seattle
John Lydon/Paco Pil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What goes up must come down
Character
Is lost and found
On unfamilliar playing ground
Get out of my
World
Shoeboxed around the rifle range
Have all
Your functions rearranged
Your mind and body gagged and bound
On a new
Familliar playing ground
The ordinary will ignore
Whatever they cannot
Explain
As if - nothing ever happened
And evreything remained the same
Again
What in the world
What in the world
What in the world
Get
Out of my world
Get out of my world
Get out of my world
Get up, get
Out, get out of my world
Get up, get out, get out of my world
Get up, get
Out, get out of my world
Get up, get out, get out of my world
Get up, get
Out, get out of my world
Get up, get out, get out of my world
Get up, get
Out, get out of my world
Get up, get out, get out of my world
Open yopur
Mouth now
Secret signs and knowing looks
These sunny days will cook
The books
Happy to take the misery
This mortal life can bring to
Me
Don't like the look of this town
What goes up must come
Down
Character is lost and found on unfamilliar playing ground
What
In the world
What in the world
What in the world
What in, get out, get
Out, get out of my world
What in the world
Palaces, palaces, barricades,
Barricades, threats, threats, meet promises, meet promises
Palaces, palaces,
Barricades, barricades, threats, threats, meet promises, meet
Promises
Palaces, palaces, barricades, barricades, threats, threats, meet
Promises, meet promises
Palaces, palaces, barricades, barricades, threats,
Threats, meet promises, meet promises
Palaces, palaces, barricades,
Barricades, threats, threats, meet promises, meet promises
Palaces, palaces,
Barricades, barricades, threats, threats, meet promises, meet
Promises
Palaces, palaces, barricades, barricades, threats, threats, meet
Promises, meet promises
Palaces, palaces, barricades, barricades, threats,
Threats, meet promises, meet promises
The lyrics to the song "Seattle" by John Lydon/Paco Pil appear to be a commentary on the state of contemporary society. The singer is dissatisfied with the old town and the way things are changing, perhaps for the worse. They say that what goes up must come down, indicating a sense of instability and an awareness that things are never quite as they seem.
The idea of character being lost and found on unfamiliar playing ground suggests that people are constantly being tested and challenged by their surroundings. The singer seems to be calling for people to get out of their world, to reject the status quo and to break free from the constraints of the ordinary. However, they do not propose a clear alternative or way forward, leaving the listener with a sense of uncertainty and unease.
The repeated phrase "what in the world" highlights the singer's sense of confusion and disbelief at the state of things. They seem to be overwhelmed by the chaos and uncertainty of modern life, and are struggling to make sense of it all. The final lines of the song, with their repeated references to palaces, barricades, threats, and promises, suggest a political dimension to the song, with the singer railing against the corrupt and broken systems that surround them.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't like the look of this old town
I don't like the appearance of this town
What goes up must come down
Everything that rises must eventually fall
Character
Is lost and found
On unfamilliar playing ground
A person's true nature can be discovered in unfamiliar situations
Get out of my
World
Leave me alone
What in the world
What is going on?
Shoeboxed around the rifle range
Trapped or confined to a dangerous environment
Have all
Your functions rearranged
Your mind and body gagged and bound
On a new
Familliar playing ground
Being forced to adapt to a new environment while being restrained
The ordinary will ignore
Whatever they cannot
Explain
As if - nothing ever happened
And evreything remained the same
Again
People tend to ignore what they can't understand, pretending that nothing has changed
Get up, get
Out, get out of my world
Open yopur
Mouth now
Leave my presence and speak your mind elsewhere
Secret signs and knowing looks
These sunny days will cook
The books
Happy to take the misery
This mortal life can bring to
Me
Hidden meanings and subtle messages will eventually be revealed
Palaces, palaces, barricades,
Barricades, threats, threats, meet promises, meet promises
A cycle of power struggles and empty promises
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing, DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN LYDON, JOHN MCGEOGH, ALAN DIAS, BRUCE NEAL SMITH, LU EDMONDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind