In the wilderness uncountable voices
Earplugs for the birds and the animals
And blinders for your beast of burden, the will For learning
These books were made for burning
In the wilderness
Beneath the ancient sand lies crushed and tanned Those sapphire girls
May we never forget you

Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead

In the wilderness the only place to find freedom is in the dictionary
Under "F"
Men in holes, men in caves, men in chains I ask But the store clerk needn't check
Man I forget which came first
The bad idea or me befallen by it?
Not giving a shit may we never forget you
May we never forget you

Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead
Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead

In the wilderness
Senile live the zealous
Lost to the treasures that compel us
Muted down like patriots amiss
You know I'm jealous of how you can just turn them off
Those bad ideas that feel so soft
May they never forget you

Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead
Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead
Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead

Alert status red
But the sun comes up instead


Lyrics submitted by good_times

Alert Status Red Lyrics as written by Matthew Good

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Alert Status Red song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    Great Song I didnt like MGB but since he's been on his own I've loved this guy amazing song

    Greenskyon May 14, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    A really good song by Matthew Good. Go Canadian music.

    I heard of the radio that he attacks George W. Bush in this song, especially how he's paranoid and all code red and Iraq bullshit. he says that in the wilderness ya don't need to put up with that crap.

    River Wolfon October 15, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I totally agree with River Wolf. "Alert status red, but the sun comes up instead"... we're being told that terror is going to happen, and is happening, yet the days keep going on and we can't do anything but watch our men be shipped overseas. I absolutely love this song though. It's filled with anger and truth.

    JadedOneon October 22, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    jesus christ greensky you're a fucking idiot.

    matthew good is for people that respected MGB and understood his beginnings.

    go fuck a cow.

    theinterpreteron January 31, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I say that the power of Matt is his lyrics and that since he's now doing solo, his song are still as powerfull. That song is filled with truth how the US manage the "degree of terror". The video of this song was including Columbine footage and was later removed from MTV.

    Netman_on February 19, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the interpreter? hmm ... what hostile interpretations you have.

    Actually, I thought this song sounded more like MGB's earlier stuff. I didn't know it was that new when I heard it.

    I wonder what the "sapphire girls" are?

    CÆTon July 08, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    sapphiregirls probaly refers to alot of women who these days only care about money and pretty things, in my opinon this song compares societiy to the wilderness and how there really isn't any real freedom and how the book burning part talks about how we are losing our right to free speech, also the line that says "Lost to the treasures that compel us" means that people will do just about anything for money (like the sapphire girls thing) and i think that alert status red is about how there is always something that is happening to keep the terror level up (like the color coding sysytem in the US always seems to be elevated) and how we always seem to be living in fear

    JimmyEatWorldon July 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I like this song

    Krystle225on October 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song. I hate MTV, i swear i dont think that the video was disrespectful at all to the Columbine victims, i mean it's not like if they showed footage of them and these things happen and everyone saw it on TV.

    femmefatale1990on March 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is an amazing song by a very talented Canadian musician (one of my favourites). Personally I feel this song is about the purity of the world and how we as a corporate society have royally fucked it up. Also it demonstrates how ignorance is bliss in regards to material obsessions. He explains how inescapable the drive for material living is and how those who can ignore it are the lucky ones. In turn he touches on how we're driven by wants or what is aesthetically pleasing creating our downfalls and invisibly destroying parts of our lives. I agree that a majority of the song is about a finger on the panic button, needlessly. Probably to win over gullible frightened sheep.

    kitkatty83on June 24, 2008   Link

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