Gorillaz “Silent Running” Official Lyrics & Meaning | Verified

[@twinkpeaks9993]

Seeing Damon doing a genius interview is like walking into an alternate universe

[@REDGREENBLUEGRAVITY]

Agreed

[@onlinem0m]

fr😭

[@liamkelly1848]

😂 fact

[@MistaClip]

@@liamkelly1848 Fr lmao

[@yourlocalfrogs]

FRR

[@rootboyfloat]

Damon explaining his lyrics is like the devil curing cancer

[@carlybrooks9793]

Right??? I never expected this

[@cheerio4000]

fr I thought it was opposed to him like spiritually

[@MrGamelover23]

@@cheerio4000 I feel like he must have planned this in advance. Like "and to really throw everyone off, I'll explain the lyrics."

[@lowlink534]

@@cheerio4000 Yeah, but he had to do that on Gorillaz before, that Kids With Guns song got him in some trouble with the choir kids moms or something lol

[@ironicdivinemandatestan4262]

@@lowlink534 Dirty Harry, not Kids With Guns

[@Ruffeep]

This guy is kinda cool, he should sing in a britpop band

[@xxjuancena80xx24]

Maybe he should call it Blur or something

[@Ruffeep]

@@xxjuancena80xx24 now you're onto something!

[@busted666]

young promise

[@sabrina-fs4hg]

he should write a song about Girls and Boys

[@ax3m4nnn]

He should write a song that goes like woohoo

[@Vemberwost]

His speaking voice is so incredibly soothing ☺️

[@horatio2560]

no its not

[@v.9439]

@@horatio2560uh yes it is, just as much as his singing voice

[@horatio2560]

@@v.9439 no it ugly

[@vb2388]

His “Ss” are whistles..

[@sepsysmurf6982]

@@v.9439 People can have opinions. Artists are not your friends, they create and we consume. We have the right to criticize them. I don't like his singing voice all that much but he's still an incredible musician. We can appreciate what we like and point out what we don't, it's called feedback.

[@barrybbenson9151]

I never would’ve guessed Damon would do this!

[@LilyDobson]

Neither🤣

[@lewis821]

i can picture a gun to his head off camera

[@trixxart777]

Kinda surprised but kinda cool to hear him describe his process and his voice is really relaxing

[@pineddew]

the lyrics for every gorillaz song is always so interesting despite how we can never understand them sometimes

[@oifelix6579]

Yea

[@JC-jt3ug]

Yall 🤠

[@A_Goofy_Guy]

Yeah facts like idk what the heck dare is about other than it’s a vibe

[@s3psis_]

And just when we need him the most, he returns

[@ballestabang]

👏👏❗️❗️

[@mariarb5252]

he never left ❤

[@s3psis_]

@@mariarb5252 it's just a Batman reference

[@mariarb5252]

@@s3psis_ i know!! just wanted to add that :)

[@TheLazysketcher]

I love how melodic his voice is even without any music. Its so pleasant to sing along to!

[@SeanSMST]

Sometimes I thought in this age, with how much pro tools and autotune and stuff are used, I thought he might use some autotune. But man this proves he doesn't for me, his voice is just as melodic as ever.

[@Mr.SoggyShoes]

​@@SeanSMST He does use some autotune, just not as much as a lot of artists do

[@SeanSMST]

@@Mr.SoggyShoes He does but it's usually quite obvious and for effect rather than to mask his voice. For Albarn it seems like putting distortion on a guitar, for effect.

[@BashTheBass]

@@SeanSMST he does use autotune and I’m sure it’s different now but before it was pretty cool. He described it not as autotune but as a digital voice. “2Ds” singing still sounds pretty similar so I’m sure it’s a similar type of technology.

[@BookApocalypse]

Damon you absolute marvel you've done it again

[@BookApocalypse]

As aunty donna would say "haven't you done well"

[@josiedits]

Gorillaz never fail to impress us

[@oifelix6579]

Exactly.

[@Van-ci7uw]

Damn straight

[@falconkid9167]

Speaking facts

[@danialhowe9814]

i wouldnt go that far...

[@mhersc1]

Except by bad bunny ...?

[@barrybbenson9151]

I wonder who convinced Damon to do this (he killed it!)

