The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Road blocks and fire
Barb wire upon barb wire
This is not your country
Armoured cars, corrugated scars
Graffiti scrawls:
"This is not your country"
Home sweet fortress
Gunshot - we hate your kind
Get back!
This is not your country
I need some air
And I'm stopped and repeatedly questioned:
"Born and raised ?"
But this is not my country
We're old news
All's well
Say BBC scum
One child shot, but so what?
Laid my son
In a box, three feet long
And I still don't know why
A short walk home becomes a run
And I'm scared
In my own country
We're old news
All's well
Say BBC scum
Everybody's under control
Of our surveillance globes
We're old news
All's well
And thirty years could be a thousand
And this Peugeot ad
Spins round in my head
British soldier pointing a gun
And I'm only trying to post a letter
A short walk home becomes a run
And I'm scared, and I'm scared, I am scared
Old news
All's well
BBC scum
You've got more than the dead, so zip up your mouth
Zip up your mouth
Zip up your mouth
Zip up your mouth (repeated)
Barb wire upon barb wire
This is not your country
Armoured cars, corrugated scars
Graffiti scrawls:
"This is not your country"
Home sweet fortress
Gunshot - we hate your kind
Get back!
This is not your country
I need some air
And I'm stopped and repeatedly questioned:
"Born and raised ?"
But this is not my country
We're old news
All's well
Say BBC scum
One child shot, but so what?
Laid my son
In a box, three feet long
And I still don't know why
A short walk home becomes a run
And I'm scared
In my own country
We're old news
All's well
Say BBC scum
Everybody's under control
Of our surveillance globes
We're old news
All's well
And thirty years could be a thousand
And this Peugeot ad
Spins round in my head
British soldier pointing a gun
And I'm only trying to post a letter
A short walk home becomes a run
And I'm scared, and I'm scared, I am scared
Old news
All's well
BBC scum
You've got more than the dead, so zip up your mouth
Zip up your mouth
Zip up your mouth
Zip up your mouth (repeated)
Lyrics submitted by Brandnizzle2k4
This is Not Your Country Lyrics as written by Whyte Morrissey
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
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Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
The song title is taken from a line in the film "Romper Stomper"
I think this song is about the situation in Northern Ireland, which Morrissey is obviously connected to through his Irish/English heritage.
Yes- he confirmed this in the notes for the Maladjusted reissue. A haunting song, very sad and impassioned.
Laid my son in a box 3 feet long...and I still don't know why...
He once had a child and it saved his life and he never even asked his name. ("The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.")
zip UP your Mouth. Unlike most successful pop icons, Morrissey is more potent with each passing...
A friend to the end. a fiend in my heart. Hard as nails, kids.
We're old news All's well Say BBC scum Everybody's under control Of our surveillance globes
I feel this is the idea that the media will cover a story until it becomes old news. A child is shot dead somewhere, but that is not today's story and so what does it matter? It is the way that the news will show you one thing they consider important and completely ignore another.