We Carry On

Album: Third (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Multi instrumentalist Geoff Barrow told the Metro how this Krautrock sounding track resurrected their recording sessions. "Even for the second album I thought DJing was dead as an art form, It ended up turning into a strange thing about technique over any kind of emotional content. I know that sounds really weird when you're talking about rubbing a record but, you know, you've gotta write what you want. When we wrote We Carry On it didn't sound like us - after that we thought there were loads of places we could go. We turned the computer off and started it up again with a different release, a freedom that a lot of the bands we're into have, and they're not all very commercial."
  • When Portishead debuted this song at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, England in December 2007, it was titled "Peaches."

Comments: 1

  • Edward Pearce from Ashford, Kent, EnglandThird was my favourite album of 2008. This song and "The Rip" would both be in my Top 10 tracks of the year.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Early Days of MTV

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's Songs

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's SongsSong Writing

"London Bridge," "Ring Around the Rosie" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring" are just a few examples of shockingly morbid children's songs.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

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

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.