New York City
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band/Elephant's Memory Lyrics
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Don't they know we're so afraid
Isolation
We're afraid to be alone
Everybody got to have a home
Isolation
Just a boy and a little girl
Isolation
The world is just a little town
Everybody trying to put us down
Isolation
I don't expect you, to understand
After you caused so much pain
But then again, you're not to blame
You're just a human, a victim of the insane
We're afraid of everyone
Afraid of the sun
Isolation
The sun will never disappear
But the world may not have many years
Isolation
The song "New York City" by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band talks about the theme of isolation and the fear of being alone. The opening lines, "People say we got it made, Don't they know we're so afraid, Isolation, We're afraid to be alone, Everybody got to have a home, Isolation" suggest that even though people may believe that they have everything they need to be happy, there is still a sense of fear and loneliness that they feel. The phrase "everybody got to have a home" emphasizes the idea that even with all the materialistic things, humans need to have a place that they call home.
The following lines, "Just a boy and a little girl, Trying to change the whole wide world, Isolation, The world is just a little town, Everybody trying to put us down, Isolation" talk about the youthful desire to change the world for the better. However, despite their good intentions, they face criticism from others who try to put them down. This creates a sense of isolation, making their efforts futile.
The last few lines, "I don't expect you to understand, After you caused so much pain, But then again, you're not to blame, You're just a human, a victim of the insane, We're afraid of everyone, Afraid of the sun, Isolation, The sun will never disappear, But the world may not have many years, Isolation" convey a message of forgiveness and hope. The lines "We're afraid of everyone, Afraid of the sun, Isolation" suggest that we are even afraid of the things that we can't control, like the sun. The final line, "The sun will never disappear, But the world may not have many years, Isolation" creates a sense of urgency, reminding us that we must strive to make the world a better place before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
People say we got it made
People think we have everything we need
Don't they know we're so afraid
People don't know we're scared
Isolation
We feel lonely and cut off from the world
We're afraid to be alone
We don't want to be by ourselves
Everybody got to have a home
Everyone needs a place to live
Just a boy and a little girl
We're just two people
Trying to change the whole wide world
We want to make a difference on a global scale
The world is just a little town
The world is actually very small
Everybody trying to put us down
Everyone is trying to discourage us
I don't expect you, to understand
I don't think you'll get where I'm coming from
After you caused so much pain
You hurt us a lot in the past
But then again, you're not to blame
It's not entirely your fault
You're just a human, a victim of the insane
You're just like us, a victim of the craziness in the world
We're afraid of everyone
We don't trust anyone
Afraid of the sun
We're even scared of the light
The sun will never disappear
The sun will always be there
But the world may not have many years
The world might not survive much longer
Isolation
We feel really alone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN WINSTON LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike
Thank god this is the version that has Yokos voice removed. Not kidding- the original had her crazy screaming.