Searching

Album: Speech Therapy (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the first single from British rapper Speech Debelle's Mercury Prize winning album, Speech Therapy.
  • Debelle was a heavy cannabis user in her teens, a dependency that contributed to her expulsion from Harris City Academy in Crystal Palace. The resulting strain on her relationship with her mother led to her moving out. She spent the next few years living in living in homeless hostels and "mistrustful of the idea of getting a 'proper' job." Debelle explained to The Sun September 4, 2009 that this song is "about needing to get away from the harshness surrounding me and contemplating how."
  • On this song the protagonist is struggling with the idea of sharing her accommodation with "cat-sized rats". Debelle told The London Times September 10, 2009: "I can pretty much pinpoint that lyric, That's Poynders [Estate] in Clapham. There was a crackhouse a couple of doors down, so you've got 'cat-sized rats,' but also 'cats the size of rats' - that's 'cats' as in people, who you could see physically wasting away because of what they were putting inside them."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.