Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed
With broken hearts
Sell I'll sell your memories
For 15 pounds per year
But just the good days

Say, It'll make you insane
And it's bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose and
You watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest god never paid

Hope, I hope you've seen the light
'Cause no one really cares
They're just pretending
Sell, I'll sell your memories, for 15 pounds per year
But you can keep the bad days

Say, it'll make you insane
And I'm bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose
And watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm the priest god never paid



Lyrics submitted by Aerion

Track duration: 03:29

"The Small Print" as written by Matthew James Bellamy

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Small Print song meanings
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31 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:As the song was originally titled Action Faust, it definitely relates to the Faust story, as you can see in the lyrics. The lines "Say it'll make you insane / and I'm bending the truth" address Faust's attitude of blaming everyone but himself for his situation, something which in the story he never gets over. In this, the Devil/Mephistopheles tells him "you're to blame / for all the life that you'll lose", because he was the one who agreed to it. Though perhaps the hidden clauses were in "the small print", that small print was always there; Faust could have considered the dangers more seriously had he not been clouded by his own greed.

    However, the song is no longer called Action Faust. This makes me think that it's been deliberately changed to take the meaning away from the story of Faust and more into the realms of metaphor. I'd say it fits in with ideas about corporate bodies, especially the music industry; when people buy into these organisations and sign a contract, they're giving into the corporate power and selling out, so to speak. In this sense, one might say it's about how the world we live in forces us to make these deals with earthly, corporate devils, and we will all then claim ignorance of the small print when the truth of the deal hits us.
    Flag purplerioton March 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Seems like people don't think what I think it is.

    I think it's about two people getting in to a relationship, and since their in a relationship, they have their commitments. Since there's these commitments, "Muse" is abusing it. Their controlling the other. They can do it, they said so. The other had no clue of it though. Their in the relationship, they made the agreement, they can't just cut off. "Muse" is enjoying controlling the other, becoming arrogant and gaining full control over the other.
    Flag VocalVIRUSon January 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I see a connection to both the drug idea and the Faust. I tend to lean towards the Faust side, but music subjective. For some people drugs are their hell. It all depends on how you see it.
    Flag gallifrey93on December 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The reference to God makes me think that the 'corporation' everyone seems to be referring to may actually be the Church
    Flag BibleNameon July 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Erod is right.

    It says it all in the chorus.

    "Say, it'll make you insane."
    Meaning Faust WILL go insane when he has had his one moment of happiness and the devil will take his soul, and when he has to suffer in hell. :)

    "And I'm bending the truth"
    I think this means Faust is thinking he will reign in hell with the devil... however he is very wrong.

    "You're to blame, for the life that you're losing."
    Faust made the deal, therefore he is responsible for his eternal suffering.

    "You watch this space."
    Meaning Faust is thinking his eternal happiness moment will never come and he's watching when he gets too happy (Best i can think of.)

    "And I'm going all the way"
    Meaning that the devil will keep Faust in mind no matter how long it takes... as he will never forget the deal."

    "and be my slave to the grave."
    Pretty obvious, he will have to serve in hell, as the devils slave.

    "I'm the priest god never paid"

    Now this is tricky since its from the devils perspective. but if I'm correct on my facts this SHOULD be right. Satan=devil. Devil=Lucifer. Lucifer was a tyrannous king of Babylon. He was mortal but however thought he was exempt from normal circumstances when you die. So when he did he rose to the heavens and then him believing he was exempt and better than god. God cast him down. So all in all he was envious of God. and followers of God can be called priests. So he is the follower of god that wasn't allowed into heavenly state. :)
    Flag Blahmachineon April 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love this song.
    Flag dawgg08on January 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always get images of Mephistopheles in "Doctor Faustus" with this, especially with lines like "Be my slave to the grave; I'm the priest God never paid" and really, the whole chorus. It may not be a "right" interpetation, but it feels so ominous to me and it seems to fit really well for me.
    Flag chardsofglasson September 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The corporation theme is well and good, but you have to take into account the premise of the entire album being about the end of the world.

    I completely agree that it has to do with those who "make deals with the devil" for what they think they need, when it's actually the devil who is getting your sou (the one thing you do need) and bankrupting you in the process.

    When you finally figure out you screwed up and put your priorities in the wrong place, you only have yourself to blame.
    Flag osubuckeye420on August 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Everyone here seems to be on the right track. This song is apparently about the corporate world and how they mislead and manipulate the truth to achieve their own means (just look at monsanto). Most people don't bother to read the small print so they get sucked into the deal and practically sell themselves. Scary shit.

    By the way, did anybody else at first think he was saying "I'm the piece God never played"? (as in a musical piece) I actually kind of thought that fit into the meaning of the song, like with the devil theory, that he's bitter because he was never allowed to live to his full potential... Well, that's not quite the lyrics, so I guess it doesn't matter, but I thought that was kind of cool.

    I really like this song =]
    Flag heatgermon August 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is one of my favourite songs and it reminds me of my own life.
    “say, it'll make you insane, and it's bending the truth. You're to blame, for all the life that your losing”

    Recent (scary) research shows that one thing that may make you schizophrenic(insane) is skunk, a particularly strong form of cannabis (not the stuff people smoked in the 60's). Schizophrenia is not multiple personality disorder, its a condition of the brain where reality is skewed. Look up schizophrenia.com for more information if you want :) Schizophrenia is a chronic illness, which effects roughly 1 in a 100 people, and can be very crippling, severely limiting the lifestyle of those it effects.

    Your to blame if you get schizophrenia from smoking skunk.

    Next point

    “I'm the priest god never paid.”
    Cannabis is a weed, which according to the bible was created by the devil.

    Next point

    “coz no one really cares, they're just pretending”

    Classic paranoia? ( a symptom of schizophrenia )

    There is a large debate going on in the UK (maybe in other countries I'm not sure) about the effects of skunk and schizophrenia, which muse may be commenting on.

    While Erods argument is quite good, he never mentioned Faust going insane ( he may do I'm not familiar with the play). I just think there might be more to this song than meets the eye. Thanks for reading.
    Flag Schizophonicon April 19, 2008   Link

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