Placebo – Slave To The Wage

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Run away from all your boredom
Run away from all your whoredom and wave
Your worries, and cares, goodbye
All it takes is one decision
A lot of guts, a little vision to wave
Your worries, and cares goodbye

It's a maze for rats to try [Repeat: x2]
It's a race, a race for rats
A race for rats to die
It's a race, a race for rats
A race for rats to die

Sick and tired of Maggie's farm
She's a bitch, with broken arms to wave
Your worries, and cares, goodbye

It's a maze for rats to try [Repeat: x2]
It's a race, a race for rats
A race for rats to die
It's a race, a race for rats
A race for rats to die [Repeat: x3]
Burn away
Run away [Repeat: x2]

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Lyrics submitted by Ice

"Slave to the Wage" as written by Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal, Steven Hewitt, Scott Kannberg, Stephen Joseph Malkmus

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Slave To The Wage song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Sorry for dubblepost, but I've listened more to this. i can't help hearing "it's a race for us to die", I know it is "it's a race for rats to die", but perhaps this is quite smartly done. I mean, perhaps it is the purpose that you could hear both things. We are the rats, so again it actually is a race for us to die ;)
    Flag Boreqon March 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I guess this song is about how people can get tangled up in their lives. Stuck with their jobs. Doing every day the same thing. Beautiful song.
    Flag Boreqon March 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The meaning of the song is about how people can be like rats and get stuck in a job and never really amount to anything but just live textbook lives, kind've like how joey said. The first verse it seems like hes personally telling someone to run away from there boring "textbook" lives, "all it takes is one decision.....to wave your worries and cares goodbye..."

    Then the chorus is just saying that life for some is a race for "rats" to die.

    The second verse just elaborates on it but lays down a possible senario.

    That how I see it anyway.
    Flag Hardwatchon December 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Brian said it was inspired by the film "Gattaca", starring Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Anyway, it is my worst Placebo song, after Hare Krishna, of course.
    Flag teenagewifeon May 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I know its not the true meaning of the song but when I first heard it, I thought it was talking about suicide. I am glad the true meaning isn't that.
    Flag ApocFrenzyon July 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I aggre with tr4ngued, simply about suicied, the way out of the boring and senseless life.
    You have to check out the live version from the "Cabaret Of Desire", the mood fits the lyrics way better.
    Flag XCrusherXon April 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The chorus is obviously a reference to the 'rat race' This song's about how you should break free of the system and live a free life. How wise an idea this is though is debatable...
    Flag fade_out_againon November 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One of Placebo's roadies died the day they wrote (or recorded, I do not know) this song, so that puts a more sad element on the lyrics.
    Flag Deebson September 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about the monotony of the daily grind (the "Rat Races") and how people should break away from it and kiss their "worries and cares goodbye".
    As mentioned, Bob Dylan wrote a song called "Maggie's Farm" which is along the same lines ("I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more"). Suggesting Placebo drew from this song for the idea for this one.
    Flag Souljacker87on June 02, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Can I just add that the maggie's farm comment could be a reference to the Bob Dylan song called that which is along the same lines.
    Flag flamingbeanon January 08, 2006   Link

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