Lyrics for Your English Is Good as interpreted by El_Jefe07

Your English Is Good Lyrics
Oh, give us your vote
Give us your vote
If you know what's good for you
Oh, give us your vote
Give us your vote
If you know what's good for you

These are the lines
That we straighten every year
But it's the second time
They mapped the constellations
So we search for you by night
In the Deptford gravel pit
Until the tramp finds Christ
Injustice is my middle name

'cause you don't need to change
Your future's with us
You don't need to change
Your future's with us

You look a wreck
Left your key inside the door
And my rook will check
Across this black and white chessboard
'cause your English is good
We can see it in your bones
In this neighborhood
We ain't driving you home

'cause you don't need to change
Your future's with us
You don't need to change

Oh, give us your vote
Give us your vote

'cause your English is good
We can see it in your bones

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  • 22 Comments
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sterile.stars
06-12-2007

Rated 0 
this song is so amazing!

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IamHEAVENsent
06-30-2007

Rated +1 
love this song to pieces. Can't describe how it makes me feel :]

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Mr_Gaz
07-08-2007

Rated 0 
I agree, great song.

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rosecolouredwindow
07-18-2007

Rated 0 
this song is all jumpy, bubbly and just so awesome. this is the song that made me fall in love with this band! still trying to figure out what it means though...

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wrat
10-14-2007

Rated 0 
Maybe the song should be re-titled to "Your CanLit is good"?

This song includes an obscure reference to a book by Robertson Davies, who is one of my favourite authors.

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indierockess
12-14-2007

Rated 0 
you don't need to change, your future's with us!


something i love about this band is how easy it is to just sing with them. concerts are like a giant sing along (for those who know the words)

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Llij27
01-01-2008

Rated 0 
Some one explain this song to me!!!

It's lovely but would be even more lovely if i could understand it.

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christyx_oh
01-28-2008

Rated 0 
UGHHHHH
i loveeeee tokyo police club.
this song kinda reminds me of summer.

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daretoeatapeach
03-17-2008

Rated 0 
Agreed, fantastic band.

I think this song is from the POV of a politician talking down to voters. The attitude is "we know what's best for you." "Your English is Good" is like saying, we think you are worthy of voting for us, as if other's aren't even worthy of their vote. So the politician is implying that a vote for them allows them to be included in an exclusive club. In contrast to "You don't need to change," which suggests direct action of some kind, the politician's encouraging people to vote based on wanting to be part of that exclusive group. This emphasizes voting on emotions and popularity over actual issues of importance. Based on a quick google search, the folks in the Gravel Pit are hobos. So overall, my take is that this is a song about modern politicians as spin-peddlers, selling image instead of ideas.

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Adultralisk
04-30-2008

Rated 0 
They mention the "Deptford gravel pit". There is a conflict that took place in 1497 called the Battle of Deptford Bridge. It was a part of a greater conflict known as the Cornish Rebellion of 1497. It began when King Henry VII imposed higher taxes on the extremely poor Cornish people in order to fund a war with Scottland.

Today, Cornwall is still one of the poorest counties of the UK, and it seeks greater autonomy from the UK as it has fiercely independent Celtic roots. Thus, I believe the whole "give us your vote" and "your English is good" and "your future's with us" refers to the UK's refusal in granting Cornwall it's freedom. I have no idea how correct this interpretation is, but it's the only thing I could think of.

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1 Reply
kaaake
05-05-2008

Rated 0 
:D

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haggardguy
05-30-2008

Rated 0 
to adultralisk: The Deptford Gravel pit is a reference to Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, which contrary to wrat's belief isn't really an obscure reference. Anyways, as for what the song's about I'm too lazy to think about it but it is awesome.

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guessgirl7857
07-14-2008

Rated 0 
favorite song! :)

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AlohaAndrea
07-20-2008

Rated 0 
To add onto daretoeatapeach ,
Maybe it's a political take on a relationship?

Like if you think about it the person it trying to convince them otherwise.
Ahhhhh I don't know.
I'm just throwing stuff out there. ;D

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Oranje
07-25-2008

Rated 0 
Saw this song played live, everyone sang it all together barely could hear Dave it was amazing.
Best part was the beggining "O give us your vote, give us your vote, If you know whats good for you"

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NateChai
08-20-2008

Rated 0 
This song confused me as the verses seem agressive but then the chorus is passive (thats how i read it). Or could it be about abduction of vulnerable people

and how "your future is with us" trying to convince people to join then

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starlasatur9
02-14-2009

Rated 0 
i just love tokyo police club
thats all.

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WhipsFeldman
06-06-2009

Rated 0 
So so cool

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SandSpider
06-11-2009

Rated 0 
I saw these guys at the rabbit in san antonio and this song definitly took the show...not for me though...I like cut cut paste.

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Udaho
08-28-2009

Rated 0 
Pretty much no one has interpreted this song yet.
I agree it's a little tricky. I'm not so informed
on the historical/literature part, but they sound good.
I defenintaly think it's political.

OMG! #^$%!!! I wish that guy would stop looking @ me!
He's really starting 2 creep me out!
Anyway, I had 2 get that out...

These are the lines line between good/bad or rich/poor
That we straighten every year
But it's the second time Maybe it's the 2nd time this certain
They mapped the constellations (frusterating/confusing?)event has taken place
So we search for you by night <-This kinda sounds like a murder/missing person..?
In the Deptford gravel pit
Until the tramp finds Christ There's a low chance they'll find the body/person
Injustice is my middle name He will continue to feel that the perp. has not been
brought 2 "justice"???

Forget it that's way 2 choppy 2 make sense
out of! idk. I tried,it's a fantastic song
tho & it gets stuck in my head about every
3 days or so! :P






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1 Reply
truthinwords
09-01-2009

Rated 0 
The song seems to be, at least somewhat, a critique on politicians and the way they treat voters, specifically minorities and lower income voters. The first verse mentions searching for the tramp (beggar, vagrant) in the gravel pit, ending with "Until the tramp finds Christ / Injustice is my middle name." This seems like a commentary on self righteous, religious politicians, those that claim to follow Christ but do nothing to aid the downtrodden (or those who do not share their beliefs) through their policies once in office.

The second verse makes a similar point with the line "your English is good" followed by "In this neighborhood / We ain't driving you home." In this case, politicians are looking to court the minority vote (those who may not be native English speakers), but they would never set foot into any of the poorer neighborhoods where those voters live. The overall point being that some politicians will say anything to win support from the desired demographic, but that they don't truly care about the well being of those they are elected to serve.

The lines "And my rook will check / Across this black and white chess board" further emphasize the idea of political strategizing in a game of race. Notice that he specifically mentions that the chess board is black and white.

My 2 cents.

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truthinwords
09-01-2009

Rated 0 
Sorry. One more thought that I forgot to mention. The major repeated lines in the song "You don't need to change / Your future's with us" refer to politicians pandering to their audience to get the vote. In other words, promising to take care of potential voters by giving them whatever they want without having to change or sacrifice anything, which is obviously a lie.

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