In the City
Jam Lyrics
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But whenever I approach you, you make me look a fool
I wanna say, I wanna tell you
About the young ideas
But you turn them into fears
In the city there's a thousand faces all shining bright
And those golden faces are under twenty five
They wanna say, they gonna tell ya
You better listen now you've said your bit-a
And I know what you're thinking
You still think I am crap
But you'd better listen man
Because the kids know where it's at
In the city there's a thousand men in uniforms
And I've heard they now have the right to kill a man
We wanna say, we gonna tell ya
About the young idea
And if it don't work, at least we said we've tried
In the city, in the city
In the city there's a thousand things
I want to say to you
The lyrics of "In The City" by The Jam convey the desire of the singer to express his ideas and feelings to someone but not being able to do so effectively. He is intimidated by the other person and feels like he looks like a fool whenever he approaches them. He wants to talk about the "young ideas" and the inspiration he sees in the faces of the youth in the city, but he feels like the other person turns them into fears.
The song appears to be a commentary on the cultural and social climate of the city where the singer lives. He sees a lot of potential and vitality in the young people around him, but he also sees the oppressive force of authority in the uniformed men who have the power to take someone's life. The singer and the youth he sees want to make a difference and bring their ideas to the forefront, but they are not sure if their efforts will be successful.
Overall, "In The City" is a song that captures the frustration and determination of young people who want to create change and express themselves in a world that seems to be working against them.
Line by Line Meaning
In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you
The city is full of things I want to tell you
But whenever I approach you, you make me look a fool
Every time I try to talk to you, you embarrass me
I wanna say, I wanna tell you
I desire to speak to you and express my thoughts
About the young ideas
In particular, I'd like to discuss new and fresh concepts
But you turn them into fears
Unfortunately, you tend to transform these ideas into worries
In the city there's a thousand faces all shining bright
The urban landscape is full of countless attractive people
And those golden faces are under twenty five
Most of these attractive individuals are very young
They wanna say, they gonna tell ya
They have something to say and they're eager to share it with you
About the young idea
They specifically want to communicate their fresh and new concepts
You better listen now you've said your bit-a
It would be wise to pay attention to them now that you've had your say
And I know what you're thinking
I am aware of your thoughts
You still think I am crap
You still believe I am worthless
But you'd better listen man
Nonetheless, you should still pay attention
Because the kids know where it's at
The young people understand the current situation well
In the city there's a thousand men in uniforms
The city also has many uniformed individuals
And I've heard they now have the right to kill a man
Rumor has it that these people are permitted to take a person's life
We wanna say, we gonna tell ya
We, too, have things to say and want to express them to you
And if it don't work, at least we said we've tried
Even if our efforts are unsuccessful, we can take solace in the fact that we attempted to make a difference
In the city, in the city
Throughout the entire urban landscape
In the city there's a thousand things
There are numerous topics to discuss and issues to address within the urban environment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
비정한세상
In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you
But whenever I approach you, you make me look a fool
I wanna say, I wanna tell you About the young ideas
But you turn them into fears
In the city there's a thousand faces all shining bright
And those golden faces are under 25
They wanna say, they gonna tell ya About the young idea
You better listen now you've said your bit-a
And I know what you're thinking
You still think I am crap
But you'd better listen man
Because the kids know where it's at
In the city there's a thousand men in uniforms
And I've heard they now have the right to kill a man
We wanna say, we gonna tell ya
About the young idea
And if it don't work, at least we said we've tried
In the city, in the city
In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you
Matt G
Close your eyes and you'd never believe this was a three-piece. The Jam had a MONSTER sound!
Steve
The dynamics in this song are fantastic....this isn't hell for leather, Ramones punk. Weller uses the Rickenbacker sustain (1.15) really well with little fills here and there before strumming when its needed. Really well written song....
DCarnold84
Watching this makes one realize that what's missing from most of today's rock music is URGENCY!
atsushi86
Jumping and shouting wildly, however, the song has a catchy melody and harmony.
One of the best performances of the punk generation.
the breadman
Such a great performance. The energy and the passion, and they're just nailing the song.
Mark McGlashan
I am a great PW and the Jam were an excellent band, I think each member had a distinctive sound, I love the energy of the bass player Bruce Foxton, and the drummer Rick Buckler, people forget the Jam is not just PW, the other members made a huge contribution to their overhaul sound. Long live the Jam.
flagwaver1969
When I was in junior high in 1981, my brother put this album on and I listened to everyone one of their albums after that. No other band like them. Few bands evolved as quickly as The Jam with such a short life. One of the greats out of England they were.
Pat L
The Jam are awesome. Paul Weller has a great voice & writes brillient music. They were not as big in NZ as some other British bands & I don't know why - they were simply the best!!!
FFM0594
IMO, the best 3-piece ever! Still totally enjoyable to hear 37 years on.
Chasbo Daniels
I’m always impressed by a 3 piece who can make a go of it, let alone excel. A trio requires some added element(s) to fill out the sound, such as great vocals, high energy, or a clever bassist.