Don’t Forget the Songs-365: Mach Dos: Day 164
Thurs. June 20, 2012
“Abbaon Fat Tracks”
Tricky
1995
“♫ Fuck you
in/ tuck
you in, suck
you in ♫”
Circa 1995—everyone I knew talked about Portishead’s Dummy being the soundtrack to intimate love creations but for me— Tricky’s Maxinquaye was the rhythmic choice for my romantic excursions in the dark. One of my favorites is the very lusty “Abbaon Fat Tracks.” Funny story is that I used to think this song was called Abandoned Fat Tracks. What was I seeing? For all these years, I can’t believe, I misread the song title of one of the best unheralded songs from Maxinquaye.
Curious to why, Tricky gave “Fat Tracks” such an odd title? Tricky claimed– “it reminded me of Abba– Abba fucked up, and with phat beats.” I would have never thought of that explanation. This probably explains why I made up my own title, to my younger horny self, “Fat Track” was confusingly titled but it’s also, the sexiest song on Maxinquaye.
But Tricky refused to label Maxinquaye as erotic lusty music. Tricky explained when he said. “It’s mad when people call it erotic…Mad.” But after further lifted reflection Tricky relented by saying— “I suppose it is, in a way— it’s all accidental.”
Yeah, but if the eroticism of “Abbaon Fat Tracks” was accidental—why would Tricky have Martina Topley Bird, his collaborator and angelic vocalist, sing lyrics like— “I’ll fuck you up the ass / Just for a laugh / With my quick speed / I’ll make your nose bleed?”
Tricky discussed the inspiration behind that infamous line when he explained—
“That was one of my anti-people days. See, I let people get to me more than I should. It took me a while to suss out how cliquey the scene is in London. All these people in their little cliques, patting each other on the back. I don’t wanna be a part of that. That’s what that lyric is all about. It just sorta spewed out of me.”
Like most timeless music, the unique aspect of Tricky’s music is that they are open to interpretation. Tricky songs are a very personal experience. What does “Abbaon Fat Tracks” mean to me? It’s the literal unbridled naked exploration of your mind and body—beyond sound. Confused, press play and reflect on your personal reading of “Abbaon Fat Tracks.”
A coy Martina had no idea what “Fat Tracks” was about, when she said—
“I don’t think I can shed any light on the songs because I only sing them. I think I wrote about four lines on the whole album. But, you know, they’re Tricky songs – dark and truthful. I think they reflect the way a lot of people feel right now, but they’re also a bit otherworldly. I guess that’s because Tricky’s an alien.”
“Abbaon Fat Tracks” is the perfect song to listen alone with headphones or with a lover reaching culmination grooves at the end of midnight. Coincidentally, I always believed Erotic alienation was the theme of Maxinquaye. Tricky must have agreed, because he said—
“That’s what I feel like a lot of the time. I think it’s because I’m a bit of a loner and I’m always talking to myself in my head or else I’ll go out on my own and talk to total strangers in clubs and, basically, do their head in. It’s pure bollocks but it was the sort of thing that was happening quite a lot while I was making the album. Just feeling disconnected from things. Instead of staying in and writing lyrics, I’d go out and get pissed up and charged up and look at girls or whatever. See, I’m weak and that disgusts me. There’s a lot of that self-disgust in the lyrics.”
I don’t feel disgusted at all when I hear Maxinquaye. It’s the flick of the lighter, right before you ignite the candle of intricate shadow love. I used to let the beats move me as the music played in the dark. It’s so easy to get lost in Tricky’s music. How did Tricky describe his music that he made famous that reflected the Pre-Millennium Tension of the soon to becoming turn of the century?
“Its is a new age, unsafe, where no one’s the king of anything — hip hop, jungle, trip hop. We’re really vulnerable. So we all have to keep on moving.”
The ironic thing is that closer we get to the end of the Mayan calendar; all of the themes Tricky created on “Abbaon Fat Track” and within Maxinquaye are coming ahead in this the year of 2012. This is probably the reason why I have been going back to trip hop themed music of my younger days. Maxinquqye is the euphoric feeling – echoing your becoming; there is no better sound than making it to “Abbaon Fat Tracks.” Get quixotic, turn the lights down low, light some candles’ and turn on Tricky’s soundtrack of naked abandon will definitely get you in the right mood.
Don't Forget The Songs 365 
Came to this blog because I deeply love this song. And I have spent a good part of my morning discovering new music here and revisiting old friends. Thank you so much for this beautiful idea, anonymous writer on the storm, for bringing beauty and meaning into the world and creating magnificent connections in the wonderful land of www. xxx
I just listened to it myself for the umpteenth time until finally looking into the meaning, which brought me here. I love this song too in such a unique way.