There is this thing that's like touching except you don't touch
Back in the day it just went without saying at all
All the world's history gradually dying of shock
There is this thing that's like talking except you don't talk
You sing
You sing

Sing for the bartender sing for the janitor sing
Sing for the cameras sing for the animals sing
Sing for the children shooting the children sing
Sing for the teachers who told you that you couldn't sing
Just sing

There is this thing keeping everyone's lungs and lips locked
It is called fear and it's seeing a great renaissance
After the show you can not sing wherever you want
But for now let's just pretend we're all gonna get bombed
So sing

Sing cause it's obvious sing for the astronauts sing
Sing for the president sing for the terrorists sing
Sing for the soccer team sing for the janjaweed sing
Sing for the kid with the phone who refuses to sing
Just sing

Life is no cabaret
We don't care what you say
We're inviting you anyway
You motherfuckers you'll sing someday


Lyrics submitted by Hicks97

Sing Lyrics as written by Amanda Palmer

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Sing song meanings
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52 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    i think this song is about free speech and being heard...that we've forgotten how good it feels

    anthraxMonkeyon March 07, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I personally think this song is about more than just... singing. :\ I'll translate. :D

    "sing for the bartender, sing for the janitor , sing sing for the cameras, sing for the animals, sing sing for the children, shooting the children, sing sing for the teachers who told you couldn't sing....

    sing 'cause it's obvious, sing for the astronauts, sing sing for the president, sing for the terrorists, sing sing for the soccer team, sing for the janja weed, sing sing for the kid with the phone who refuses to sing"

    Sing for anything. Sing about something that pisses you off. Sing about something beautiful like animals. Sing 'cause it's obvious that this is your time to do it. Hell, sing about something as random as a bartender. WHICH IS A METAPHOR, for: If you have any motive whatsoever to do something, stop being shy, or lazy, or worried, and just take a chance and DO IT. If you have a reason to do something, it's probably worth doing.

    "...after the show you can not sing wherever you want. So sing."

    Is a metaphor, for: You're not going to get many chances to do this shit. The opportunity for you to do this doesn't hardly come around, and after this, you're not going to be able to do it. So just take a chance while you still can. Or you might regret it later.

    MSI672on November 05, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is not one of my favorite songs, but I can't hate anything they do. It's inspirational, and it's meaning is simple. Just sing. For whatever reason you may have, just do it. Sing for all of the people who won't. Sing for the people who tell you not to. It's cute, but it doesn't carry the dark undertones that their other songs have, so it seems a little out of place.

    lizzieluvs2playon May 12, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The blank word is "ganja weed" which is anathema to the soccer moms, must as terrorists are anathema to the president. And it's "but for now let's just pretend we're all gonna get bombed." And I'm pretty sure they're singing something like "you motherfuckers, you'll sing some day" in the final chorus.

    This song works on two levels. The first meaning is about how wonderful singing is and how cathartic is is. The other meaning is a criticism of some aspects of certain parts of present-day politics, like urban violence (or perhaps lax gun control), fearmongering, and having an asshole for a president. Why do you hate america, Amanda Palmer? Why do you want to make the bald eagles cry?

    emueyeson February 22, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    ^ agree.

    saint_anonymouson March 15, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    on the dresden dolls forum, she said it was about singing at shows... she said that people were discussing if singing along at shows was OK, and she wrote the song about that

    Zephiron April 12, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    ive seriously been looking for this song my whole life. its amazing.

    iluvacting45on December 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Actually, I thought that the missing word was "janjaweed", as in the civilian army that's perpetuating the genocide in Sudan.

    unsungsorrowon March 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it is janjaweed. check out the lyrics on the official site: dresdendolls.com/downloads_n_lyrics/lyrics/sing.htm

    Airycaon March 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I was listening to an inteview with her on Triple J and she was saying that once when she was playing some woman (she said that she was a bitch and she had some authority of her - i've forgotten) told the orchestra to stop playing, went right up to her and said that she couldn't sing.

    I think she wrote this song after that.

    beulahon March 19, 2006   Link

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