Lyrics for A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours as interpreted by YtseJam

A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours Lyrics
HELLO
I am the ghost of Troubled Joe
hung by his pretty white neck
some eighteen months ago
I travelled to a mystical time zone
but I missed my bed
so I soon came home
they said:
"there's too much caffeine
in your blood stream
and a lack of real spice
in your life"
I said:
"leave me alone because I'm alright, dad
just surprised to still be on my own...."
Ooh, but don't mention love
I'd hate the strain of the pain again
a rush and a push and the land that
we stand on is ours
it has been before
so it shall be again
and people who are uglier than you and I
they take what they need, and leave
Ooh, but don't mention love
I'd hate the pain of the strain all over again
a rush and a push and the land that
we stand on is ours
it has been before
so why can't it be now?
and people who are weaker than you and I
they take what they want from life
Ooh, but don't mention love
no - just don't mention love!
a rush and a push and the land that we stand on is ours
your youth may be gone
but you're still a yound man
so phone me, phone me, phone me
so phone me, phone me, phone me
Ooh, I think I'm in love
Ooh, I think I'm in love
Ooh, I think I'm in love
Urrgh, I think I'm in lerv

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Chloe le Fay
06-22-2002

Rated 0 
This is the song that hooked me on the Smiths, and quite possibly my all-time favourite. The lyrics are bit hard to decipher. I think it's about a guy in love with another guy, which does not settle too well with his father. I dunno if he's dead or if the first verse is supposed to be metaphorical or something. Hmm. Any input, anyone?

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aircataract
07-26-2002

Rated 0 
Although it could be refering to his homosexuality, I'd like to offer a different view. I think this song is about Vietnam. Many of The Smiths, and Morrissey's songs deal with Vietnam. I.E. Everyday is Like Sunday by Morrissey. Download that one. It's awesome.

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Chloe le Fay
07-29-2002

Rated 0 
I already own "Everyday Is Like Sunday" on CD. I do agree that it's awesome. However, I don't see how "Everday" is about Vietnam. It sounds like it could be about any war, really.

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cohen
08-22-2002

Rated +1 
vietnam? go to england, go to any crappy seaside town during the off-season - that's what the song's about

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1 Reply
Schmooooove
06-10-2003

Rated 0 
This was the only Smiths song that didn't feature lead or rhythm guitar.

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Jemaeux
07-06-2004

Rated 0 
"a rush and a charge and the land is ours" is an irish battle motto... Definitely not about vietnam. Maybe about irish/english unpleasantness...

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Monkey Boy
11-10-2004

Rated 0 
I travelled to a mystical time zone
but I missed my bed
so I soon came home

Pure genius!

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ILOVELIFE
01-14-2005

Rated 0 
I love.....LOVE.....this song. I dont know why.... its just really really really really good.

Whos troubled Joe?

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Artificial Idiot
01-31-2005

Rated 0 
"And people who are uglier than you and I, they take what they need and just leave."

A direct referance to Thatchers Government. They are "uglier" then the common people, but they take what they need and give nothing back.

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Boss Man
07-19-2005

Rated 0 
power to the people...well the handsome ones anyway!

Vietnam? Ha ha ha!

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Boss Man
07-19-2005

Rated 0 
Sorry, but that's the best one I've heard since I started commenting on these pages.

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marquicerise
12-28-2005

Rated 0 
"...the ghost of Troubled Joe"

Probably a reference to the film Carry On Jack

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nightandday
12-29-2005

Rated 0 
"I think it's about a guy in love with another guy,"

Sorry, but where did you see that?

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infotainment_lad
02-18-2006

Rated 0 
I think this is about someone coming out of a relationship and the 'rehabilitation' period where they try to fall back out of love. The hung by his neck thing could be the end of the relationship, the mystical time zone being the irrationality one feels after such an event, the returning home could be his return to sanity. The person could then be forced to return to live with his parents while he gets back on his feet, hence his talking with his father. The 'rush and a push and the land that we stand on is ours' could refer to his attempting to fall back in love again, and he feels that if he keeps trying, he can force it, even if he's denying that he wants to feel it. He feels jealous of those he considers to be beneath him, and who are in love themselves. Eventually, someone recognises that, although his innocence (or youth) is gone, he is, at heart, a good man (I think that bit about 'your youth may be gone...' etc is told from someone else's point of view, talking to him), and he starts to fall in love again.

