William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a Brit… Read Full Bio ↴William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He also holds United States citizenship. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of the group Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the US. The name "Billy Idol" was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as "idle".

Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. However, he soon left the group. With his former bandmate Tony James, Idol formed Generation X. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three studio albums on Chrysalis Records, then disbanded. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. His debut studio album, Billy Idol (1982), was a commercial success. With music videos for singles "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding" Idol soon became a staple of then newly-established MTV.

Idol's second studio album, Rebel Yell (1983), was a major commercial success, featuring hit singles "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face". The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of two million copies in the US. In 1986, he released Whiplash Smile. Having accumulated three UK top 10 singles ("Rebel Yell", "White Wedding" and "Mony Mony"), Idol released a 1988 greatest hits album titled Idol Songs: 11 of the Best; the album went platinum in the United Kingdom. Idol then released Charmed Life (1990) and the concept album Cyberpunk (1993).

Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil's Playground (2005) and again with Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014).

Tomorrow People
Billy Idol Lyrics

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A time warp scene
A cy-fi story
A dirt coloured love
Hey hope for glory
I like to fight,
I kill global oppression
If I quit, no hope of redemption

Blue eyes crying in the rain
For how long
Tomorrow people
I laugh tomorrow gone
For how long
Tomorrow people
Tomorrow people

Well you know I'm free on arrival
Left behind my babe, by guilt of survival
I don't know where I'm runnin' to
I lost my love, lost my hold,
I lost my heaven too

Blue eyes crying in the rain
For how long
Tomorrow people
I laugh tomorrow gone
For how long
Tomorrow people

Blue eyes crying in the rain
For how long
Tomorrow people
I laugh tomorrow gone
For how long, soon come
Tomorrow people
Tomorrow people
Yah come on loud

Now my life is truly misspent
I said
I'm here to tell you, to tell you
That I won't repent
World War III
Death pain
It's fate lets do it again
Tomorrow man
Tomorrow people
Tomorrow man
Tomorrow people
Tomorrow man

A time warp scene
A ci-fy story (Tomorrow people)
A dirt coloured sky (Tomorrow people)
New hope for glory

I like to fight
I kill global oppression
(Tomorrow people)
When I quit, new hope for redemption
(Tomorrow people)

Blue eyes crying in the rain
Tomorrow people
I laugh tomorrow gone
Tomorrow people
Tomorrow people
Tomorrow people

Tomorrow people
Tomorrow people

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Billy Idol's song "Tomorrow People" are open to interpretation. On one hand, the song can be interpreted as a story of survival in a futuristic society plagued with war and oppression. The lyrics suggest a character who is a fighter in the midst of the conflict with the hope of redemption for seeing it through, even though it might come at a cost. The phrase "Tomorrow people" in the chorus could be referring to the hope of tomorrow, where the pain and suffering will be over.

On the other hand, the song could be interpreted as a commentary on the present-day society. The lyrics touch on themes of guilt, lost love, and a sense of purposelessness, which could be relatable to many people in today's world. The blue eyes crying in the rain could symbolize the sentiment of hopelessness and despair that is prevalent in society.

In essence, "Tomorrow People" is a song that combines a tale of survival in a dystopian future society with social commentary that is still relevant today.

Line by Line Meaning

A time warp scene
An event or sequence of events that's not in the present time

A cy-fi story
A fictional narrative about science fiction

A dirt coloured love
A love that has become tainted or corrupted

Hey hope for glory
An exclamation that expresses optimism or belief in a positive outcome

I like to fight,
I'm willing to engage in combat or disagreement

I kill global oppression
I'm committed to ending systemic injustices and oppression around the world

If I quit, no hope of redemption
If I give up fighting against oppression, I won't be able to redeem or justify myself

Blue eyes crying in the rain
Someone with blue eyes is crying in a setting of rain

For how long
Questioning the duration or extent of something

Tomorrow people
Referring to people who will live or exist in the future

I laugh tomorrow gone
I find humor in the idea of tomorrow disappearing or not existing

Well you know I'm free on arrival
I'm free when I arrive somewhere or arrive at a certain point in time

Left behind my babe, by guilt of survival
I left my loved one behind due to feelings of guilt associated with my own survival

I don't know where I'm runnin' to
I'm lost and unsure of my direction or destination

I lost my love, lost my hold, I lost my heaven too
I've experienced loss in multiple aspects of my life, including love, stability, and happiness

For how long, soon come
Questioning the duration of time until something happens or arrives

Yah come on loud
Encouraging someone to come on strong or with enthusiasm

Now my life is truly misspent
My life has been wasted or used poorly

I'm here to tell you, to tell you, that I won't repent
I'm informing someone that I won't express regret or remorse for my actions or choices

World War III, Death pain, It's fate lets do it again
Alluding to the idea that conflict and war are inevitable and will repeat themselves

Tomorrow man, Tomorrow people
Referring to people or a person who will exist or live in the future

A dirt coloured sky (Tomorrow people)
The sky of the future is colored like dirt or mud

New hope for glory
A new opportunity or reason to have hope for a positive outcome

(Tomorrow people)
Referring to people or individuals who will live or exist in the future

When I quit, new hope for redemption (Tomorrow people)
If I stop fighting against oppression, it leaves an opportunity for someone else to continue the fight and achieve redemption

Tomorrow people
People who will exist or live in the future

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY IDOL, MARK YOUNGER-SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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