Who's In Control?
British Sea Power Lyrics


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Oh, were you not told? Do you not know?
Everything around you is being sold
Do you not care? Will you not bear?
Everybody else is going spare

What's yours and mine
Does this escape you all the time?
Sometimes I wish
Protesting was sexy on a Saturday night

Would you ever, would you ever
Go down, down, down, down
To fight, fight, fold your snap
Fold your snap and fight

Over here, over there
Over here, every fucking where

I just don't know
Who's in control
Please, no, don't say
It could go either way

It's militant, not military
Welcome everybody, we're not all that scary
I'm a big fan of the local library
I just read a book but that's another story

Yours and mine
They get mixed up all of the time
I wish sometimes
Protesting was sexy on a Saturday night

So would you ever, would you ever
Go down, down, down, down
Fight, fight, fold your snap
Fold your snap and fight

Over here, over there
Over here, every fucking where

I'll never be, I'll never see
I'll never be what you want me to be

I just don't know
Who's in control
Please, no, don't say
It could go either way

Over here, over there
Over here, every fucking where
Over here, over there
Over here, every fucking where

I just don't know
Who's in control




Please, no, don't say
It could go either way

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of British Sea Power's "Who's In Control?" express a sense of frustration and disillusionment with the state of society and the world. The opening lines of the song imply that there is essentially a massive, ongoing sale happening all around us, without our knowledge or consent. The tone of the lyrics is accusatory, as if the singer expected more from people and is dismayed that many seem to be indifferent or apathetic. The question of who is really in control of the situation is never fully answered, leaving a sense of ambiguity and fear over the future.


The lines "sometimes I wish protesting was sexy on a Saturday night" imply a desire for activism and social change to be more appealing and mainstream. The singer seems to feel like they are alone in their concerns about the state of the world and the fact that things seem to be getting worse rather than better. The final lines, "please, no, don't say it could go either way" suggest a sense of desperation and fear about what may happen in the future, and a desire for some kind of reassurance that things will improve.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, were you not told? Do you not know?
Are you not aware of what is happening in the world around you?


Everything around you is being sold
The world around you is being commodified and capitalized upon


Do you not care? Will you not bear?
Are you indifferent to the problems that are affecting society?


Everybody else is going spare
Many people are struggling with the current state of affairs


What's yours and mine
The concepts of ownership and property rights


Does this escape you all the time?
Do you fail to recognize this on a regular basis?


Sometimes I wish
The desire for change is present


Protesting was sexy on a Saturday night
Protesting would become widely accepted and/or encouraged


Would you ever, would you ever
Will you take the initiative to


Go down, down, down, down
Descend into the depths of societal issues


To fight, fight, fold your snap
To stand up for what is right and just


Over here, over there, every fucking where
Societal problems are ubiquitous and all-encompassing


I just don't know
Uncertainty regarding the systems in power


Who's in control
The question of who holds the reins of power


Please, no, don't say
The desire to avoid a realization of how powerless we might feel


It could go either way
The realization that sociopolitical systems are subject to constant fluctuation


It's militant, not military
The desire to effect change in a nonviolent manner


Welcome everybody, we're not all that scary
Attempting to make others realize that their intentions are benevolent


I'm a big fan of the local library
A love for education and knowledge


I just read a book but that's another story
An aside not directly related to the overall themes of the song


They get mixed up all of the time
Ownership and property rights often become blurred


I'll never be, I'll never see
The realization that one may not personally witness a true paradigm shift


I'll never be what you want me to be
The rejection of the status quo




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ABIGAIL FRY, JAN WILKINSON, MARTIN NOBLE, MATTHEW WOOD, NEIL WILKINSON, PHILLIP SUMNER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

space75gr

VIDEO OF THE YEAR (2011) and definitely one of the greatest rock tracks of the year. the epitome of being young. sad that so many people forgot about being or feeling young. sad that so many people are still in control...

Christopher

Reminds me or Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" inspired By Matt and Kim's "Lessens Learned" videos. Definitely a statement getting back to the real truth of things. Great video!

arcliteproductions

Epic! Nice to see a bit more of a cutting edge vid for once...

S P

great number from an underrated band

MrCLAUDIO19965

Grande energia, come ai vecchi tempi !

PianoInBush

crazy stuff. would never imagine a video so explicit on youtube

Ivan Campo

Great song! Love the video :)

Brendan Paule

i would love to party with british sea power!

Siyuan Yang

Thank you, Disco Elysium

Jake Risher

I love this song. I hope youtube doesnt remove the video:(

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