Bankrobber
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
Some is rich and some is poor
And that's the way the world is
But I don't believe in lyin' back
And sayin' how bad your luck is
Daddy was a bankrobber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
So we came to jazz it up
We never loved a shovel
Break your back to earn your pay
An' don't forget to grovel
Daddy was a bankrobber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
Imagine if all the boys in jail
Could get out now together
What do you think they'd want to say to us?
While we were bein' clever
Daddy was a bankrobber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
Daddy was a bankrobber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
The lyrics of Chumbawamba's song "Bankrobber" tell the story of a father who is a bank robber, but who never inflicted any harm upon anyone. The singer makes it clear that they do not agree with the concept of justifying one's own level of success or failure by complaining about one's luck, and instead advocates for jazzing it up and enjoying the moment while trying to make a living. The lyrics also highlight the disparity between the rich and the poor, with some people having everything and others struggling to scrape by.
The singer then imagines if prisoners were all set free, and wonders what they would want to say to society. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the fact that the father was a bank robber, yet never hurt anyone, and loved to steal money.
The lyrics of "Bankrobber" are powerful, as they address the concepts of poverty, crime, and inequality. The song is a commentary on the issues in society that lead people to resort to criminal activity, as well as the broken economic system that rewards some and punishes others. The lyrics also suggest that many people in jail or prison are there because of societal and systemic ills that need fixing.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy was a bankrobber
The singer's father illegally stole money from banks.
But he never hurt nobody
The singer's father did not use violence during his bank robberies.
He just loved to live that way
The singer's father enjoyed the thrill of living a life of crime.
And he loved to steal your money
The artist's father stole money from other people.
Some is rich and some is poor
There are disparities in wealth distribution in the world.
And that's the way the world is
The singer accepts the unequal distribution of wealth in society.
But I don't believe in lyin' back
The singer disagrees with being complacent in one's situation.
And sayin' how bad your luck is
The artist dislikes complaining about one's misfortunes.
So we came to jazz it up
The artist and their associates aim to add excitement to their lives.
We never loved a shovel
The artist and their associates are not interested in hard manual labor.
Break your back to earn your pay
The singer believes that hard work is necessary to make a living.
An' don't forget to grovel
The artist sarcastically implies that hard work should be accompanied by excessive deference to authority.
Imagine if all the boys in jail
The singer poses a hypothetical scenario involving incarcerated individuals.
Could get out now together
The singer imagines a mass prison break.
What do you think they'd want to say to us?
The singer asks what the freed prisoners would say to society.
While we were bein' clever
The artist suggests that society is busy with frivolous pursuits while prisoners suffer in jail.
Daddy was a bankrobber
Repetition of the first stanza.
But he never hurt nobody
Repetition of the second stanza.
He just loved to live that way
Repetition of the third stanza.
And he loved to steal your money
Repetition of the fourth stanza.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind