After a hiatus, the band returned in 2015 with “MEAT EP” and “META EP”. “Divide & Conquer” and “Well Done” were released in 2016, when it was announced their debut album “Brutalism” was released on March the 10th, 2017 and was supported by a 24 date UK Tour during March and April.
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Mother
Idles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother worked sixteen hours six days a week
My mother worked seventeen hours seven days a week
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
I know nothing
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
I know nothing
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
Mother
Fucker
Mother
Fucker
My mother worked fifteen hours five days a week
My mother worked sixteen hours six days a week
My mother worked seventeen hours seven days a week
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
I know nothing
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
I know nothing
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
I know nothing
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
Mother
Fucker
Mother
Fucker
Sexual violence doesn't start and end with rape
It starts in our books and behind our school gates
Men are scared women will laugh in their face
Whereas women are scared it's their lives men will take
Mother
Fucker
Mother
Fucker
The lyrics to Idles's song "Mother" are a powerful commentary on the sacrifices made by working-class mothers and the ways in which the system is designed to keep them working longer and harder. The repetition of the lines "My mother worked fifteen hours five days a week / My mother worked sixteen hours six days a week / My mother worked seventeen hours seven days a week" creates a sense of exhaustion and despair that shows the toll that this kind of work takes on a person.
The song also speaks to larger issues of class and education. The line "The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich" is a critique of the conservative government in England and their efforts to cut funding for libraries and education programs. The idea that knowledge and education can be a threat to those in power is a theme that has been explored throughout history, and this song in particular highlights the importance of access to information and the ways in which it can empower individuals and communities.
The final section of the song shifts focus to the issue of sexual violence and the ways in which it is perpetuated through cultural norms and systemic inequalities. The lines "Sexual violence doesn't start and end with rape / It starts in our books and behind our school gates" point to the ways in which patriarchy is embedded in our society and the ways in which women are taught to fear men and to limit their own actions in order to avoid victimization. The repeated use of the words "Motherfucker" at the end of each verse takes on a new meaning in this context, as a way of expressing anger and frustration at the ways in which women are treated and oppressed.
Line by Line Meaning
My mother worked fifteen hours five days a week
My mother worked an exhausting amount of hours every week just to make ends meet
My mother worked sixteen hours six days a week
My mother worked even longer hours six days of the week instead of five, further exhausting herself to provide for our family
My mother worked seventeen hours seven days a week
My mother worked tirelessly, even sacrificing her own rest and personal time by working every single day of the week just to make sure we were taken care of
The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich
Reading and educating ourselves is a powerful tool that can threaten those in power who oppress others and keep them from progressing
I know nothing
I am ignorant and uninformed on the issues at hand
I'm just sitting here looking at pretty colors
I am blindly ignoring the world around me and choosing to remain ignorant and apathetic
Mother
A way of expressing frustration or anger towards someone, potentially someone reminiscent of a mother figure
Fucker
A vulgar term expressing contempt or anger towards someone
Sexual violence doesn't start and end with rape
Sexual violence can begin in more subtle ways and can permeate our lives even outside of the act of rape
It starts in our books and behind our school gates
Sexual violence is engrained in our education and the systemic structures in our society that often perpetuate it
Men are scared women will laugh in their face
Men are often more afraid of being seen as weak or inferior in front of women than they are of actually harming them
Whereas women are scared it's their lives men will take
Women face real, life-threatening danger from men, as many are capable of causing physical harm and often use their position of power to exercise control over women’s lives
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Adam Colin Devonshire, Jonathan Michael Bowers Beavis, Joseph John Talbot, Lee Jonathan Kiernan, Mark Bowen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IDLESBAND
'Mother'' from the debut album 'Brutalism', available now at: https://idles.lnk.to/brutalism x
@twerkfromhome
IDLES - purchased. Hey, what’s the significance of smashing the Hummels & China? I hope they didn’t belong to your mothers’!
@nickchops1058
Aachen Weinachtsmarkt - yup it's one of the best ;O/Seriously though, Idles have helped in a small way to renew my faith in humanity at a time when the world is going to shit. See you in Dusseldorf on Sat. Safe travels.
@Oven-Nachos
This whole fucking album bangs!
@johnnyfuct
Fuck...you guys are fucking good................oh wow
@unsound64
@Major Seven No. They are anti-asshole. Hint; you are one.
@emn201
Joe's mom died, and his daughter. He's trying to tell blokes to talk about their feelings instead of bottling it in like men do. Otherwise they will get worse mentally. The band are so influential to people that understand. Legends 👍
@reddead1037
Love this but I didn’t understand,I’m getting there
@nadiarowbotham6273
I got that from the video. I wonder if that's his mum's actual Nik naks? If so, what a great send off.
My husband bottled up his mental health a long time and by the time I'd explained that men can show hurt too he'd died from alcoholism June 1st. But he loved Idles in his last few weeks
@emn201
Nadia, that is so upsetting and I'm truly sorry for your loss. I wish you all the best in the future. Men are so bad at talking about their feelings, including me. Which needs to change.