A police car and a screaming siren
A pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete
A baby wailing and stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

A smash of glass and a rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped up 'phone booth
Paint splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Days of speed and slow time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Waking up at six am on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard
Watching the tele and thinking about your holidays

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquillity of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs

That's entertainment, that's entertainment



Lyrics submitted by tallan

Track duration: 03:33

"That's Entertainment" as written by Paul John Weller

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Thats Entertainment song meanings
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29 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:"Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
    Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude.."

    LOVE this song forever! All the lyrics but especially the lines above...
    Flag NomadMonadon February 07, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:My English teacher is always trying to make excuses to play her favourite music for our class, and she put on That's Entertainment as an example of poetic imagery. She's quite right though because it is- The Jam are undeniably brilliant at incredibly vivid imagery, especially in this one and in Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.
    Flag manic4manicson October 12, 2012   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning:total_blam_blam is the only one who gets it right. This song is Sarasm in it's purest form.

    It is about how depressing everyday British life is, but we mask it with a sigh of "that's entertainment". Is the pinnacle of our life really watching Eastenders and wishing away the days to our fortnight in Spain?

    Such a sad, bleak song that is so easily misinterpreted.
    Flag d3v01don January 02, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Ask me the meaning?
    Life sucks, its mudane, trivial.
    What is being described these are the things we see, the things we experience and the things we do to cope or convince ourselves that we might as well hang around for another day.
    This song always makes me smile.
    Very punk POV.

    If you enjoyed this song: see Elenor Rigby, The Beatles.
    Flag Retton September 06, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think this brings out the feeling a lot of people have when your near 18 in an enlgish town or city watching all the goings on and thats what you do most weekends. Reminds me of my youth.
    Flag julia666on May 08, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Takes me back to being out of work with nothing to do. Takes me back to my childhood too, parents struggling for money, can't afford to do much other than look out of the window in my rough part of Bradford.
    Flag SmithersJones87on October 27, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:uk.youtube.com/…


    listen to busted butcher it, its quite humourous for all the wrong reasons
    Flag robster crawson August 31, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this song gives me goose bumps and makes me fill up every time i hear it. this song was my life living on an over crowded, filthy council estate with my mum on benefits, these brilliant lyrics were how my life was and give great praise to the genius of weller.... i now own several properties and two successful businesses. thats entertainment humbles me to my roots
    Flag itsaringthingon May 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Are there two different studio recordings of this song? I ask this because in the one I have on the 'Beat Surrender' hits compilation Paul's voice sounds in a different way that in the version of the song I've downloaded (I suppose that this one is the single version).

    I'd be thankful if anyone solves up my doubt. Cheers.
    Flag HaiZuKion March 25, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment:None of Weller's examples were meant to be taken as entertainment-- he is obviously being sarcastic. He is describing the dire conditions of lower class life and what a sorry state it is when police sirens, the smell of petrol, the sounds of a burglary in progress, etc. are your chief form of entertainment. And I believe the lyric is "and the kicking of balls", not "a kick in the balls".
    Flag total_blam_blamon July 30, 2007   Link

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