Even if that's wrong, it's more plausible than Viet-bloody-nam. Come on, he's BRITISH, for fuck's sake. He's not going to sing about Vietnam. At least Everyday Is Like Sunday is a song which makes more sense if you're British, this is a far more universal song...

Vietnam? Jeez...

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JohnnyMarr
02-27-2006

Rated 0 
Morrissey, like the rest of The Smiths, was a lad of Irish decent and thats where the "A rush and a push and the land is ours" comes from, definately. He was in favour of Irish independence, not sure what his views are now.

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1imaginarygirl
04-07-2006

Rated +1 
"everyday is like sunday" has absolutely NOTHING to do with war! it is about one of those seaside towns (very much like the one i live in) that is now pretty empty.

"a rush an a push..." also has nothing to do with Vietnam, and actually comes from something once said by Oscar Wilde's mum.

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deadpilot
08-22-2006

Rated 0 
ha the first time i heard this song, i thought it was saying so...fvck me fvck me fvck me......like whoa morrissey, but i was wrong.

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1 Reply
rikdad
09-11-2006

Rated 0 
The idea that this song is about Vietnam is pure rubbish, but I will point out that the cover of "Meat is Murder" is an image from the Vietnam War. It's not impossible that the Smiths would write a song about that war. But this isn't such a song!

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Swedish
10-26-2006

Rated 0 
yeah, wilde's mother speranza was a big irish independent, the title comes from her.

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x_truffles_x
10-31-2006

Rated 0 
I think the 'phone me, phone me, phone me' part was meant to sound like 'f*ck me, f*ck me, f*ck me'. I think the song is about lonliness. To me, it seems that it's about a guy who is ashamed to admit to his father (and himself) that he is still single. He is too caught up in everday life, perhaps his career, etc. The 'caffeine in your bloodstream' could be a referance to him being stressed out over such things and the 'strain of the pain' expresses how when he is made to think about it, he does feel lonely and is hurt by this. He says he thinks he is in love because this is what he wants, to be in love. I believe the war referances to be a hint at the inner conflicts he is having, whether he should follow his heart and find love or not. I love this song.

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fleshettes
04-21-2007

Rated 0 
i was just about to post about how the 'phone me phone me phone me' bit sounds like that.

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cocopops
05-05-2007

Rated 0 
It's about anal sex.

A 'Rush' describes sniffing amyl nitrate to make entry easier, and the accompanying headrush, a 'push' is, well, i'm sure you can imagine, and 'the land is ours' describes the fact that the couple are now joined anatomically. Also notice Morrissey's glottal growling, probably an indication of the sounds you can expect to hear during the above scenario. (Have i now irreparably altered your listening experience?)

The narrator is possibly describing a visit to a male prostitute (a theme again explored in 'You Have Killed Me'), and the fact he doesn't want love, because that would inevitably involve a reciprocated physical act - one that causes too much 'strain' and 'pain'.

The ‘mystical time zone’ may refer to that fact that amyl nitrate can also induce an altered perception of time. Despite stretched time, the encounter with the prostitute is brief, and soon the narrator is home in his own bed, fearing capital repercussions.

The fear eventually subsides, however, and the narrator is longing to meet the elderly rent boy again. And this time it's love, and you know what that means folks...

'phone me phone me phone me'.

Maybe people heard correctly the first time after all.

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2 Replies
cs15hammer
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
HELLO
I am the ghost of Troubled Joe
hung by his pretty white neck
some eighteen months ago
I travelled to a mystical time zone
but I missed my bed
so I soon came home
they said:
"there's too much caffeine
in your blood stream
and a lack of real spice
in your life"
I said:
"leave me alone because I'm alright, dad
just surprised to still be on my own...."

This is one of my favourite Smith songs, from the opening bars and the intro and start up to the end of the bit I quoted above I think is one of the best starts to a song ever.

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Nin17
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
i think this song again is deeper than anything ive heard before , it seems to me to have an almost existentialist feel to it , especially as the Videotape could be a metaphor for deeds , and experience of past love or grievances , i think Thom as always tries to be optimistic at the end , but it always leaves you feeling as helpless as ever about everything happening around you , yet radiohead always give you that sense of escape

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rubberring
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
i think this song is about shyness. "people who are weaker/uglier than you and i - they take what they need, and leave" means dumb and not really beautiful guys can get any girl they want - you just need enough self esteem. that's what a smart and maybe better looking shy guy is lacking...

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