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It was an upset
In two minutes flat
We're back on the freeway
Foot to the mat
I can't understand it
We had it down pat
It's very upsetting
Could we leave it at that
We all had positions
We each had a role
We'd overrehearsed it
We had full control
They can't teach you acting
It's there in your soul
It's the same with a bank job
And each thing we stole
So I don't need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone
I was the driver
You ran the show
You had the last word
The go or no go
I knew every laneway
In Ontario
But it's not what you're sure of
It's what you don't know
It should have been filled with
The usual ones
Throwing their cash in
To mutual funds
We all had our ski masks
And sawed off shotguns
But how do you plan for
A bank full of nuns
But I guess we panicked
We all have taboos
And they were like zebras
They had us confused
We should be in condos
With oceanfront views
Instead we're most wanted
On the 6 o'clock news
So, I don't need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone
Inside the police car
You tried to explain
Your crisis of conscience
The voice in your brain
And now that the whole thing
Has gone down the drain
I think we all know who
Should shoulder the blame
'Cause you made a choice there
Almost sublime
I'm all for compassion
Just not on my dime
You look like an amateur
And that's the real crime
So I'll take a walk now
And you do the time
And I don't need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
There's no need to phone
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
In two minutes flat
We're back on the freeway
Foot to the mat
I can't understand it
We had it down pat
It's very upsetting
Could we leave it at that
We all had positions
We each had a role
We'd overrehearsed it
We had full control
They can't teach you acting
It's there in your soul
It's the same with a bank job
And each thing we stole
So I don't need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone
I was the driver
You ran the show
You had the last word
The go or no go
I knew every laneway
In Ontario
But it's not what you're sure of
It's what you don't know
It should have been filled with
The usual ones
Throwing their cash in
To mutual funds
We all had our ski masks
And sawed off shotguns
But how do you plan for
A bank full of nuns
But I guess we panicked
We all have taboos
And they were like zebras
They had us confused
We should be in condos
With oceanfront views
Instead we're most wanted
On the 6 o'clock news
So, I don't need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone
Inside the police car
You tried to explain
Your crisis of conscience
The voice in your brain
And now that the whole thing
Has gone down the drain
I think we all know who
Should shoulder the blame
'Cause you made a choice there
Almost sublime
I'm all for compassion
Just not on my dime
You look like an amateur
And that's the real crime
So I'll take a walk now
And you do the time
And I don't need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
There's no need to phone
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
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out to the police. Not that the leader turned himself in, but since he messed up the job due to his "crisis of conscience," the narrator decides to have him take the fall.
Then, after he's caught, he says "...there's no need to phone." because he's skipped town now that the leader is taken down.
Although the literal meaning of the lyrics is plain and really funny, the song is clearly to be taken metaphorically; this line makes it obvious:
"It's the same with a bank job"
The metaphor refers to teamwork -- the issues of not giving up, considering the well-being of the team more important than that of yourself, and not having "attitude". I think of this song being sung by sports teammates after a loss.
Bank Job = a plan spawned from humanity's greed.
Crisis of Conscience = a person who overcame/limited his greed.
The Rest = perspective of how society deals with these people.
Phone Part = inserted love/relation element for the lonelies out there.
Cleverly deceptive and literally brilliant as usual.
That's what I immediately thought of.
I don't think it's a metaphor for a relationship. BNL has proved to us over many, many years that they're far too creative a band to make every song about romantic relationships (however subtle). And the US foreign policy thing really is a stretch. It's a hilarious song about a bank robbery gone awry.
Regardless of hidden messages or ulterior motives that BNL had in writing this one, I think that it shows that BNL has not lost their sense of humor and deserves props for any meanings we or they could come up with...
theres still a lot to the song, so its not like it being literal makes it a worse song than if it was about relationships
The character in the song had a 'crisis of conscience' when confronted with the bank full of nuns, and decided he couldn't go through with the robbery attempt, despite the fact that everyone else that was in on the job was depending on him.
Even though it was too late to abort the robbery attempt, he chose not to go through with it, believeing it to be the right thing to do, and paid the price by going to jail for it, while his friend walked free.
Maybe the phone part is reffering to the one call that people have a right to after they are arrested.
It is obvious that at least one person got caught:
"Inside the police car
You tried to explain..."
I know my phone idea may be a little far fetched but it was worth a shot. It's an awsome song, whatever it means.