Lyrics for The Police and the Private as interpreted by public

The Police and the Private Lyrics
Get straight, wait here while I try to find the exit sign
When will you stop asking strangers
No one wants what we want
Keep one eye on the door, keep one eye on the bag
Never expect to be sure

You're working for the police and the private, the pilots and the pirates
Fingerprinted waiting for the train
The doctor, the writer, the hairdresser
Felt up and fingerprinted waiting for the train

Lord lord mother we are all losing love
Lord listen lover we are all missing mama
Lord lord mother we are all losing love
Lord listen lover we are all missing something I don't got

There's a place that ends here I know
When they close the gates I'll cry
I'm so tired of never sleeping
The whole world wants what we're on

Didn't make this up I learned
I learned it from a friend
My friend is coming clean, she told me
Keep one eye on the door, keep one eye on the bed
Never expect to be sure who you're working for

You're working for the police and the private, the pilots and the pirates
Fingerprinted waiting for the train
The doctor, the writer, the garbage collector
Fingerprinted waiting for the train

Lord lord mother we are all losing love
Lord listen lover we are all missing mama
Lord lord mother we are all losing love
Lord listen lover we are all missing love

Lord lord mother we are all losing love
Lord listen lover we are all missing mama
Lord lord mother we are all losing love
Lord listen lover we are all missing love

Got to get out
Got to get to you, the orphanage is closing in an hour

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J_Rockets
12-08-2005

Rated +1 
favourite metric song

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dano_smitho
12-20-2005

Rated +1 
this song is so amazing. To me emily haines is describing a not too distant future where no one trusts anyone and no one helps anyone but themselves..."when will you stop asking strangers, no one wants what we want". this to me means that theres no point asking anyone how to get out because no one will help you. I love when she sings "lord listen mother we are all losing love lord listen lover we are all missing momma". these lyrics are so freaking clever, and she sings them so beautifully. If im in the right mood this song can bring a tear to my eye and I know that sounds lame but its true so fuck off.

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_Lovedrug_
12-31-2005

Rated 0 
Woah, slow down there cowboy. I think it's acctually about selling drugs, she's in the subway, looking for somewhere or someone, and she talks about never knowing who you're working for. By this she means that there is alot of drug users, so police, some privates, some pirates (I don't know how many pirates take drugs...) like when she says...
"keep one eye on the bag"
maybe because she dosn't want her drugs discovered

"The whole world wants what we're on"
that one is kind of obvious...

"My friend is coming clean, she told me"
her friend is kicking the habit...

alright, that's what I think, sounds abour right to me, of course, everbody thinks thier's is the right one.

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_Lovedrug_
12-31-2005

Rated 0 
Woah, slow down there cowboy. I think it's acctually about selling drugs, she's in the subway, looking for somewhere or someone, and she talks about never knowing who you're working for. By this she means that there is alot of drug users, so police, some privates, some pirates (I don't know how many pirates take drugs...) like when she says...
"keep one eye on the bag"
maybe because she dosn't want her drugs discovered

"The whole world wants what we're on"
that one is kind of obvious...

"My friend is coming clean, she told me"
her friend is kicking the habit...

alright, that's what I think, sounds abour right to me, of course, everbody thinks thier's is the right one.

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_Lovedrug_
12-31-2005

Rated 0 
Woah, slow down there cowboy. I think it's acctually about selling drugs, she's in the subway, looking for somewhere or someone, and she talks about never knowing who you're working for. By this she means that there is alot of drug users, so police, some privates, some pirates (I don't know how many pirates take drugs...) like when she says...
"keep one eye on the bag"
maybe because she dosn't want her drugs discovered

"The whole world wants what we're on"
that one is kind of obvious...

"My friend is coming clean, she told me"
her friend is kicking the habit...

alright, that's what I think, sounds abour right to me, of course, everbody thinks thier's is the right one.

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_Lovedrug_
12-31-2005

Rated 0 
Woah, slow down there cowboy. I think it's acctually about selling drugs, she's in the subway, looking for somewhere or someone, and she talks about never knowing who you're working for. By this she means that there is alot of drug users, so police, some privates, some pirates (I don't know how many pirates take drugs...) like when she says...
"keep one eye on the bag"
maybe because she dosn't want her drugs discovered

"The whole world wants what we're on"
that one is kind of obvious...

