The third single from Massive Attack’s debut album, “Safe from Harm” was one of the first songs recorded in the initial sessions for the record, and the first song on which the group collaborated with Shara Nelson (who also contributes vocals to “Unfinished Sympathy” and “Lately” on Blue Lines).
It...
[Verse 1: Shara Nelson]
Midnight rockers, city slickers
Gunmen and maniacs
All will feature on the freak show
And I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
[Refrain: Shara Nelson]
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
[Pre-Chorus: 3D]
Serious, infectious, and dan-
Serious, in-, serious, infectious, and dangerous
[Chorus: Shara Nelson]
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
[Post-Chorus: 3D]
Serious, in-, serious, in-
Serious, infectious, and dangerous
Friends and enemies, I find it's contagious
I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me
To see me looking back at you
[Verse 2: Shara Nelson]
Lucky dippers, crazy chancers
Seems to be moving fast
What happened to the niceties of my childhood days?
Well I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
[Refrain: Shara Nelson]
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
[Pre-Chorus: 3D]
I was, I was, I was looking back to see if you were
I was looking, I was
I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me
To see me looking back at you
[Chorus: Shara Nelson]
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
[Verse 3: 3D]
Se-, serious, se-, serious
Serious, infectious, and dangerous
Friends and enemies, I find it's contagious
And they're spreading through your system like a virus
Yes, the trouble in the end, it makes you anxious
I was looking, I was
I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me
To see me looking back at you
I was, I was
I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me
To see me looking back at you
[Refrain: Shara Nelson]
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
[Chorus: Shara Nelson]
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
Safe from Harm was written by Grantley “Daddy G” Marshall & Billy Cobham & Shara Nelson & Robert “3D” del Naja & Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles.
Safe from Harm was produced by Massive Attack & Jonny Dollar.
Massive Attack released Safe from Harm on Mon May 27 1991.
3D on the sample use of Billy Cobham’s Stratus and also on the use of sampling in Massive Attack’s music in general – “Working with a sample like that you can’t go wrong. Even as a loop with no vocals in it, as soon as you loop that up and listen to it your going ‘yeah’. It just has a total groove....