Band members:
Moschus, drums, percussion
Oliver Philipps, vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards
Schymy, bass
Ulli Hoever, guitars
South of London
Everon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In late 2004
One stupid little man
Four years more
I saw you on TV
Heard your rhetoric of power
Spoken in the tongue of fear
Star spangled banner
Stained with blood
Coercing allies
In the name of God
You will learn I am the Hydra
Cut my head off and two new ones will
Spring right from the wound
You've been a caring father
I'm the monster you created
In the end I'll be your doom
I'm somewhere south of London
Somewhere north of Rome
Somewhere west of Baghdad
East of LA or near your home
I am waiting for you
Until the day I die
I'm playing tricks on you
So come and catch me, if you dare to try
I know your secrets
I sense your fear
The scent of your blood
Has led me here
I am feasting in your garden
I am eating at your table
And I am sleeping in your bed
I am the yield of your investment
The assets you have gathered
I'm the big catch in your net
I'm somewhere south of London
Somewhere north of Rome
Somewhere west of Baghdad
East of LA or near your home
I am waiting for you
Until the day I die
I'm playing tricks on you
So come and catch me, if you dare to try
The lyrics of Everon's "South of London" are a critique of the politics and foreign policies of the United States government under George W. Bush. The opening lines refer to the re-election of Bush in late 2004, which the song's narrator refers to as "One stupid little man / Four years more," expressing disappointment at the prospect of another term of his presidency. The singer then goes on to criticize the actions and mindset of the Bush administration, especially in international affairs, with lines such as "Coercing allies / In the name of God" and "The assets you have gathered / I'm the big catch in your net."
The chorus of the song is delivered from the perspective of a self-described monster and antagonist to the government and its leaders: "I'm somewhere south of London / Somewhere north of Rome / Somewhere west of Baghdad / East of LA or near your home / I am waiting for you / Until the day I die / I'm playing tricks on you / So come and catch me, if you dare to try." The monster seems to be aware of the government's secrets and is poised to undermine or attack its interests, with lines like "I know your secrets / I sense your fear / The scent of your blood / Has led me here."
The overarching themes of "South of London" are critiques of war and imperialism, government overreach and corruption, and the notion of rebellion or resistance against power structures. The song's lyrics draw on mythological imagery, as the monster is referred to as "the Hydra" and promises to multiply even if cut down. Ultimately, the song seems to express a sense of frustration with and opposition to a powerful entity seen as morally bankrupt and dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Yet another election
Referring to an election that took place in late 2004
In late 2004
Pointing to the year when an election took place
One stupid little man
Talking about a particular political figure
Four years more
Reflecting the duration of the term that this political figure will serve
I saw you on TV
Noting the sighting of someone on television
Heard your rhetoric of power
Observing a person's use of persuasive language and discourse to assert their dominance
Spoken in the tongue of fear
Describing the language as being driven by intimidation and anxiety
Star spangled banner
Alluding the emblem of the US national flag
Stained with blood
Connoting violence and conflict had marked the history of the US
Coercing allies
Forcing partnerships and alliances with other nations
In the name of God
Asserting that this use of force is justified by religious faith
You will learn I am the Hydra
Comparing oneself to a mythological creature that has regenerative abilities
Cut my head off and two new ones will
Asserting that if one is taken down, multiple others will fill that void
Spring right from the wound
Imagining new growth after a supposed defeat
You've been a caring father
Acknowledging a person's role in creating something or someone
I'm the monster you created
Stating that one is a consequence of someone else's actions
In the end I'll be your doom
Speculating about the future and predicting a bad outcome
I'm somewhere south of London
Describing one's location in relation to the capital of the UK
Somewhere north of Rome
Describing one's location in relation to the Italian capital
Somewhere west of Baghdad
Describing one's location in relation to the capital of Iraq
East of LA or near your home
Providing alternative possible locations
I am waiting for you
Indicating anticipation of someone else's arrival
Until the day I die
Expressing a strong, persistent desire over time
I'm playing tricks on you
Admitting to deceiving someone else
So come and catch me, if you dare to try
Issuing a challenge to someone else to pursue and capture oneself
I know your secrets
Having knowledge that someone else does not want to share
I sense your fear
Having the ability to detect when someone is scared or anxious
The scent of your blood
Metaphorically detecting a person's vulnerability
Has led me here
Explaining why one is in a certain location
I am feasting in your garden
Metaphorically enjoying the fruits of someone else's labor
I am eating at your table
Metaphorically consuming what someone else has provided
And I am sleeping in your bed
Metaphorically having control and intimacy in another person's life
I am the yield of your investment
Acknowledging that one has been created or shaped by someone else's influence
The assets you have gathered
Acknowledging the accumulation of resources and possessions by someone else
I'm the big catch in your net
Imagining oneself as a valuable prize or end result of someone else's work
Contributed by Landon T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.