Band member Robert "3D" Del Naja wrote this about a toxic relationship he'd been in (by the time he'd written the song, it had ended). He explained to Inner View: "It's about being in a situation but knowing you should be out of it, but you're too f--king lazy or weak to leave. And you're dishonest to yourself and dishonest to the other person. You're betraying them everyday and the whole scene feels like it's closing in on you. The idea is a combination of movements propelling yourself forward and pulling yourself back at the same time."
The beat came from Turkish music overheard by Massive Attack at an Istanbul belly dance club. The very percussive nature of it piqued 3D's interest immediately. 3D explained to Q magazine: "We went to a belly dancer show on our day off in this really tacky tourist club. It was a cabaret thing; this guy did a version of New York, New York with his cane and hat. Then the belly dancers came on and they'd all seen better days. It really was hanging, but the music was wicked. Mush (Andrew "Mushroom" Vowle) went and got some tapes the next day."
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