"My friend is coming clean, she told me"
her friend is kicking the habit...

alright, that's what I think, sounds abour right to me, of course, everbody thinks thier's is the right one.

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dano_smitho
01-27-2006

Rated 0 
well whatecer it is....im sure its about living in paranoid times...the drug thing would make sense but i just interpreted it as that it is begining to affect everyone

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dano_smitho
01-27-2006

Rated 0 
well whatecer it is....im sure its about living in paranoid times...the drug thing would make sense but i just interpreted it as that it is begining to affect everyone

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dano_smitho
01-27-2006

Rated 0 
well whatecer it is....im sure its about living in paranoid times...the drug thing would make sense but i just interpreted it as that it is begining to affect everyone

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bambri
01-27-2006

Rated 0 
i kind of think its about trust
like no one trusts anyone enough anymore to be able to fall in love sorta thing
she says "keep one eye on the door" like, she's got to know how to get out of this relationship if something happens
and the whole part about the doctor, the writer etc. is like you never know who anyone is these days because everyone is so afraid to show their true colors to anyone in case they get hurt
well thats just my opinion... first time i heard it i thought it was about a prositute! haha but no thats what i think now..

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so-succexy
02-05-2006

Rated 0 
i think its about drugs, but idont really think the band does drugs, i think emily just likes to put her self in shoes and experience and imagine and write thesed ramatic little story like hustle rose..and the police and the private..or patriarch on a vespa

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kami kaze
02-14-2006

Rated 0 
first of all it's about how people can be labled. you may know what their profession is, what they talk about, but honestly you don't really know the person. you don't know which to trust, who to run from. nobody's helpful anymore. "we are all losing love". "everyone wants what we're on". she could be selling drugs also...because some of the most unexpected people do drugs. the police, the private, the garbage collector. could be anyone. you never know. paranoia is definately an emotion in this song. all in all this song is ace and one of my favorites.

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sensitivetofate
02-14-2006

Rated 0 
i think it's comparing every day life to espionage, how we all work to serve our own means to an end. there are some drug metaphors here but i think it's overall about the disconnection of everyone. paranoia and the frantic need to feel are so subtly present in this song. but the line that says the most, i think, is "got to get to you - the orphanage is closing in an hour" because she's obviously not referring to an actual orphan but using it as a metaphor for someone orphaned by love. "we're all missing love."

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robotronic
02-25-2006

Rated 0 
I agree with Kami Kaze and Sensitivetofate. The paranoia theme plays into both the not truely knowing who anyone is, and espionage atittudes. I also think the bit "lord lord mother we're all losin love. lord listen lover we're all missin mama" could mean wanting it all but can't having it all. Like, if you have love, you're missing the "mama" and when you have the mother you're losing love.

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vanilla4000
06-06-2006

Rated 0 
This song has got to be about mistrust, like every1 is a suspect - the hairdresser, the garbage collector, the police, ect.

i think the "get straight" & "comming clean" are not about druggs but rather telling the truth.

She is also saying how all this mistrust & suspision & dishonesty is tearing us all apart, like we're losing the love& trust.
& also that its real like you dont know who ur working for, we dont no eachother anymore.

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Lagunamtvlover
07-05-2006

Rated 0 
I think this song is about feeling alone in the world and the only person you can trust is yourself "Keep one eye on the door, keep one eye on the bed"
I also get the drug idea

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skaffer
08-02-2006

Rated 0 
This song to me bescially does talk about espionage and the whole spy world as other people had mentioned she is talking a train like in the old movies and she has to protect the bag and trust no one, I'm sure if there was a video it would always be interpreted this way...no drugs but an artifact or secret papers or items or something like that...and she doesn;t know who she's working for cause like I said no one can be trusted...there everyone

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Plum_linden
08-20-2006

Rated 0 
What this song really reminds me of is Trainspotting, but maybe that's just something subconscious due to the train references. I think it IS about drugs, but there could be more too. There are just some parts that seem very much like they are about drugs and a dealer. For instance, dealers could be working for anybody (doctors, writers, etc.), but the dealer could also be working for the police as a snitch, which would explain why she needs to get him out. Well, that's the story I get from it anyway, and I enjoy it.

