Blank Generation
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers Lyrics


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I was sayin let me out of here before I was
even born--it's such a gamble when you get a face
It's fascinatin to observe what the mirror does
but when I dine it's for the wall that I set a place
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
Triangles were fallin at the window as the doctor cursed
He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye
The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first
The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, "God's consolation prize!"
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
To hold the t.v. to my lips, the air so packed with cash
then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot
To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms' tracks
and watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time




I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers' "Blank Generation" seem to speak of the disillusionment and detachment of a generation caught in the cycle of consumerism and alienation. The singer declares that they belong to the "blank generation", a group of people who seem to have lost their sense of purpose and identity. The idea of being "blank" suggests a hollowness or emptiness, a sense of being disconnected from the world around them. The singer seems to feel that they are trapped in a cycle of conformity and meaninglessness, symbolized by the image of the mirror and the act of dining for the sake of appearance.


The second stanza speaks of the singer's birth, though the imagery is surreal and nightmarish. The doctor is compared to a cartoon, no longer taken seriously by the public, and the nurse is focused on adjusting her garters rather than caring for the newborn. The violent imagery of the doctor grabbing the singer's throat and yelling about "God's consolation prize" suggests a bleak and uncaring world into which the singer has been born. The final stanza introduces more imagery of consumerism, with the singer grasping a TV to their lips and carrying it up stairs, only to drop it in a vacant lot. The idea of losing one's train of thought and falling into someone's "arms' tracks" suggests a desire for escape and human connection, even in the midst of a seemingly meaningless world.


Line by Line Meaning

I was sayin let me out of here before I was even born--it's such a gamble when you get a face
Existence is akin to a lottery, and I was already feeling trapped even in my pre-natal state, knowing that my physical appearance would be a determining factor in how I am perceived by others.


It's fascinatin to observe what the mirror does but when I dine it's for the wall that I set a place
While it's intriguing to witness how a reflection can distort reality, I only put on a facade during meals, as if performing for a non-existent audience.


I belong to the blank generation and I can take it or leave it each time
I am a part of a group without direction or motivation, and I have no strong feelings one way or the other about my membership.


Triangles were fallin at the window as the doctor cursed, He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye
As I was born, the outside world appeared chaotic and nonsensical, while my caretakers were disillusioned and jaded, like a cartoon character no longer popular enough to maintain their relevance.


The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first, The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, God's consolation prize!
As I took my first breaths, the nurse was more interested in her physical appearance, and the doctor was angry at the perceived unfairness of childbirth, likening me to a pity gift from a higher power.


To hold the t.v. to my lips, the air so packed with cash, then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot
In my mind, material possessions and wealth are worthless, so I would take a television and dispose of it carelessly, causing destruction to what is often worshipped in society.


To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms' tracks, and watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot
I have the tendency to become easily distracted and follow the lead of others, losing my sense of self and becoming a passive observer in my own life.


I belong to the blank generation and I can take it or leave it each time
Once again, I express my indifference towards my own identity and place in society.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD HELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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