Monday morning wake up knowing that you've got to go to school
Tell your mum what to expect, she says it's right out of the blue
Do you want to work in Debenham's, because that's what they expect
Start in Lingerie, and Doris is your supervisor

And the head said that you always were a queer one from the start
For careers you say you went to be remembered for your art
Your obsessions get you known throughout the school for being strange
Making life-size models of the Velvet Underground in clay

In the queue for lunch they take the piss, you've got no appetite
And the rumour is you never go with boys and you are tight
So they jab you with a fork, you drop the tray and go berserk
While your cleaning up the mess the teacher's looking up your skirt

Hey, you've been used
Are you calm? Settle down
Write a song, I'll sing along
Soon you will know that you are sane
You're on top of the world again

Monday morning, wake up knowing that you've got to go to school
Tell your mum what to expect, she says it's right out of the blue
Do you want to work at C&A's, because that's what they expect
Move to Lingerie, and take a feel off Joe the storeman

Tell Veronica the secrets of the boy you never kissed
She's got everything to gain because she's a fat girl with a lisp
She sticks up for you when you get aggravation from the snobs
Because you can't afford a blazer, girl, you're always wearing clogs

At the interval you lock yourself away inside a room
Heed of English gets you, asks you, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Do you think you're better then the other kids? Well get outside"
You've got permission, but you've got to make the bastard think he's right



Lyrics submitted by girlboyrevolt

Track duration: 03:34


Expectations song meanings
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24 Comments

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  • 0
    Lyric Correction:in the last stanza it's the Head of English, just a typo I'm sure. also, you know YOURE MISSING TWO STANZAS... that's a pretty legitimate mistake...
    well anyway your missing stanzas are as follows

    Hey, you’ve been used
    Write a song, I'll sing along
    Are you calm? Settle down
    Soon you will know that you are sane
    You’re on top of the world again

    And you’re cool and you know
    You are a star, you will go far.
    Listen to me as a friend,
    Not just a boy who played guitar.
    You’re on top of the world again.

    i know it looks like i messed up, but it IS the write a song THEN are you calm
    girlboyrevolt should really consider fixing this
    Flag heathi51on November 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:can't help but feel extremely connected to this song! High school sucks for us regects! But then again, it probably sucks for even the most popular cats, too!
    Flag razzamatazzberryon August 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think when the english teacher asks her if she thinks shes better than the other kids it's talking about her
    aleinating herself from people. There is a line between being different and not being accepted for it, and
    not letting people in. I think the teacher is trying to get her to realise that some people wouldn't
    be so bad to get to know. That can be hard to do though, when you've been hurt all your life by people
    who didn't accept you. I get where shes coming from. I've had trouble letting people in myself.

    A great song, one of my favorites. I listen to it often on Monday mornings, and it just jumpstarts my week.
    Because of it I walk into the school with a spring in my step.
    Flag NickAndSheenisLoveChildon April 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is an awesome song describing, like blue painted says, the highs and lows, or positive and negative things about high school.
    Flag mareyowon May 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Highs and lows of being a teenager/high school.
    Flag blue.painted.tearson May 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me this song is just about being a teenage outcast. All the references to being different from the other kids ("Your obsessions get you known throughout the school for being strange" and "Because you can't afford a blazer, girl, you're always wearing clogs") and being frustrated about it.

    Another aspect of this song that strikes me is the representation of pressure put on young people about the rest of their lives ("Do you want to work in Debenham's, because that's what they expect") and the teenager in question becoming frustrated at the mundane prospects of their life, and the fact that everything they do will have consequences forever.

    Mainly, though, I'd stick with the social misfit theme. The tone of Stuart Murdoch's voice just radiates alienation!
    Flag spacexoddityon September 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's such an innocent sounding song on first listen...i didn't catch the sexual references until the second or third time around.
    Flag willywillywillyon July 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:you're right hastalavictoria, as far as i can tell it goes a little like this:

    [insert the first 90% of the song as seen above]

    hey, you've been used
    are you calm? settle down
    write a song, i'll sing along
    soon you will know that you are sane
    you're on top of the world again

    and you're cool and you know,
    you're a star and you'll go far
    listen to me as a friend,
    not just a boy who played guitar,
    you're on top of the world again.
    Flag vitaminknepon June 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Absolute perfection. Reminds us all of the alienation of our teen year. Defo one of my fav B&S songs. Simply beautiful.
    Flag bangz.babyon June 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This Song, Its Beautiful, It Comfortingly Tells The Tales Of Slightly Skewed Suburban SchoolDays. Soft And Sultry, Like Whispers.
    Flag WakeUpToYourLifeon May 11, 2008   Link

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