After All
BBC Concert Orchestra & Pet Shop Boys Lyrics

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F you didn't really understand the rules
If you didn't even know the score
How come we went to war?
How come we went to war?

People are living now
Inside their memories
How much we've all believed

And how we've been deceived
Time runs out
We all start dying
After all

If you didn't really understand the cause
If you didn't even pause for thought
How come we went to war?
How come we went to war?

People are falling down
Becoming memories
Some day we'll all be grieved
Too late to be relieved
Time runs out
We all start dying
After all
After all
After all
After all

I know the time will come
Just wait and see
Change is no obstacle
We can agree
Heaven is possible after all
Heaven is possible

After all
After all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "After All" by BBC Concert Orchestra & Pet Shop Boys are a critique of war, and the consequences of not considering their causes and rules before heading into one. The song asks why we go to war when we don't understand the stakes, why we end up fighting when we don't even know what the score is. The lyrics poignantly narrate how people are now living solely in their memories because they have lost their lives due to war, and how everyone is deceived about how much they have believed. The song suggests that we should take more time to consider the cause and rule of any protagonist actions, so we don't end up with the consequence misconceived wars.

The song's chorus talks about how people fall victim to war, and they become nothing but memories that we will someday grieve. People are dying every day, and time is running out for everyone, and we all eventually start dying "After All." However, the lyrics express a glimpse of hope that one day, Heaven will be possible, and change is no obstacle. The song suggests that if we all agreed, we could change everything and have a perfect world, where the memories of the deceased could rest in peace.

Line by Line Meaning

If you didn't really understand the rules
If you didn't comprehend the regulations properly

If you didn't even know the score
If you were unaware of the situation

How come we went to war?
Why did we engage in conflict?

People are living now
Individuals are in the present

Inside their memories
Memories are taking up their consciousness

How much we've all believed
The amount of things we have trusted in

And how we've been deceived
And how we've been misled

Time runs out
Time gradually concludes

We all start dying
We all start to pass away

After all
In the end

If you didn't really understand the cause
If you didn't understand the motive