• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Musicaroo

Learn to Make Music Like a Pro

  • Singing
    • Learn To Sing
    • Singing Tips & Advice
    • Help Buying Singing Gear
    • Great Songs For Singing
    • Great Singers for Inspiration
  • Guitar
    • Learn To Play Guitar
    • Buying Guitars & Gear
    • Guitar Care
    • Guitar Info & Tips
    • Guitar Music For Inspiration
    • Great Guitarists
  • Bass
    • Learn To Play Bass
    • Buying A Bass & Gear
    • Bass Care
    • Bass Info & Tips
    • Music With Bass For Inspiration
    • Great Bassists
  • Violin
    • Learn To Play Violin
    • Buying A Violin & Gear
    • Violin Care
    • Violin Info & Tips
    • Violin Music For Inspiration
    • Great Violinists
  • Trumpet
    • Learn To Play Trumpet
    • Buying A Trumpet & Gear
    • Trumpet Care
    • Trumpet Info & Tips
    • Trumpet Music For Inspiration
    • Great Trumpeters
  • Great Music
    • Bands Like…
    • Songs About Things
    • Song Meanings
    • Song Recommendations
You are here: Home / Great Music / Song Meanings

“Glycerine” Lyrics & Meaning (Bush)

March 28, 2023 By Camila 4 Comments

Glycerine Lyrics MeaningGrunge 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.

Table of Contents

  • 1 Glycerine Lyrics And Meaning
    • 1.1 Glycerine Lyrics
      • 1.1.1 Verse 1
      • 1.1.2 Chorus
      • 1.1.3 Verse 2
      • 1.1.4 Chorus
      • 1.1.5 Bridge
      • 1.1.6 Verse 3
      • 1.1.7 Chorus
    • 1.2 Glycerine Meaning
      • 1.2.1 The Inspiration
  • 2 Glycerine Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

 

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. 

One likely candidate was always designer Pearl Lowe. They had a daughter together in 1989. But they didn’t know it at the time. It was not until 2004 that a paternity test revealed Rossdale to be the girl’s biological father.

However, Rossdale actually revealed in a 1995 interview with Howard Stern that he had written the song about his girlfriend at the time, named Suze DiMarchi. Since these were his own words, that’s the story we’re going with, too.

WBut if you don’t believe him and think it was about another woman, that’s fine too. 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.

The Happier lyrics have a meaning that is similar. Marshmello and Baptiste’s song is about someone who know they need to break up with their lover, because they just don’t work. The breakup will hurt, but it is for the best in the long run.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristine says

    October 29, 2023 at 03:23

    I think this writer should really look into what he is saying. He says that Glycerine is about the woman that he had a child with but turned out not to be his. Well Glycerine was in the 1990s but the child was in 2004 so how could that be about that relationship…….?????

    Reply
    • Camila says

      October 30, 2023 at 01:09

      It is thought to be about the relationship, which happened in the late 1980s, not about the child. The daughter was born at the end of the 80s, but Rossdale did not know she was his until 2004.

      Reply
  2. alex says

    September 30, 2023 at 17:28

    Gavin stated during a Howard Stein interview that he wrote Glycerine about a former girlfriend named Susie.

    Reply
    • Camila says

      October 3, 2023 at 01:16

      Thank you for the added info! I have updated the article accordingly and even found a YouTube video of the interview.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Posts

Worst Lip Sync Disasters Caught On Camera

6 Worst Lip Sync Disasters Caught On Camera That Went Viral Overnight

Music Video Dance Routines Everybody Wanted To Learn

7 Music Video Dance Routines Everybody Wanted To Learn

Hilarious Parody Songs

6 Hilarious Parody Songs That Got More Attention Than the Originals

Unforgettable Singing Reality Show Moments

6 Unforgettable Singing Reality Show Moments That Made Us Laugh, Cry, And Go Viral

Singers Who Mastered Multiple Genres

Singers Who Mastered Multiple Genres: A List Of Musical Chameleons

Footer

Important Links

  • Home
  • About Musicaroo
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Affiliate Disclosure

Disclosure

Some recommended products may use affiliate links. musicaroo.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates

Contact

Musicaroo is owned and operated by:

McBrain Global LLC
30 N Gould Street, Suite R
Sheridan, WY 82801
USA

Phone: +1 (307) 269-0897
Email: info@musicaroo.com

Copyright © 2025 · McBrain Global LLC · All rights reserved.