[@justlanzy]

Bet it was khali uches, lol she did her own and she’s collaborated with him

[@Plasticityy]

It’s probably to promote the new album

[@aprofondir]

since this album was produced in America, he probably did all the typical showbiz things you do in LA when you need to promote an album

[@richvillalobos9042]

noodle

[@34fgusrbautis]

watching damon sing is just lovely

[@user-ss1yb5fn4j]

I never thought I'd see Damon doing this kind of stuff

[@darkcircles4lyfe475]

I like how he “explains” the lyrics by describing emotions, abstract concepts, and visions. It’s not that the lyrics are meaningless, but they’re written in a subconscious almost automatic way, so he has to be careful not to take the audience out of the feeling they give by making too much sense. I think I can understand that.

[@shelley5449]

Yeah like the abstraction is there, and if you pinpoint it too much, it loses that

[@lucio7587]

I. Yes i like your explanation. I didnt got that 👌

[@C1999]

At this point the cartoon and the music are completely separate but i dont mind it sometimes, jamie has his own stories to tell and so does damon they just do it under the same band

[@2-d806]

I noticed the seperation too, but it’s nice seeing it this way too.

[@gutsypath9]

Actually, the parallelism in the band is part of the lore since phase 2. The musicians play as a Gorillaz tribute band and they were a warm-up band for phase 3. Also, Damon helps 2D with singing lessons and Murdoc stole Damon's demos for Plastic Beach lol, among other things.

[@C1999]

@@gutsypath9 yeah it’s cool how they find ways to crossover

[@C1999]

@@2-d806 would be funny if their in universe explanation is that damon is a ghost writer and the real band members are busy with cultist stuff

[@trixxart777]

@C1999 it really shows how different Damon can sound while singing as 2D and the audio bit at the end that us supposed to be him I do still think he should have voiced 2D.

[@HollowDaze_]

I feel that Damon has that immediately recognizable voice, yk? speaking or singing we just know it’s him. I have been such a big fan of Gorillaz in general over the years, I love their music, and the fact that they even give an amazing story and deep lore to their characters. Lots of love and effort has been put into their music videos, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

[@romany921]

i love everything from damon - blur, gorillaz, the good the bad and the queen, his solo music, can’t wait to see blur live this summer 🤩

[@sanguche6408]

don't forget every band he formed just to drop one album w it never to return again lmao this man can't sit still for 5 minutes

[@ritagarcia9696]

Omg are you also seeing blur in primavera sound? I'm going to see them in Porto, last year i went too just for Gorillaz, I love this man

[@romany921]

@@ritagarcia9696 i’ll be seeing blur at wembley stadium! :)

[@romany921]

@@sanguche6408 what one was it? 🥴

[@sanguche6408]

@@romany921 rn I can’t remember, I know there are a few but I can only recall Rocket Juice & The Moon also didn’t he do like to musicals??? Dr Dee(apple carts) and Journey to the west(the art was also made by Jamie!!)

[@mathiassallitfilms]

If you want to listen to Damon's a cappella version: 0:55 - Verse 1 1:40 - Pt2 2:20 - Pre-chorus 3:02 - Chorus 3:37 - Verse 2 4:07 - Pt2 4:43 - Outro He's brilliant, this video is brilliant, this song is brilliant

[@chrischibird]

"... it's all a bit of odd nonsense..." Something I love about the lyrics in Gorillaz songs is that it exists in the same whacky, extra-dimensional universe as the characters. At times they feel quite random and nonsensical, but its always phonetically consistent, with all the wordplay working in tandem to create a cohesive world. It's a freeing form of songwriting that I think is largely unappreciated by casual listeners and fans alike. I've seen some listeners online attempt to dig into the deeper meaning of their tracks, but they always end up extrapolating another run-of-the-mill "I miss you" theme. I find that so boring, frankly, I like to think that a song like 'Empire Ants' really is about an insect colony and the wonders of their tiny world.

[@TheMamaJamma]

This

[@superdrwholock]

I like both, songs with just raw human emotion and also songs that feel random af lol

[@junniebear49]

I love that there’s so much imagination involved in his storytelling. Always levels. Some artists you can really tell know and love good music…that’s why they’re able to experiment with it in new ways.

[@mewgiah8057]

He might not be the best technical singer, but my god is his voice amazing. Even in this interview, you can feel the passion as he sings each line. He's definitely one of my all time favorite artists. When you look at what he did with Blur and now the Gorillaz, dude is a legend. I had a friend who also got to meet Damon after one of his solo shows many years back. He said Albarn literally chatted with him for an hour, and was the nicest guy.

