Movin' on
Inner Terrestrials Lyrics


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I was born in the middle of the afternoon
In a horse drawn wagon on the old a5
A big twelve wheeler shook my bed
You can't stop here the policeman said
Better get born some place else
Move along get along move along get along
GO MOVE SHIFT!
I was born on a common by a building site
Where the land was rutted by the trailers wheels
The local Christians said to me
You're lowering the price of the property
Better get born some place else...

The winter sky was hung with stars
One shone brighter than the rest
The wise men came so stern and strict
And brought the order to evict
Better get born some place else...

I was born in a tatty lifting time
In an old bow tent in a tatty field
The farmer said the work's all done
It's time that you were moving on
Better get born some place else...

I was born at the back of a blackthorn hedge
When the white hair frost lay all around
No eastern kings came bearing gifts
No they said you'd better shit
Better get born some place else...

Wagon tent or trailer born
Last week last year or in far off times
Here and a thousand miles away




There will always be men who say
Better get born some place else...

Overall Meaning

The Inner Terrestrials song "Movin' On" speaks to experiences of exclusion and displacement that are rooted in economic and class-based disparities. The lyrics take on birth as a metaphor for the struggles that people face when they are born into poverty, marginalized communities, and transient living situations. The opening lines describe the singer's birth, stating that they were born in a horse-drawn wagon on the old A5. The wagon appears to have been shaken by a twelve-wheeler and the police tell the newborn to move along, asserting that they don't belong there. The refrain emphasizes this message,"Move along get along move along get along GO MOVE SHIFT!", telling the listener that they need to move on, that they can't stay where they are.


The lyrics go on to describe other situations of birth that are also fraught with challenges. The singer notes that they were born on a common by a building site where the local Christians told them they were lowering the price of the property, again emphasizing the class-based exclusionary experience of many. The reference to the wise men and the eviction alludes to the story of the Nativity, where the wise men come to visit Jesus in his stable, but in this song, they come to evict the person born there. The song speaks to the experiences of people who are born into tatty lifting times in tatty fields with no place to go, and to those who are born in transient living situations like wagons, tents, and trailers, experiences that are echoed in the final lines when the singer notes that "Here and a thousand miles away, there will always be men who say, better get born someplace else."


Overall, "Movin' On" is a powerful song that speaks to the experiences of people who are marginalized and excluded because of their economic class or living situations. It highlights the challenges of finding a home and community when one is born into displacement and exclusion. The song's use of birth and mobility as guiding themes speaks to larger social questions about inequality and poverty, and it encourages the listener to consider the experiences of those who are excluded and to work towards creating more inclusive and equitable societies.


Line by Line Meaning

I was born in the middle of the afternoon
I was born during the afternoon


In a horse drawn wagon on the old a5
I was born in a horse-drawn wagon on the old A5 road


A big twelve wheeler shook my bed
A large twelve-wheeled truck shook my bed


You can't stop here the policeman said
The police told us we couldn't stay here


Better get born some place else
You should have been born somewhere else


Move along get along move along get along
Move along, don't stay here


I was born on a common by a building site
I was born in a field near a construction site


Where the land was rutted by the trailers wheels
The land was damaged by the wheels of trailers


The local Christians said to me
The local Christians told me


You're lowering the price of the property
You're making the land less valuable


The winter sky was hung with stars
The sky was filled with stars during winter


One shone brighter than the rest
One star was brighter than the others


The wise men came so stern and strict
The wise men came and were serious


And brought the order to evict
They ordered us to leave


I was born in a tatty lifting time
I was born during a time of poor living conditions


In an old bow tent in a tatty field
I was born in an old tent in a run-down field


The farmer said the work's all done
The farmer said that there was no more work to be done


It's time that you were moving on
It's time for you to leave


I was born at the back of a blackthorn hedge
I was born behind a blackthorn hedge


When the white hair frost lay all around
During a time when there was frost on the ground


No eastern kings came bearing gifts
No kings from the East came with gifts


No they said you'd better shit
They said we weren't welcome here


Wagon tent or trailer born
Whether you were born in a wagon, tent or trailer


Last week last year or in far off times
Whether it was recently or a long time ago


Here and a thousand miles away
Regardless of where you are


There will always be men who say
There will always be people who tell you to leave


Better get born some place else...
You should have been born somewhere else




Contributed by Max W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Icyyy 88

Sick cover, amazing take

Daniel Hielscher

Banger! 😀

Danny Mack

Still a great song.

Cutty Rut

Same as listening to the record as it sounds when they play live. Top ban apart from the odd jazz break when string needs threading they non stop rock ya socks of and always get y few quid worth

Melian Dialogue

Ewan MacColl wrote it, but this a fuckin good version eh!

Rutger De Klerck

@rahmetliable I know Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacCol were earlier with their version of moving on (1983)

THECHURCHOFPUNK1

THIS IS A COVER

Terry Carmichael

Music ?

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