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kaleidoscopeeyes8
09-05-2006

Rated 0 
I thought of drugs when I first heard it.

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kaleidoscopeeyes8
09-05-2006

Rated 0 
Yes, definitely makes me think of drugs.

I basically think of it as a chick and her friend who sells drugs. She is trying to get them both on the right path (figuratively and literally). I think she finds it to be too risky - always have to watch yourself; you do not want to sell to someone undercover and get busted. She is freaked by his asking strangers if they want some because she is not sure who she is working for and selling to.

Perhaps the mentioning of all different professions shows that people from all walks of life buy drugs?

For a while the drugs filled her voids, but soon she just wanted more and more. She has now realized that drugs cannot replace love or life.

I think the second part is about prostitution - her friend sold her self, but like selling drugs, she always had to watch herself and not approach the wrong person. It was, as well, too risky.

The part where she says "So tired of never sleeping. The whole world wants what we're on" makes me think of David Sedaris in his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day." He talks about his being addicted to Crystal Meth and how he never slept. He would be awake for days, as long as he had the drugs. And he also thought everything he said was brilliant and that everybody should want to feel like he did. (Keep in mind this is one hilarious book - he makes it all comical, and not completely depressing and preachy, like I just made it sound).

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becca159
10-08-2006

Rated 0 
this is my favorie mertic song ever!! love love love

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secret-x-stars
10-28-2006

Rated 0 
Dude. It's about prostitution.

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starsaregone21
12-12-2006

Rated 0 
Obviously, the song is about mistrust, particularly in love. But the metaphor is predominantly about prostitution, rather than drugs. The drug metaphor fits well with the first two stanzas, but it doesn't go anywhere after that.

The prostitution issue becomes clear at "Lord, lord mother, we're all losing love." Physical connection doesn't equate emotional connection. While they engage in the act of sex, it's never about love. They're losing the opportunity for it by turning sex into a business. The next line, "Lord, listen lover, we're all missing mama," could easily be getting into the psychological aspect. Missing mama implies a lack of intimacy, because our mothers are supposed to be the only ones who can provide us with unconditional love. If we look to Freud as a guide, a lack of resolution of the Oedipal complex often leads to sexual dysfunction as adults, including sexual addiction, and including looking for love in all the wrong places. "We're all missing something I don't got," they're looking for it in each other, trying to fill a void with the sex, but they can't because it needs to be something more fulfilling.

Skip down to "So tired of never sleeping," and, I mean... duh. As far as "what we're on" goes, a sexual high is just as easily desired as a chemical high, if not more. "My friend is coming clean" means she has a friend in the business, but the friend is trying to find a way out. The next line I always grouped together as "she told me 'keep one eye on the bed, keep one eye on the door. never expect to be sure who you're working for.'" The friend is giving her advice. Don't get caught. Keep one eye on your job, but keep an eye on the door in case the cops bust in (as in a prostitution raid, the person that solicited her could be an undercover cop, and she could get busted). Additionally, it's saying not to get caught in the trap of prostitution... don't mistake it for love if it's not (because some people -- though not specifically with prostitutes, as I have no experience in the subject -- get caught up in things like that... we've all had relationships where we've felt very deeply for the other person while it was really just sex to them). Always keep an eye on the exit, and be careful about getting yourself in too deep.

Finally, it ends "got to get to you the orphanage is closing in an hour." When we think of orphans, we think of children who are lacking love. They don't have a family, they don't have anyone to call their own. Really, they're all alone until someone gets to them, comes and saves them. "The orphanage is closing in an hour" indicates that time is running out to save themselves. They need to find a way out if they're ever going to remedy their lack of love.

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heysailor
12-28-2006

Rated 0 
yeah i thought it was about a prostitute too.

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aydiosmio
02-09-2007

Rated 0 
I always thought this song was based on A Scanner Darkly.

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