Roll a gasper
The guard said he could stay alive
But he has to shovel
And burn his friends to die, people to die
And the gate read:
"Arbeit Macht Frei"

In her rollers
And a gasper
She's leaning the steps in a mean street
Where no policeman walks the beat

Her old man
He don't like blacks or queers
Yet he's proud we beat the Nazis?
How queer

Arbeit Macht Frei

Overall Meaning

The Libertines's song Arbeit Macht Frei speaks about the horrors that took place in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The song begins with a reference to the harsh working conditions in the concentration camps where prisoners were forced to work under brutal conditions. The phrase "Arbeit Macht Frei," meaning "work sets you free," was a cruelly ironic slogan placed at the entrance of the concentration camps to deceive those arriving as well as hide the truth about the atrocities that were committed there.

The second verse of the song focuses on a girl who is smoking a cigarette and leaning against the steps of a mean street where no police officer walks. She seems unconcerned with the world around her, but the lyrics suggest she is a victim of neglect and oppression. Her father is a bigot who despises black and queer people. He's proud of his country for defeating the Nazis, but the irony is not lost on the singer, given the parallels of oppression between the people his father hates and the victims of the concentration camps.

In summary, the song is a commentary on how ordinary people are affected by the ideologies of those in power and how they can be cruelly oppressed as a result.

Line by Line Meaning

Roll a gasper
Light up a cigarette

The guard said he could stay alive
A guard offered him a chance at life

But he has to shovel
In order to live, he must work

And burn his friends to die, people to die
He is forced to incinerate the bodies of those who have died

And the gate read: 'Arbeit Macht Frei'
The gate reads 'work sets you free,' a cynical message given the concentration camp setting

In her rollers
She is wearing hair rollers

And a gasper
She is smoking a cigarette

She's leaning the steps in a mean street
She is hanging out in a dangerous area

Where no policeman walks the beat
There is no police presence in this area

Her old man
Her boyfriend/husband

He don't like blacks or queers
He is racially and sexually prejudiced