Geography I
Front 242 Lyrics


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There was a soldier
War material
Under the rain
Soulkilling
Complain
And life to sustain
Pain
No pain
There will be ructions
More rebellions
Looting, rout
He's afraid of such a waste

There was a soldier
Warm material
Under the sun
For old acquaintances' sake
Don't make such a mistake
Please
Oh please
There will be ructions
More rebellions




Looting, rout
Drugs tell upon one in time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Front 242's song Geography I are cryptic and seem to focus on the experiences of a soldier. The song paints a bleak picture of life as a soldier, with the first verse describing an experience of the soldier in the rain, which is described as "soulkilling". He is in pain, but seemingly resigned to this state of affairs, as there is "life to sustain". Despite his suffering, the soldier seems to be wary of rebellion and chaos, as he "is afraid of such a waste". The second verse is more uplifting, describing a soldier under the sun, reminiscing about old friends and hoping not to make a mistake. Despite this brighter tone, the final lines of the song suggest that drugs and other hardships will take their toll on the soldier eventually.


The song seems to be a commentary on the inescapable suffering of those who go to war, with imagery that is at times nihilistic and at others wistful. The repeated refrain of "there will be ructions/more rebellions" suggests that this cycle of conflict and pain is never-ending, with no real resolution in sight.


Line by Line Meaning

There was a soldier
A military figure was present


War material
Weaponry and resources used in combat


Under the rain
Amidst wet and gloomy conditions


Soulkilling
Causing extreme mental distress


Complain
Expressing dissatisfaction or grievances


And life to sustain
Striving to survive


Pain
Physical or emotional suffering


No pain
Absence of physical or emotional suffering


There will be ructions
Anticipating conflict and disturbance


More rebellions
Expecting further acts of defiance


Looting, rout
Damage and disarray resulting from theft and retreat


He's afraid of such a waste
Fearful of the negative consequences involved


Under the sun
Beneath clear and bright conditions


For old acquaintances' sake
As a gesture of loyalty towards former relationships


Don't make such a mistake
Please avoid committing an error


Please
An expression of politeness or supplication


Drugs tell upon one in time
The effects of drugs will eventually become apparent




Contributed by William N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@verapamil07

Such an important electro album from the 80s

@wikhalldotcom

It´s epic and styleforming.

@harveyspecter1653

Imo one of the best. I personally feel this is one of their best albums and also the best electro music from the 80's. Nobody had a similar style. Front 242 were unique.

@GDM-ph3tt

Darker than their releases 90', so great.

@anitasiemieniec1813

Rewelacja!!!!!!

@danielsommerhoff9954

Ein tolles Album von Frönt 242. Ein Klassiker.😎👍

@greatbigeye2506

Pre-EBM 242, tremendous!!

@loganwashere24

Thanks for posting! I need to listen to more of Front242

@msmith1845

Tyranny For You is a solid bunch of beats.

@paigewilson5585

Happy EBM day BABYYYYY

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