Crossfire
Jethro Tull Lyrics


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Spring light in a hazy May
And a man with a gun at the door.
Someone's crawling on the roof above
All the media here for the show.
I've been waiting for our friends to come
Like spiders down ropes to free-fall
A thirty round clip for a visiting card
Admit one to the embassy ball.
Caught in the crossfire on Princes Gate Avenue
In go the windows and out go the lights.
Call me a doctor. Fetch me a policeman.
I'm down on the floor in one hell of a fight

I'm just a soul with an innocent face
A regular boy dressed in blue,
Conducting myself in a proper way
As befitting the job that I do.
They came down on me like a ton of bricks,
Swept off my feet, knocked about.
There's nothing for it but to sit and wait
For the hard men to get me out.
Caught in the crossfire on Princes Gate Avenue
In go the windows and out go the lights.
Call me a doctor. Fetch me a policeman.
I'm down on the floor in one hell of a fight.

Calm reason floats from the street below,
And the slow fuse burns through the night.
Everyone's tried to talk it through
But they can't seem to get the deal right.
Somewhere there are Brownings in a two-hand hold,
Cocked and locked, one up the spout.
There's nothing for it but to sit and wait
For the hard men to get me out.
Caught in the crossfire on Princes Gate Avenue
In go the windows and out go the lights.




Call me a doctor. Fetch me a policeman.
I'm down on the floor in one hell of a fight.

Overall Meaning

Jethro Tull's "Crossfire" is a song about a man caught in the middle of a violent conflict. The lyrics detail the chaos of the situation, as the man describes hearing gunshots, seeing media members gathering outside, and feeling helpless as he waits for someone to come and save him. The chorus emphasizes the visceral nature of the crossfire, as the windows shatter and the lights go out.


The singer's tone is one of resignation and desperation. He acknowledges his own innocence but recognizes that it may not be enough to spare him from harm. The reference to "hard men" implies that those involved in the conflict are not interested in hearing explanations or negotiating a peaceful resolution.


The song presents a bleak picture of the consequences of violence and the challenges of resolving conflicts in a peaceful manner. The chorus repeats the same lines, creating a sense of urgency and inevitability - the crossfire cannot be avoided or escaped.


Line by Line Meaning

Spring light in a hazy May
It's a beautiful day in May.


And a man with a gun at the door.
There is a man with a gun outside the door.


Someone's crawling on the roof above
There is someone on the roof.


All the media here for the show.
The media is present to cover the events.


I've been waiting for our friends to come
The artist is waiting for their friends to arrive.


Like spiders down ropes to free-fall
The singer's friends will arrive like spiders sliding down ropes.


A thirty round clip for a visiting card
A person needs a bullet to access the embassy ball.


Admit one to the embassy ball.
One person can enter the embassy ball.


Caught in the crossfire on Princes Gate Avenue
The artist is caught in the middle of a gunfight.


In go the windows and out go the lights.
The gunfight is causing damage to the surroundings.


Call me a doctor. Fetch me a policeman.
The singer needs medical attention and law enforcement help.


I'm down on the floor in one hell of a fight
The artist is on the floor fighting for their life.


I'm just a soul with an innocent face
The singer is an innocent person.


A regular boy dressed in blue,
The singer is dressed in a blue outfit like a police officer.


Conducting myself in a proper way
The singer is behaving in a correct manner.


As befitting the job that I do.
The artist behaves appropriately for their occupation.


They came down on me like a ton of bricks,
The artist is overwhelmed by the situation.


Swept off my feet, knocked about.
The singer has been knocked down and injured.


Calm reason floats from the street below,
Despite the chaos, there is still some peace.


And the slow fuse burns through the night.
There is a sense of impending doom.


Everyone's tried to talk it through
All parties have attempted to come to a peaceful resolution.


But they can't seem to get the deal right.
A peaceful resolution has not yet been found.


Somewhere there are Brownings in a two-hand hold,
The guns are being held tightly by someone.


Cocked and locked, one up the spout.
The guns are loaded and ready to fire.


There's nothing for it but to sit and wait
The singer has no choice but to wait for help.


For the hard men to get me out.
The singer is waiting for strong and capable individuals to rescue them.




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: IAN ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

2003Cpayne

A very underrated Tull song. Its a bit commercial but has those fast proggy riffs to break it all up! And Mark Craney....what a great drummer. Shame he didn’t stay longer.

Dianna Rossi

Underrated album overall. But, oh how I adore him.. uhh.. it😉

Ian Anderson

@Toyota Kawasaki Everything is underrated on YT these days.

2003Cpayne

@Toyota Kawasaki More props seem to go to Fylingdale Flyer and Black Sunday in my estimation. All great songs though.

Toyota Kawasaki

What makes you believe it's underrated?

2 More Replies...

Darryl6636

Ian is one great musician,his vocals,his flute,his guitar playing and his theatrics all combine to make up a legend we love you Ian

Sandra Smith

Got the A album, saw the concert. This man is amazing! Met him in 2012. I love Ian Anderson 💚

TheHumbuckerboy

I have always liked this Tull song and the 'A' album is very under-rated IMO.

Kevin Gamble

Such an unusual period. Dave Pegg's magnificent bass lines were such a highlight.

kaman

Ian is undoubtedly the best poet in music history

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