Dissolve Me

Album: An Awesome Wave (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Alt-J frontman Joe Newman recalls in this song a childhood bedtime ritual where his mum would lull him to sleep by making ocean noises.
  • Many fans have interpreted the line "two tabs on your tongue" to be about acid, but that is not the case. Newman explained to NME that he, "imagined a pill that you could take that would dissolve a memory of someone."
  • The song ends with the lyric "knee-deep on the North Sea," which is a reference to jazz outfit Portico Quartet's Mercury Prize-nominated debut album. Newman explained to NME: "The title song ("Knee-Deep in the North Sea" ) is the best song of the noughties. They were such a huge influence."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Linda Perry

Linda PerrySongwriter Interviews

Songwriting Hall of Famer Linda Perry talks about her songs "What's Up" and "Beautiful," her songwriting process, and her move into film music.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.