Doncamatic (All Played Out)

Album: Plastic Beach (Re-Release) (2010)
Charted: 37
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Songfacts®:

  • This bubbly dance number by the English band Gorillaz features Manchester electro singer-songwriter Daley. According to the band's YouTube page, the song's inspiration and name came from the Donca Matic, "the groundbreaking Japanese-designed drum machine which started the Korg Musical Instrument Company in 1963!"
  • Daley spoke to NME about this song, which he co-wrote with Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn: "Gorillaz is just an amazing family to become a part of," he said. "I'm not sure how it works with other Gorillaz collaborators, but Damon and I wrote this song together." He added: "We definitely agreed that we wanted to write a pop song, so it's a bit different from a normal Gorillaz song."
  • Albarn told NME how he discovered Daley: "My missus got on him 'cos our mate Nelson was round our house one evening and played us a YouTube clip of Daley doing a session, and he was just so cool. I think he's a star in the making. Not to sound too Simon Cowell."

Comments: 5

  • Megan from Stevenson, AlThe more I listen to this, the better it gets I swear! Awesome song!
  • Megan from Stevenson, AlI love this song! Just heard it a couple of months ago and it's so good! :)
  • K from Nowhere, OnI've only listened to this song a couple times, because Daley's voice is irritating.
  • Tanner from Breandon, FlUmm, Robert, Daley is guy, but agreed on the meaning
  • Robert from Ridgfield Park, NjI personally think this song is about someone on drugs,who is losing everything,and this voice (Daley's lyrics) are telling them to stop with the drugs and go back to how they used to be. Here are the lyrics:

    Down lowly
    Make up for the time you wasted
    Come slowly
    And claim back boy you left behind

    Close the white book
    Unplug the brain from the game
    Cause it's time to wipe out
    Till the stars get on the fame

    The song is not the same when we're all
    played out, played out, all played out
    They said the memory's all
    played out, played out, all played out
    Tell me did you feel that?

    Don't slow down
    Even if it's only to escape
    Just down, low down
    Before somebody steals the place

    Close the white book
    Unplug the brain from the game
    'Cause it's time to wipe out
    Till the stars get on the fame
    And the conversation's over

    We're all played out, played out, all played out
    (talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me)
    You see the memory's all played out
    played out, all played out
    (talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me)
    Tell me did you feel that?

    Down lowly
    Make up for the time you wasted
    Come slowly
    Claim back the boy you left behind

    Close the white book
    Unplug the brain from the game
    It's time to wipe out till the bar get on the fame

    The song is not the same when we're
    all played out, played out, all played out
    (talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me)
    You see the memory's all played out,
    played out, all played out
    (Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me)

    The song is not the same when we're all played out, played out (Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me)
    The song is not the same when we're all played out, played out, played out, played out, played out
    (Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me)
    Tell me did you feel that?



    Whenever she says "the song is not the same when we're all played out" is a reference to when you're under the influence of drugs,music sounds different and more relaxing. Also the line where she says "Claim back the boy you left behind" is how they lost a relationship because of these drugs. "You see the memory is all played out" is how you don't really remember what happened after the drug's effects wear off. There's a ton of other things referencing to drugs like "Make up for the time you wasted" because they wasted so much time just doing drugs and wasting their life,that now they should live out life. "Down lowly" is telling them to come down from their "high", the effects of drugs.

    All in all,its probably one of their best songs. Catchiest song ever.
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