[@jasscorpio]

I would pay for Damon explaining every single song of his carreer... love this guy! Love Gorillaz!

[@La_domniz]

The first fews lyrics don’t make any sense really

[@Nuggtendo]

Please bring Damon back for more Gorillaz lyrics. This is a blessing.🙏

[@haley2176]

God I love him so much his work has motivated me through many seasons for 20 years. Gorillaz are a part of my biology.

[@huntahholmes4120]

Amen 🙏

[@Natalaie]

Mnie demotywowała, ale wciąż ją lubię 🦲 gorrilaz is not for motivation imo

[@Dsaintmoon]

Watching Damon doing this is weird!!, sublime and satisfying at the same time

[@xtendo_64]

Considering I went to a concert and enjoyed their music makes me happy

[@glennbelchamber668]

Gorillas in the flesh

[@AsH-dr2hu]

I actually met Damon in Montreal! He was so nice and gave me some songwriting advice!

[@starflurries]

damon albarn is so cool. i hope he lives until 110

[@Kingofkittens1]

111

[@miasomie9419]

Watching Damon explaining his lyrics feels like a dream coming true. Never thought he would do that.

[@sharpedosoul3213]

Now please make one for every Gorillaz song, thank you

[@uzielorlandi6303]

Am I the only one to notice he whistles with every s? It might be the grills. Damon is a genius. My favorite Damon project is The Good the Bad and the Queen.

[@SpaceMango]

He has always done that, I love it

[@ashleyhewlett9030]

You’d think Genius being such a huge music company would have the wherewithal to remove sibilance (hard S sound) from a basic audio track. Any audio mixing program can do it. This is so distracting.

[@sierramay5934]

yes it’s so distracting! audio production should’ve made it less sharp

[@TrioLOLGamers]

If you listen again the record you'll notice he never removed that, he just lowered that with a De-esser. Probably the whistle also makes the lyrics more Clear... That is also an issue you can find in Chris Martin from Coldplay. That's why I always use Coldplay to test sibilance on speakers 😅. Coldplay decide a more conservative master while Gorillaz a more overprocessed (still punchy).

[@darkwhizkey4725]

Damon should make an audio book, his voice is very soothing

[@andredmtr]

Gorillaz is one of the best, most energetic bands I've seen live and Damon is one of the kindest human-beings I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Grateful for that.

[@ibuprofen-noodles]

i wish i could see him perform Mr Tembo live

[@Lia-qv7jx]

Damon is so iconic

[@shiftingeyesa]

4:31 that is such a beautiful quote

[@m1randuh]

Damon’s voice ASMR….. 🫠

[@carlavelizguerra2527]

That perpetual soft whistling with every “s” sound from his every-year-warmer voice 🫠

[@pixxieniicky]

his voice is so sweet, mans dont need autotune!! i could listen to him all day 🖤✨

[@berry6467]

He’s got that soothing comforting voice where he could sing you to sleep.

[@kid_around]

His voice I swear it makes me feel so calm 😌

[@courtneyappel2649]

Some of my fav memories are listening to Gorillaz while flying on a overnight flight and watching the sunrise from the plane and being completely overwhelmed by the beauty made even better by the accompanying music.

[@sydfrog_]

ohh im flying out to belfast in april from the us and this sounds like a wonderful idea. im totally going to do this

[@CAPTAINBLUE44]

this is such a treat I’m so happy he came on

[@uhleeruh6908]

What I love about gorillaz music is that when you first listen, you’re taken to a place. Whether that place be what the lyrics are intending, such as Damon’s explanation, or a place where you have felt you’ve been before, or if it’s both, it’s always done in a very deep and melodic way. It hits me in my feels each time! Damon, you charming 54 year old genius, I love you, thank you for this explanation. 🫶

[@luisinpikaseca5939]

Damon's voice is just godly

[@RookHuntDoer]

never noticed that he whistles sometimes when speaking. He’s too cool.

[@chrisbluma7942]

Something about this song makes me cry. Every single time.

[@raspyboi]

who that guy?? he ain't a cartoon character...

