“Glycerine” Lyrics & Meaning (Bush)

Grunge was very much an American thing.

But Bush didn’t care.

In fact, they did grunge so well, many accused them of sounding too much like Nirvana.

The first song of theirs I heard was Little Things. It never sounded like Nirvana to me.

However, I got the comparison when I first heard Glycerine.

Gavin Rossdale does sound a bit like Cobain in this song.

And the Glycerine lyrics meaning is a bit cryptic, too, like many Nirvana songs.

But we can help with that. Keep reading to learn the meaning of the Glycerine lyrics.

 

Glycerine Lyrics And Meaning

British band Bush formed in 1992. They released Glycerine in 1994, as part of their debut album Sixteen Stone. It was the fourth single from that album and it quickly gained traction and became a chart-topping hit, in the United States and around the world.

The album as a whole was a huge success as well, with two more singles, Comedown and Machinehead, also entering the top 100, in addition to Glycerine. Sixteen Stone established Bush as one of the most popular rock bands of the 1990s.

The lyrics to Glycerine describe a tumultuous relationship, capturing the ups and downs inherent in a troubled love affair. Lead singer Gavin Rossdale wrote the song based on one of his own relationships. Here are the lyrics in full. Below, we will dive much deeper into their meaning.

 

Glycerine Lyrics

Verse 1

It must be your skin, I’m sinking in
It must be for real, ’cause now I can feel
And I didn’t mind, It’s not my kind
It’s not my time to wonder why
Everything gone white, everything’s grey
Now you’re here, now you’re away
I don’t want this, remember that
I’ll never forget where you’re at

Chorus

Don’t let the days go by
Glycerine, glycerine

Verse 2

I’m never alone, I’m alone all the time
Are you at one? Or do you lie?
We live in a wheel where everyone steals
But when we rise, it’s like strawberry fields
I treated you bad, you bruise my face
Couldn’t love you more, you’ve got a beautiful taste

Chorus

Don’t let the days go by
Could’ve been easier on you
I couldn’t change though I wanted to
It should have been easier by three
Our old friend fear and you and me
Glycerine, glycerine
Don’t let the days go by
Glycerine
Don’t let the days go by….
Glycerine, glycerine
Uh… glycerine, glycerine

Bridge

Bad moon white again
Bad moon white again
As she falls around me

Verse 3

I needed you more, you wanted us less
I could not kiss, just regress
It might just be clear, simple and plain
Well that’s just fine, that’s just one of my names

Chorus

Don’t let the days go by
Could’ve been easier on you, you, you
Glycerine, glycerine
Glycerine, glycerine

 

Glycerine Meaning

Glycerine is about a troubled relationship and the attachment we often feel in a relationship, even when we know that it is not good for us. It is a doomed love. We know the relationship is not right or good for us, but we also know we do not want to leave it.

The lyrics include many contradictions to illustrate this dichotomy. Top of the list is the title itself. The chemical glycerin (glycerine is the most commonly used commercial name for glycerin) has both stabilizing and explosive properties.

It is used in lubricants, elixirs, and soap, among other things. In those uses, it is a positive. It makes life better. A lubricant makes things run more smoothly (including the sexual part of a relationship), an elixir can make you feel better and soap cleans you.

Of course, glycerine is also use to make nitroglycerin, a famously unstable and explosive substance. It could go off at any time. Similarly, the type of relationship Rossdale is singing about can at times be good, but overall, it is unhealthy and unstable. And it can explode at any time.

The song begins with the singer expressing a deep connection and sense of intimacy with his partner:

It must be your skin, I’m sinking in
It must be for real, ’cause now I can feel

This shows us the intensity of their relationship. But as the song progresses, conflicting emotions and self-doubt creep in. She is often away, but he does not want her to be elsewhere. It seems she prefers to maintain some distance.

There are many times when they do not treat each other well. He reflects on that in the chorus:

Don’t let the days go by
Could’ve been easier on you
I couldn’t change though I wanted to
It should have been easier by three
Our old friend fear and you and me
Glycerine, glycerine

These lines highlight the regret the singer feels for not handling the relationship better. They also emphasizes the fleeting nature of time. The repetition of the word “glycerine” serves as a reminder of the volatile nature of their love, and its potential to blow up at any moment.

Throughout the song, lyrics such as “Bad moon white again, bad moon white again, as she falls around me” and “I needed you more, you wanted us less, could not kiss, just regress,” paint a picture of a relationship constantly on the brink of collapse, with the couple unable to find stability or resolution.

Despite their awareness of the relationship’s unsustainability, the singer laments, “It might just be clear, simple and plain, well, that’s just fine, that’s just one of my names.”

 

The Inspiration

Gavin Rossdale has admitted in interviews that he wrote Glycerine about one of his own relationships. He does not divulge which one, but of course, fans have theorized. 

The most likely candidate is designer Pearl Lowe. They had a child together in 2004. Or so they thought. It turned out 5 years later, that Rossdale was not the father. Instead, the girl’s father was Bush bassist Dave Parsons, who was her godfather.

Whoever the woman was, what is certain is that we can partially attribute Glycerine’s success to its deeply personal and emotional lyrics. They resonated with many fans, who could identify with the emotional struggles they depicted.

 

Glycerine Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Even though singer and songwriter Gavin Rossdale has explained the Glycerine lyrics meaning himself, that does not mean they can’t mean something different to you. You may have a completely different interpretation of this Bush hit.

The beauty of music lies in its ability to provoke different emotions and reactions from individual listeners. Your own personal experiences in life may lead to the lyrics resonating with you in a completely different way. And that is perfectly fine. More than fine. It is the whole point of art.

For another song about a broken relationship that is also interpreted in many different ways and means different things to different people, check out our analysis of the lyrics and meaning of Blue on Black by Kenny Wayne Shepherd.