Album: Humbug (2009)

License This Song 

• I was biting the time zone
  And we embellished the banks of our bloodstreams
  And threw caution to the colorful
  Then we fell asleep in the car
  Until the bumps woke me up in your grip
  And the tide took me to your mouth
  And then swept me back down to your palms
  
  It's them that put me inside the reminder
  That yours is the only ocean (yours is the only ocean)
  That I wanna swing from
  Yours is the only ocean
  That I wanna hang on
  
  I've got this ego mechanic
  She's always trying to give me vitamins
  Ah, she'd be frightened of your reflection
  I preferred her as a cartoon
  
  If I could be someone else for a week
  I'd spend it chasing after you
  'Cause she's not shattering my attitude
  No matter how she folds the potion
  
  Yours is the only ocean (yours is the only ocean)
  That I wanna swing from
  Yours is the only ocean
  That I want to hang on to
  
  (I'm swinging on)
  
  Yours is the only ocean
  Yours is the only ocean
  Yours is the only ocean
  Yours is the only ocean
  
  Potion approaching, shield your eyes
  Potion approaching, visualize
  Holding a token, swollen in size
  Potion approaching, shield your eyes
  
  Oh, but if we're gonna escape though
  We really ought to think it through
  Would you like me to build you a go-kart? Writer/s: Alex Turner
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 2

• Bobby from Nj, UsaI think this song is about drugs, not his car as Alex says.
  
  The lyrics seem to allude to marijuana.
  
  "And we embellish the banks of our bloodstreams,"
  polluting your blood with THC or whatever drug you've taken when it enters your system.
  
  "...And the tide took me to your mouth, And then swept me back down to your palms,"
  the "mouth" of a joint when you go to hit from it and how when you're stoned you're not really in control.
  
  "She's always trying to give me vitamins Oh she'd be frightened of your reflection,"
  Sounds like a dig at everyone saying pot is good for you. the narrator seems to be
  trying to convince himself that no matter how much pot he smokes, it good for him.
  The next line is how when you are under the influence, your reflection appears distorted
  or warped.
  
  "If I could be someone else for a week, I'd spend it chasing after you,
  Cos she's not shattering my attitude, No matter how she folds the potion,"
  The most obvious allegation towards drugs and even addiction.
  The narrator says that even if he was under the influence for an entire week,
  he'd spend that week still trying to get higher.
  The narrator than goes to say that the drug use isn't affecting his personality
  or life no matter how much he's done.
  
  "Potion approaching, shield your eyes,
  Potion approaching, visualize,
  Holding a token, swollen in size,
  Potion approaching, shield your eyes,"
  Cover your eyes cause they're red or glossy and give away the fact that your on something.
  Hallucinations. Dilated pupils. Cover your eyes.
  This bridge of the song is also slower and more free-form, almost representing the effect of drugs.
  
  The lines and title "Potion Approaching" is just Alex's fancy way of saying the drugs are kicking in.
  One of my favourite Monkeys song and the drug topic isn't something far-off considering the more
  psychedelic rock nature of the Humbug album.
  
  
  
  
• Aaron from Dallas, TxThis song has a striking resemblence to Very Ape by Nirvana.

More Songfacts:

Jessie's GirlRick Springfield

"Jessie's Girl" was the #1 song in America when MTV went on the air. They put it in hot rotation right away, making the song even more popular.

Come On EileenDexys Midnight Runners

Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come on Eileen" is based on a real girl called Eileen that the band's Kevin Rowland had a relationship with in his early teenage years.

HeavenThe Psychedelic Furs

"Heaven" by The Psychedelic Furs sounds upbeat, but is about an impending nuclear bombardment.

All I Want For Christmas Is YouMariah Carey

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey was the first ringtone certified Gold.

This Is How We Do ItMontell Jordan

"This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan was the first hit to mention a designated driver in the lyric. Before he gets "faded," Montell gives the DD the keys to his truck.

Uptown FunkMark Ronson

The biggest hit of 2015 was "Uptown Funk," a collaboration between Bruno Mars and guitarist/producer Mark Ronson. Ronson says making it took "six or seven months of chasing Bruno around on tour."

Editor's Picks

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.