; feeling burned out by constant touring and having to interact with places and social situations he would normally rather avoid. The following quote from the chorus seems to illustrate that; "Seen so much I'm going blind and I'm brain dead virtually. Sociability is hard enough for me." It makes for a compelling amount of tension in the song, and confirms Coxon's tortured genius persona.
The second verse probably is a reference at an attempt to try to get away from it all, and for many Brits that means getting out to the country. Only, If you are a famous rock star, they still know you there. The biggest difference between the city and the country in that respect is that people in the city will play it cool and ignore celebrities, and smaller towns have a tendency to feel like they know you and go out of their way to tell you what they think. In other words, "there's people there who'll hurt you just for who you are. "There's wisdom there you're sure, 'till the words start slurring" is probably referencing encounters with country fans that probably had a valid point to make, but were too drunk/excited to make it clear. I don't know if you've ever tried to tell someone you're a fan of how much they mean to you, but no matter how you do it you always end up sounding like a raving lunatic.
The line "so give me coffee and TV, easily." Is a cozy reaffirmation that there is no place like home. No matter how boring or uneventful it is, it beats the hell out of being worked to the ground and giving all of yourself to people who don't really care about you or your songs the way you want them too. It seems despite the fame and "exciting" life of adoration, what truly validates Coxon's life is the mundane things he gets to share with a person that can help him "start over again."
Not to get too gossipy, but I think Coxon was in a serious relationship with the future mother of his child at the time 13 was recorded, and probably in the grips of a devastating heroin addiction. This song seems to be the perfect output of that bizarre dichotomy.
Just saw them play this song live on the Hyde Park reunion concert dvd, and I think i finally realized what Coffee and TV is about. After years of listening to the song I can finally see it as more than just awesome sounding guitars with a catchy melody, and ambiguous lyrics.
Coffee and TV was primarily written by Graham Coxon; blur's lead guitarist. He has always struck me as a shy, socially awkward introvert (In the best possible way. After all, it takes one to know one.) He even looked liked he had a hard time addressing the audience at Hyde Park before starting the song, and was very subdued during the performance.
For some reason, the lyrics were more clear than ever. Coxon was singing about his state of mind (in 1998-ish, the point in time when he wrote it) at the height of the band's career. "Practically floored" references being burned out and a general "I'm over this" state of mind. The song seems to be all about struggling with being out in society, around other people that make you feel uncomfortable, and finding refuge in a single like-minded person that takes all that social pressure away.
What makes it even more compelling is that the guy was a frikin' rock star by the time he wrote these lyrics. Meaning his job required him to always be "Holding out your heart to people who never really care how you are." In other words, he had no choice but to be out in the world constantly; feeling burned out by constant touring and having to interact with places and social situations he would normally rather avoid. The following quote from the chorus seems to illustrate that; "Seen so much I'm going blind and I'm brain dead virtually. Sociability is hard enough for me." It makes for a compelling amount of tension in the song, and confirms Coxon's tortured genius persona.
The second verse probably is a reference at an attempt to try to get away from it all, and for many Brits that means getting out to the country. Only, If you are a famous rock star, they still know you there. The biggest difference between the city and the country in that respect is that people in the city will play it cool and ignore celebrities, and smaller towns have a tendency to feel like they know you and go out of their way to tell you what they think. In other words, "there's people there who'll hurt you just for who you are. "There's wisdom there you're sure, 'till the words start slurring" is probably referencing encounters with country fans that probably had a valid point to make, but were too drunk/excited to make it clear. I don't know if you've ever tried to tell someone you're a fan of how much they mean to you, but no matter how you do it you always end up sounding like a raving lunatic.
The line "so give me coffee and TV, easily." Is a cozy reaffirmation that there is no place like home. No matter how boring or uneventful it is, it beats the hell out of being worked to the ground and giving all of yourself to people who don't really care about you or your songs the way you want them too. It seems despite the fame and "exciting" life of adoration, what truly validates Coxon's life is the mundane things he gets to share with a person that can help him "start over again."
Not to get too gossipy, but I think Coxon was in a serious relationship with the future mother of his child at the time 13 was recorded, and probably in the grips of a devastating heroin addiction. This song seems to be the perfect output of that bizarre dichotomy.