Stay Free
Giuliano Palma Lyrics


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We met when we were in school
Never took no shit from no one, we weren't fools
The teacher says we're dumb
We're only having fun
We piss on everyone
In the classroom

When we got thrown out I left without much fuss
An' weekends we'd go dancing
Down Streatham on the bus
You always made me laugh

Got me in bad fights
Play me pool all night
Smokin' menthol

I practiced daily in my room
You were down the crown planning your next move
Go on a nicking spree
Hit the wrong guy
Each of you get three
Years in Brixton

I did my very best to write
How was butlins?
Were the screws too tight?
When you lot get out
Were gonna hit the town
We'll burn it fuckin' down
To a cinder

'Cause years have passed and things have changed
And I move anyway I want to go
I'll never forget the feeling I got
When I heard that you'd got home
An' I'll never forget the smile on my face
'Cause I knew where you would be
An' if you're in the crown tonight




Have a drink on me
But go easy...step lightly...stay free

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Giuliano Palma’s “Stay Free” tell a story of friendship and rebellion. The singer and an old friend met in school where they never took crap from anyone and had fun by breaking rules. They would even piss on everyone in the classroom. When they were thrown out of school, the singer left quietly, and on weekends, they would go dancing on the bus down Streatham. The friend brought laughter into the singer’s life and got them into bad fights, played pool all night, and smoked menthols.


Then, the lyrics take a darker turn as the friend and their group go on a shoplifting spree and hit the wrong guy. In consequence, each of them is sentenced to three years in Brixton. The singer tries to reach out, writing letters and asking how their time in prison was, but they never heard back. After some time, the singer hears that the friend is out and he knows where to find them. He asks them to have a drink on his behalf, but also advises them to be careful and stay free.


Overall, the lyrics of “Stay Free” are about the importance of friendship and loyalty. The singer and their friend may have gone down different paths, but they still care for each other and want the other to stay safe. It touches on the struggles of growing up, the rebellious nature of youth, and the desire to remain true to oneself even when the world tries to bring one down.


Line by Line Meaning

We met when we were in school
We became friends when we were just students.


Never took no shit from no one, we weren't fools
We were not easily intimidated and stood up for ourselves.


The teacher says we're dumb
Our teacher thought we were unintelligent.


We're only having fun
We were just enjoying ourselves.


We piss on everyone In the classroom
We didn't care about authority and were rebellious in class.


When we got thrown out I left without much fuss
When we were expelled, I didn't make a scene.


An' weekends we'd go dancing Down Streatham on the bus
We spent our weekends dancing and traveling by bus to Streatham.


You always made me laugh Got me in bad fights Play me pool all night Smokin' menthol
You were always able to make me laugh and we would get into physical altercations. We would also play pool all night while smoking menthol cigarettes.


I practiced daily in my room You were down the crown planning your next move
I practiced my music every day in my room while you were making plans at the pub.


Go on a nicking spree Hit the wrong guy Each of you get three Years in Brixton
You went on a thievery rampage and ended up getting arrested and sentenced to three years in Brixton prison.


I did my very best to write How was butlins? Were the screws too tight?
I tried to keep in touch through letters and asked about your time in Butlins and if the prison guards were being harsh.


When you lot get out Were gonna hit the town We'll burn it fuckin' down To a cinder
When you are released, we'll go out and have a wild time, potentially causing mayhem.


'Cause years have passed and things have changed And I move anyway I want to go
Time has passed and I have become free to do as I please.


I'll never forget the feeling I got When I heard that you'd got home
I was incredibly relieved when I heard that you had made it back home safely.


An' I'll never forget the smile on my face 'Cause I knew where you would be
I smiled because I knew you would be back where you belonged.


An' if you're in the crown tonight Have a drink on me But go easy...step lightly...stay free
If you're at the pub tonight, have a drink on me but make sure to stay out of trouble and be cautious.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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