[@ayoolukoga9829]

Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. Proverbs 16:20

[@Omnipresentponi]

Obamna

[@BookApocalypse]

He isn't a cartoon g-_-

[@mugiwaraisabel]

lmaaooo

[@JeromeProductions]

Exactly 😅

[@d.carranza972]

Damon Albarn siempre sera mi #1... gracias por traerlo 🥰

[@jannychanny5658]

ive been listening to gorillaz since i was 7 and to this day there making bangers

[@Liz.1014]

This video gave 5+ years of life, Damon is so wholesome I could listen to his voice all day

[@DarkEclipce]

I was expecting a cartoon band, instead I get the WooHoo guy

[@SYFTV1]

An idea for Jamie Hewlett: one of these but featuring one of the cartoon characters instead of Damon.

[@LiamC328]

omg imagine 2-D explaining the lyrics of 'Souk Eye'

[@oddtop]

It's so interesting to hear him explain his intentions vs how I actually interpreted the song. I had thought it was about technology (internet) addiction and FOMO. And I thought "silent running" was like avoiding the real world because it's too painful to acknowledge. Silently (doom) scrolling through infinite pages.

[@Foxiesz]

I thought very similar! I kind of love Damon's talk of almost the opposite- being amazed by nature and etc. Maybe its ironic lol

[@oddtop]

I would really love to see this unedited. I wonder if there was more context that maybe didn't feel concise enough to the editor. It's such a great track. So interesting to think about it from this perspective :D

[@ToneLive]

He did say "human interaction is the antidote to silent running"

[@Why_It]

This is why great song writers are able to convey emotions they feel about a specific thing in a broad way that feels specific.

[@Kimmie6772]

It seems to be a recurring thing in interviews with him lol. Though I think damon is one of those artists that welcomes interpretation from the audience. It helps the music feel alive.

[@Sora185]

I love the fact, that his live singing voice is as good as the "version" in songs from the studio.

[@gutsypath9]

Genius should've invited 2D or Murdoc through an animation 💀 but oh well we love Damon anyway

[@-Potato-69-]

The thing with gorillaz is that you can tell that everyone has grown up with how the art is to the songs, each album reflects the era it was released in. It’s honestly beautiful, there’s a lot of growth in between “ghost Train” and “Silent Running” One has simplistic lyrics and the other really goes in depth. It’s amazing how you can tell that everyone has gotten older and wiser

[@weebnugget682]

honestly makes me so happy that he finds joy in the beauty of everything but is still able to take a step back. ive still got a lot to learn

[@UhhhGoblin]

I loved this Damon, cant stop listening to this, every time with a new interpretation. Love hearing what you intended to deliver!

[@lllllll_9]

My mans speech: voice 10% whispering 90%😊

[@Brotherkai11]

The goat behind my childhood

[@slazulo]

this is insane, he really embodies all of his characters in one person such a unique voice too, he really does sound like 2D (maybe they are the same person...)

[@vinniesuqs]

Damon is such a relaxing person it’s weird not seeing him in a lot of interviews anymore lol

[@thasn8ke]

Andy Serkis never ceases to amaze me.

[@imbased7784]

Lmao

[@carlybrooks9793]

I laughed out loud at this

[@AgentMulder120]

God yea he looks like if Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman had a child

[@oifelix6579]

He has a really beautiful voice fr

[@oscar_thaonekid8725]

God I need him to do an acoustic version of this song

[@granthardie5195]

There is one on the album it's amazing 👏

[@unosoltres]

Been waiting for that Damon Albarn audiobook for like 15 years now

[@MichaelCBryan]

I recently heard this song for the first time about a month and a half ago, and I became absolutely obsessed with the hypnotic nature of it. I never knew who these guys were until I heard that song. I saw the official video and lots funny- The opening image is 10 blocks from whereI live in Los Angeles. The song feels like that weird strange hypnotic impossible to resist pull of this city. Hearing him talk now I see why.

[@sitdowndrank3077]

Dude literally made the most influential album of my childhood and then just pops up like this.

[@watchm3_b133d]

He’s so scrunkly I love him sm 😭

[@m_gg0t]

The way he whistles when he talks is special to me for no reason

[@8breadfungus]

Im so excited for the full album to release its so good so far and im excited to see whats next to come

[@Logitah]

Got to pet this guy's head, when he was doing a gig in Finland last summer! ❤

[@ElloAsty]

Man I feel like I don't understand the lyrics any better but the song and this interview are still beautiful AF

[@mattdick6167]

Holy crap he’s real!!!!

