Lippy Kids
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lippy kids on the corner begin settling like crows
Though I never perfected that simian stroll
But the cigarette scent, it was everything then
Do they know those days are golden?
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys!
One long June I came down from the trees
And cursed on cue
You were freshly painted angel walking on walls
Stealing booze and hour-long hungry kisses
Nobody knew me at home anymore
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys!
Lippy kids on the corner again
Lippy kids on the corner begin settling like crows
And I never effected that simian stroll, no
Do they know those days are golden?
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys!
One long June I came down from the trees
And cursed on cue
You were freshly painted angel walking on walls
Stealing booze and outlawing hungry kisses
And nobody knows me at home anymore
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys!
The opening lines of Elbow's song "Lippy Kids" paints a vivid picture of the eponymous lippy kids on the corner, settling down like crows. The singer muses on his inability to perfect the simian stroll, but reminisces about the smell of cigarettes, which was everything to him then. The chorus exhorts us to "build a rocket boys!" - a call to action that's repeated throughout the song. It's a metaphor for the youthful energy and sense of possibility that we feel when we're young.
In the second verse, we get a glimpse of the singer's past, as he recalls one June when he came down from the trees and cursed on cue. He describes a freshly painted angel walking on walls, stealing booze and luxuriating in hour-long hungry kisses. However, it seems that nobody knew him at home anymore, and we get the sense that he's lost something essential to him. The chorus repeats, a reminder to build something that can take us higher, beyond where we are today.
Overall, "Lippy Kids" is a wistful, nostalgic look back at the innocence and possibility of youth. It's a song that speaks to the part of us that longs for something more, something beyond the mundanity of everyday life. It's a reminder that even though those days might be gone, we can still build something new, something that can take us up to the stars.
Line by Line Meaning
Lippy kids on the corner again
A group of talkative and audacious youngsters are hanging out on the corner.
Lippy kids on the corner begin settling like crows
The kids are starting to act like crows, settling in one place and sticking together.
Though I never perfected that simian stroll
Although I never quite had that confident, primate-like walking style.
But the cigarette scent, it was everything then
The smell of cigarettes was everything to me at that time.
Do they know those days are golden?
Do those kids understand that these days are precious and valuable?
Build a rocket boys!
Encouragement to use their potential and aim high.
One long June I came down from the trees
One June, I left my childhood and naïveté behind and joined the real world.
And cursed on cue
I was angry at everything and cursed as a reflex.
You were freshly painted angel walking on walls
You were like a beautiful angel on the street, walking on walls and breaking rules.
Stealing booze and hour-long hungry kisses
You were stealing alcohol and sharing passionate kisses for hours.
Nobody knew me at home anymore
I had changed so much that nobody recognized me in my hometown anymore.
Lippy kids on the corner again
The same group of talkative, daring kids is back on the corner.
Lippy kids on the corner begin settling like crows
They're staying put, acting like crows again.
And I never effected that simian stroll, no
I still don't have that confident, ape-like walking style.
Do they know those days are golden?
Are those kids aware that these are the best days of their lives?
Build a rocket boys!
A reminder to aim high and make the most of their youth.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Craig Lee Potter, Guy Edward John Garvey, Mark Potter, Mark Ellis Potter, Peter James Turner, Richard Barry Jupp
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bigfootcustomsuk1284
Lippy kids on the corner again
Lippy kids on the corner begin
Settling like crows
Though I never perfected the simian stroll
The cigarettes senate was everything then
Do they know those days are golden?
Build a rocket boys
Build a rocket boys!
One long June
I came down from the trees
And kerbstone cool
You were a freshly painted angel
Walking on walls
Stealing booze
And hour long hungry kisses
And nobody knew me at home anymore
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys
Build a rocket boys!
Lippy kids on the corner again
Lippy kids on the corner begin
Settling like crows
And I never effected that simian stroll
No
Do they know those days are golden?
Build a rocket boys
Build a rocket boys!
One long June
I came down from the trees
And kerbstone cool
You were a freshly painted angel
Walking on walls
Stealing booze and hour long hungry kisses
And nobody knows me at home anymore
Build a rocket boys!
Build a rocket boys
Build a rocket boys!
@elesaansell6733
I’m a middle school teacher (2018). Students ask me if they can eat lunch in my classroom. I teach in an inner city Washington DC school. This is a standard that I play during lunch. Rough and tough kids will eat in silence while listening to this song. Even though I don’t ask them to be quiet. Thank you, Elbow. This song is magic.
@simeon54
That's beautiful
@davidcopson5800
@@simeon54 It's educational! (U Mass)
@pauldelaney7538
That just about captures Elbow. Well done.xx
@TheFakeyCakeMaker
They probably understand the wisdom of his words. I wish I could bottle these words and give them to every young person I know. BUILD A ROCKET!!! Time is short and will soon be gone.
@royw65
Beautiful.. teachers are real life upper hero’s.. well done.
@guyjones9678
This was played at my best mates funeral. He was definitely a lippy kid, and a gobby grown up. Bless you Wayno, sleep tight and Ill see you in the blink of an eye.
@theonlysunband
Quite possibly one of the greatest songs ever written
@liamwalters5029
Bold statements like this make me laugh, wisdom is something that comes with age.
@add-123
@@liamwalters5029 and wise men know music is art and art is beauty and beauty is in the eye of its beholder so if he says it's best song ever then it is and wise men wouldn't argue. I personally think it's not even elbows best but that's my eyes and ears he or you cant tell me I'm wrong anymore than we can tell him.