Spaceships Over Glasgow

"Take Me Somewhere Nice" is a brooding, moody and reflective ballad from Scottish post-rock quintet Mogwai's third album Rock Action (2001). As AllMusic's Heather Phares notes, the album offers a more emotive listening experience, "Stripping away much of the noodling and noise of their earlier work in favor of tighter structures, more immediate melodies, and vocals". Running seven minutes long, the track mostly consists of lush string arrangements and melodic guitar lines, which form a languid symphony with lead vocalist Stuart Braithwaite's whispery and cryptic vocals:

'Ghosts in the photographNever lie'd to me

I'd be all of thatI'd be all of that

A false memoryWould be everythingA denial my eliminent

What was that for?What was that for?

What would you doIf you saw spaceshipsOver glasgow?Would you fear them?

Every aircraftEvery cameraIs a wish thatWasn't granted

What was that for?What was that for?

Try to be badTry to be bad'

Lyrics: MetroLyrics

While it's not always possible to fully discern what Braithwaite is singing, the end-effect is nevertheless a beautiful yet austere soundscape, anchored by longing, unresolved questions and a surreal hypothetical question. Tranquil and hypnotic, the song creates a complex listening experience that alludes to so much more than the simple wish that its title encapsulates (although there isn't all that much rock and action in this song, or in the album as a whole).