Mishra, a straight edger and ex-Marxist, often incorporates political concerns in his songs veiled in terms of personal relationships (as in his only hit). After a troubled working relationship with EMI Records, Mishra was dropped from the label in 1997 and since then has gone back to working with indie labels like Parasol Records. His last album, 2000's Peek & Poke, received moderately enthusiastic reviews but sold pitifully compared to his major label work.
In 2005 White Town contributed the song "The PNAC Cabal" to the charity album "Voyces United for UNHCR" (Voyces United for UNHCR (disc 1)).
In October 2006 White Town released a new album, Don't Mention The War on Mishra's own label, Bzangy Records.
Anyway
White Town Lyrics
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With the very best of my sincere intentions
So I thought anyway
But that day that we got lost
I could tell she had
Penetrated my defences
But I carried on anyway
And then the moment that we came I could tell we would
More so anyway
Now feel the burden of my shame
As I try to make some sense out of this brittle life
Oh anyway
I thought I was strong enough to be everything
You could ever want or need or need of me
Anyway
So then they questioned all my friends
And tooth by tooth they extracted their confessions
So called anyway
Then they read all the books I'd read
And tried to link the authors to my known profession
They failed anyway
But then they put her on the rack
And they broke her perfect back
Into tiny pieces
She never talked anyway
Then they squeezed me till I cracked
And one by one I gave away all her secrets
Forgive me anyway
I thought I was strong enough to be everything
You could ever want or need or need of me
Anyway
And the words that I hear are the lies that you say
I'm not listening to you any more anyway
The song "Anyway" by White Town tells a story of a person who had the best intentions but ended up being interrogated by authorities. The singer believed they were strong enough to handle any situation, but they were proven wrong. The story begins with the singer attempting to navigate a difficult situation with sincere intentions, but despite their best efforts, they get lost. During this difficult situation, they meet someone who seems to penetrate their defenses, but they carry on anyway. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is being interrogated, and the authorities are trying to extract information from them by any means necessary.
The officials question the singer's friends, hoping to find something that can incriminate them. They even read the books the singer has read, hoping to find connections to their profession, but ultimately fail. The turning point in the story happens when authorities put the person the singer met on the rack and broke her back into tiny pieces. The person never talked anyway. Under extreme pressure, the singer eventually gave away all her secrets to stop the torture of the person they met.
The song's lyrics are a powerful comment on power, control, and the lengths people will go to extract information. It shows that even the strongest people can break under extreme duress. The chorus of the song reinforces this, where the singer believed they were 'strong enough to be everything you could ever want or need of me anyways.' In the end, the singer is left with the burden of their shame and the understanding that sometimes, the best of intentions can lead to disastrous outcomes.
Line by Line Meaning
You see it all started out
The story began
With the very best of my sincere intentions
With the purest form of my intentions
So I thought anyway
At least, that's what I believed
But that day that we got lost
However, on the day we lost our way
I could tell she had
I sensed that she had infiltrated me
Penetrated my defences
Bypassed my guards
But I carried on anyway
Yet, I persisted nonetheless
And then the moment that we came I could tell we would
When we eventually arrived, I knew instinctively that things would
Never be the same again
Never be as they were before
More so anyway
Still, I continued to press on
Now feel the burden of my shame
Presently, I carry the guilt of my wrongdoing
As I try to make some sense out of this brittle life
While attempting to find meaning in this fragile existence
Oh anyway
Nevermind, regardless
I thought I was strong enough to be everything
I believed I had the strength to be all
You could ever want or need or need of me
That you would ever desire or require from me
So then they questioned all my friends
Next, they questioned all my friends
And tooth by tooth they extracted their confessions
They diligently extracted confessions from them
So called anyway
Though it was all pointless
Then they read all the books I'd read
Subsequently, they scrutinized all the books I read
And tried to link the authors to my known profession
Attempting to relate the writers to my vocation
They failed anyway
However, they were unsuccessful
But then they put her on the rack
But then they subjected her to torture
And they broke her perfect back
And broke her flawless spine
Into tiny pieces
Into minuscule fragments
She never talked anyway
Regardless, she refused to divulge any information
Then they squeezed me till I cracked
Later, they forced me to the breaking point
And one by one I gave away all her secrets
And one by one, I exposed her hidden information
Forgive me anyway
Regardless, I beg for forgiveness
And the words that I hear are the lies that you say
The words I hear from you are untruths
I'm not listening to you any more anyway
At any rate, I won't listen to you anymore
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jyoti Mishra
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind