After the departure of Gish (who would later join Bark Psychosis) the three-piece Disco Inferno recorded the single 'Entertainment' with producer Charlie McIntosh. Their first album, Open Doors, Closed Windows, was released in 1991 on Che and received positive reviews, although most mentioned the heavy influence of late 1970s post punk bands, particularly Joy Division and Wire (In fact Disco Inferno's manager, Michael Collins, had previously managed Wire during their 70's incarnation). 'Entertainment', 'Open Doors, Closed Windows' and the 'Science' EP would later be collected on the album In Debt.
In 1992 the band released Summer's Last Sound, widely regarded as the first in a run of classic Disco Inferno EPs which saw the band's increasing use of samples. The band's use of sampling combined with traditional instruments - particularly Wilmott's bass - continued on the EPs A Rock To Cling To and The Last Dance and reached its peak on their second album D.I. Go Pop. After the full-on assault of D.I. Go Pop the band opted for restraint on the beautiful Second Language EP which also had a new-found optimism in Crause's lyrics.
Their final single, 'It's A Kid's World', sampled the distinctive drumbeat from Iggy Pop's Lust for Life and added in a series of old children's TV themes to good effect, but despite critical acclaim the band attracted little commercial success and split before their final album Technicolour was released in 1996.
It's a Kid's World
Disco Inferno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Evil (People?) pressing down around you
There's nowhere else to go but down and out.
Buy a gun,
Steal a car.
Have a ball,
Won't get far.
It's a kid's world anyway
Pay your moral finer day???
Who knows, this sho might be your last
Keep it loaded just in case
The world moves so much faster these days
Find souvenirs to show your kids.
It gets better as it gets light,
And you've had, the greatest night
On earth
Just to have it taken from you
Mark it in, and sewn back on you???
It's cheap, but cheapness hurts.
It's a kid's world anyway
Pay your moral finer day???
Who knows, this sho might be your last
Keep it loaded just in case
The world moves so much faster these days
Find souvenirs to show their kids.
The lyrics of "It's a Kid's World" by Disco Inferno speak about the harsh reality of life and how it can suffocate one with its mediocrity and evil. The lines "Mediocrity surrounds you / Evil (People?) pressing down around you / There's nowhere else to go but down and out" paint a picture of an individual being constantly pulled down by societal pressures and struggles. The song suggests that in such a world, one might resort to drastic measures like buying a gun and stealing a car for survival, but such behaviors will ultimately lead to being trapped in a life of crime and finding oneself in a rut.
The chorus of the song, "It's a kid's world anyway / Pay your moral finer day??? / Who knows, this sho might be your last / Keep it loaded just in case / The world moves so much faster these days" makes a powerful statement about the cut-throat and unpredictable nature of the modern world. It implies that one must be prepared to protect oneself at any given moment. The final lines of the song, "Find souvenirs to show your kids" are reflective of a melancholic outlook on life. It suggests that the harsh reality of life will leave scars, and one might only be able to offer trinkets as proof of having survived through it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Mediocrity surrounds you
You are in a world full of average and unexceptional things.
Evil (People?) pressing down around you
Bad and perhaps corrupt individuals are causing you to feel overwhelmed and trapped.
There's nowhere else to go but down and out.
You have hit rock bottom and see no other options or opportunities.
Buy a gun,
Purchase a firearm.
Steal a car.
Take someone else's vehicle without permission.
Have a ball,
Enjoy yourself in a reckless and possibly dangerous way.
Won't get far.
Your dangerous actions are unlikely to lead to lasting success.
Pretty soon you'll find you've found your place.
You will eventually settle into a dangerous and lawless lifestyle.
It's a kid's world anyway
The world is chaotic and immature.
Pay your moral finer day???
It is unclear what this line means.
Who knows, this sho might be your last
This dangerous lifestyle could lead to an early death.
Keep it loaded just in case
Carry your gun with bullets so that you are ready for danger.
The world moves so much faster these days
The world is constantly changing and it can be hard to keep up.
Find souvenirs to show your kids.
Collect mementos from your dangerous experiences to show to your children.
It gets better as it gets light,
The situation improves as daybreak arrives.
And you've had, the greatest night
You have had an exhilarating, but reckless night.
On earth
On this planet.
Just to have it taken from you
Your moment of joy is short-lived.
Mark it in, and sewn back on you???
It is unclear what this line means.
It's cheap, but cheapness hurts.
Recklessness and shortcuts may provide temporary joy, but long-term consequences will be painful.
Writer(s): Ian Crause, Robert Whatley, Paul Wilmott
Contributed by Brayden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
antifret
this is for real one of the saddest happy songs ever.
"It gets better as it gets light,
And you've had, the greatest night
On earth
Just to have it taken from you
Mark it in, and sewn back on… "
i wish i didn't know what that felt like.
Paawen Paawen
Love it!
antifret
this is for real one of the saddest happy songs ever.
"It gets better as it gets light,
And you've had, the greatest night
On earth
Just to have it taken from you
Mark it in, and sewn back on… "
i wish i didn't know what that felt like.
sam Schofield
yes he is talking about indie kids.
HuntyWerk
The Warriors of Hopes’ ringtone😊
Gary Corcoran
Fits in my world
RurouniK95
Dogtanian and the three muskehounds theme song sample 1:05
vurogj
Will O' The Wisp 0:53 Playschool 0:57 I thought it was The Flumps 2:50 but I'm not 100% certain.
Ian Preston
@vurogj The trombone at 2:50 is Playschool too
Ian Preston
@vurogj Doctor Who is in there as well
Pennsworth
Awesome, thank you people! I've become a bit obsessed with this song. Being a simpleton I only recognized the Dr. Who and Lust for Life samples. Now I eat the fruit of an early-eighties English childhood I never lived! Nom Nom Nom.