Rough
Callow Youth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cos if they're out then you're out, pretending you're alright
Run to the tenth floor for
One more glance
Realising that you should've took your chance
This place has gotten rough since you left town
You're young and you're old and you've never been told why everything's the wrong way round
Kids on the corner it's a Tuesday afternoon
When their all skipping school but there's nothing else to do
Their all trapped and they all feel slaves
Living their life just to live off minimum wage
This place has gotten rough since you left town
You're Young and you're old and you've never been told why everything's the wrong way round
This place has gotten rough since you left town
You're Young and you're old and you've never been told why everything's the wrong way round
This place has gotten rough since you left town
Bell up your best mates to see if you're out tonight
'Cos if they're out then you're out, pretending you're alright
The lyrics to Callow Youth's song "Rough" paint a picture of post-industrial town where people are struggling to get by. The first verse conveys a sense of insecurity, as the singer checks with their friends before deciding whether or not to go out. There's a feeling that if they don't go out, they might be missing out on something, but there's also a sense of pretending to be alright when things may not necessarily be okay. In the second half of the verse, the singer chances a look out the window, perhaps hoping to see someone they know, but realizing that they should've taken a chance previously.
Moving into the chorus, the song speaks to a generational divide, where young people are struggling to make sense of the world around them. The line "You're young and you're old and you've never been told why everything's the wrong way round" is particularly poignant, as it speaks to a feeling of disorientation and confusion about how the world is structured. The second verse paints a picture of young people hanging out on the corner, skipping school, and feeling trapped by the prospect of a life lived working minimum wage jobs.
Overall, "Rough" is a powerful commentary on the difficulties of growing up in a post-industrial society, where the jobs have gone and opportunities seem scarce. It's a song about the things that aren't said, the struggles that aren't always visible, and the way that young people are left to navigate a world that doesn't seem to care about them.
Line by Line Meaning
Bell up your best mates to see if you're out tonight
Call your closest friends to know if you're hanging out tonight
'Cos if they're out then you're out, pretending you're alright
If they're going out, you'll go too, pretending that you're fine
Run to the tenth floor for One more glance
Head to the tenth floor for one last look
Realising that you should've took your chance
Now you realize that you should have taken your opportunity
This place has gotten rough since you left town
This town has become tough after you left
You're young and you're old and you've never been told why everything's the wrong way round
You're both young and old, yet you don't know why things have gone awry
Kids on the corner it's a Tuesday afternoon
Kids on the corner on a Tuesday afternoon
When their all skipping school but there's nothing else to do
They're all skipping school since there's nothing else to do
Their all trapped and they all feel slaves
They're all trapped and feel like slaves
Living their life just to live off minimum wage
Living their life just to survive on minimum wage
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Alfie Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alfje5492
This does make me hopefull that the RTD2 era might revisit some previous stories so that the Doctor can be confronted with the repercussions of his actions.
@alexdredge655
Thank you for this! It’s been an awful month or so for me and I’ve been watching series 1 again to distract myself so these reviews will be great 😊
@travismiddleton8218
Fantastic video 😆 I especially liked how you included the Ninth Doctor books. They were some of the first Doctor who books I ever read. I'm also glad you included the recent 9th Doctor Big Finish audios.
@bi-product
Every time I watch your Father’s Day review I end up crying. Bravo.
@tree1568
That’s actually really interesting to hear about Eccleston’s dad. His performance in the shadow line in response to his fictitious wife’s Alzheimer’s has always been the most beautiful performance I’ve ever seen and now I know he way pulling on some genuine emotion for it
@magicalnewsmaneditsbumpers4374
I grew up on reruns of Tennant and Smith and continued from there, but I never had access to the 9th doctor’s era, and man it’s a load of fun. Also Father’s Day broke me. Good job.
@mikeyandjanie
Holy moly! 7 Hours! Bravo man! I'm rewatching S1 at the moment funnily enough.. Gonna enjoy this 👏👏
@Talisguy
I don't know about Nine having some miles on him. The bit with the mirror ("look at the ears!") seems to imply that he regenerated very recently. It might not be the first time he's seen this face, but he certainly doesn't seem used to it yet.
@shnoozezzz9752
i always imagine that with the war guilt he always avoided mirrors cause he couldnt bare to look at himself then that was still the first time while still being the doctor for a while
@flamesphere3144
I always saw it as an anachronism, as in for the audience rather than the logic of the story, to imply his shapeshifting and nonhuman nature, but not thinking of when he might have regenerated