Iconic Britpop band, Blur returns after eight years with 'The Narcissist'
Interpreting the lyrics through a narcissistic abuse lens
I've been a fan of Blur since their debut studio album Leisure was released in August, 1991, followed by their critically acclaimed, commercial success Parklife, which dropped in 1994 with a winning collection of pop songs.
Pop music critic Lindsay Zoladz of the New York Times wrote, “The Britpop legends Blur’s first new song in eight years — off an upcoming album the group secretly recorded and suddenly announced mid-May, “The Ballad of Darren” — is a self-critical catalog of the disillusions of fame, awash in the band’s misty melancholy. Damon Albarn’s reflections are sullen and cleareyed, but buoyed by Dave Rowntree steady beat and Graham Coxon’s charmingly cheery backing vocals he finds a glimmer of hope and strength to carry on. “I won’t fall this time,” he sings. “With godspeed, I’ll heed the signs.”
Lindsay Zoladz also authored The Brilliance of Blur, with YouTube links to 12 of their greatest songs. Also notable are these song reviews: Blur Balls, Rolling Stone, Yours Truly.
My interpretation of ‘The Narcissist’ lyrics
Looked in the mirror
Love bombing and grooming occur during the initial phase of narcissistic abuse, where both narcissist and victim reflect back to one another an idealized version of themselves. Both the narcissist and victim co-idealize one another. The narcissist invites the victim into a hall of mirrors that is recursive and ad infinitum. The victim falls in love with their image as reflected through the narcissist eyes.
So many people standing there
I walked towards them
The narcissist invites the victim into a fantastic mental space called the Paracosm/hall of mirrors, and presents the victim with expectations on who to be in this theater play. A relationship with a narcissist feels as though you are acting in a movie; it's always a question of who are you are supposed to be to please a narcissist and not incur their wrath.
Into the floodlights
The narcissist is an x-ray scanner with penetrating insights into the chinks in your armor for their exploitation.
I heard no echo (no echo)
There was distortion everywhere (everywhere)
I found my ego (my ego)
I felt rebuttal standing there
Found my transcendence (transcendence)
When in a relationship with a narcissist, one is reduced to an echo. This lyric is a nod to Echo from Greek mythology and her unrequited love for Narcissus, who was in love with his own reflection. Ironically, the back up singer echoes his lack of echo, and the following line about distortion everywhere suggests that he was succumbing to the flattery, intellectual puzzle and overall draw of the narcissist. Luckily, he finds his ego to straighten himself up with a dash of rebellion or rebuttal that freed him in his transcendence from the grip of the narcissist.
It played in mono painted blue (painted blue)
You were the Pierrot (the Pierrot)
I was the dark room (the dark room)
The dark room lyric suggests that as a victim he was a backdrop to the narcissist’s antics while simultaneously floundering in the dark.
I'ma shine a light in your eyes (in your eyes)
You'll probably shine it back on me
But I won't fall this time
With Godspeed, I'll heed the signs
Chorus: reciprocal shining of a light suggests co-idealization. But he won't fall for it this time and with any luck, he will avoid the simulacrum of the narcissist. Idealization is a form of fantasy defense against bruising reality. Fantasy, since it's out of step with reality, is pathological.
I saw the solstice (the solstice)
The service station on the road (on the road)
I took the acid (the acid)
Under the white horses (the road)
My heart, it quickened (it quickened)
I could not tear myself away (myself away)
Became addiction (addiction)
If you see darkness, look away (look away)
Despite seeing the exit ramps in the forms of solstice and a service station, the pull to the drug, LSD/acid was too great. Narcissists are addicted to narcissistic supply—attention, adoration, adulation. In the spirit of you become the company you keep, the narcissist is endeavoring to vampirically convert the victim into a narcissist, that is to say, an addict to narcissistic supply.
I'ma shine a light in your eyes (look away, look away)
You'll probably shine it back on me (look away)
But I won't fall this time
With Godspeed, I'll heed the signs
Oh, glorious world (glorious)
Oh, potent waves, valleys gone wild (potent waves)
Connect us to love (us to love)
And keep us peaceful for a while (for a while)
He sees the capacity of the world to be glorious. Love is the antidote to narcissism wherever possible and never with the narcissist. Malignant optimism encourages the nonsensical and grandiose thinking that somehow one will be able to love the narcissist out of their intractable pathology. Love with a non-pathological person affords peace, that is, if he can avoid the undertow of addiction to the narcissist and narcissistic supply.