[@bozakisanthony6756]

( this is by far the most famous person on here in my opinion) it's also nice to see a dedicated fan explaining his favorite song 🥰

[@alice-hc6vy]

i literally said “WHAT” aloud when i saw this video while looking up lyrics on genius cos damon feels like an entity rather than a celebrity to me

[@alanahbananas]

Why is damn just always so interesting to watch? He’s got a super entertaining personality

[@Alex-qc9mp]

Este señor es un maldito genioooo

[@Victoriaghh]

I've been obsessed with Damon Albarn since I was 14, and I was madly in love with him through the 90s LOL! Could listen to him talk forever.

[@Herbailua]

DAMON ON GENIUS 😵💚

[@n10ask]

I wish Damon would sing me to sleep every night 😍

[@Humblewhiteboy666]

“How do you do fellow kids”

[@amyharris7312]

That GORGEOUS baritone, and a capella, too. Heavenly!

[@katpereira]

God i love damon's voice😭

[@milaalejandra8432]

Damon es un genio lo quiero mucho

[@valesigh]

No wonder he was rewarded for his services for Music🛐🛐🛐🛐

[@JosefaMirandaZ]

Oh DAMON ALBARN has got a new tattoo. I love Silent Running ♥️ @gorillaz is amazing

[@Ivyrigs]

The opening of their video makes it so clear that the record label ruined the marketing for this album. He seems like he really doesn't want to do this 💀

[@finleyjennings6051]

Pretty sure the album would be out already if it was up to him.

[@diegoramirez3740]

For sure, he’s actually talked about it and confirmed that he wanted to release it months ago

[@W1rt_]

i love gorillaz i have grown up with them and to see damon do an interview makes me so happy

[@synthetic_stars]

whoever convinced him to do this,,,,thank you 😭😭

[@2gotitfvr]

Stop, 'cause you're killing me You brought me back and made me feel free Rowdy waves and your energy You pulled me fragile from the wreckage Well, I got so lost here Machine assisted, I disappear To a dream, you don't wanna hear How I got caught up in nowhere again (oh) It feels like I've been silent running (silent running) Through the infinite pages, I've scrolled out Searching for a new world Waits on the sunrise I'm silent running Run, run, running (oh-ohh-oh), run, run, running Run, run, running, run, run, running (I'll be, oh) Run, run, running (back to you), run, run, running (back to you) I'm silent running Run, run, running (oh-oh-ohh) (Oh-ohh) (Ohh-oh-ohh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-ohh) Stop, or you'll make me cry (make me cry) I think it's time that I decide (I decide) What I've done when I trip and fly (trip and fly) The wave is taking me (taking me) There's no way out of here (no way out) In the labyrinth I disappear (no one here) To the dark fleet that got me here (underground) I got caught up in no where again It feels like I've been silent running (silent) Through the infinite pages, I scroll out Searching for a new world (trip and fly) Waits on the sunrise I'm silent running Here we go Searching for gold You make me feel so alive (I'll never be) Demons here (I'll never see) That I had (I'll never sigh) Truth be told (too far to sigh) I'm silent running (No way out) (I'll be) back to you, back to you I'm silent running Run, run, running (ohh-oh-oh), run, run, running Run, run, running (back to you), run, run, running Run, run, running (back to you), run, run, running (back to you) Run, run, running, run, running Make me cry (memories and triumph) I decide (this is the season of madness) Trip and fly (trip and fly), taken Ooh-ooh-ooh-ohh Ooh-oh-ooh

[@lsd-rickb-1728]

This dudes an iconic legend in British music 🎶 🎵 👏 he's so humble as well

[@xballsport]

The song is incredible. Right away one of my favorites. I kept replaying it for about 1 hr. No joke.

[@ileraareli0]

Took some shrooms today, been on replay for 3 hours NO JOKE

[@thomasoconnor246]

I wish I could get a video like this for his entire discography

[@_lynnloo9988]

his voice is so calming i love Damon

[@marissaaaa]

Thank you for Gorillaz. ♥️

[@_andy_vadoru_928]

Listening to Damon Talk just makes me think , why didn't he also made 2D's talking voice? Cuz this is what I would like 2D to sound like tbh

[@Flyguyconrad_]

Was just listening to Busted & Blue and this popped up

[@Eddierath]

Thank you ❤️ I'm so sick of kids (some) miss-quoting verses and claiming interpretations that don't even make sense... he should have a rep do this for his other records to clear up some things.

[@freakazoid217]

It's weird watching him sing what I've always imagined to be 2D.

[@Rivan98]

Now he is a real genius. Wow this interview was completly unexpected to me 😆

[@edgarmather3197]

First time I’ve wanted to watch genius