Glass Houses
Jon English Lyrics


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Born, in forty-nine
Part of a long-long line of roses and wine
And we wore clouds of thread and we buried our dead
The future was mine, or so they said

And late, in sixty-five
Underneath sun and skies, hearin' words from wise, some dowers
Teaching the past, through a rose coloured glass
Said the Fenix will rise, from the ashes at last

And build glass houses with ivory towers
On streets paved with gold, where we'll never grow old
And old glass houses and ivory towers
Are not what they seem, they're fragile as dreams

And oh, seventy-one
They were handin' out boots and guns to some mother's son
But seventy-eight, they said sorry, but we made a mistake
Time for some fun, ooh ain't life grea-eat

In tall glass houses with ivory towers
The beaches are gold and we'll never grow old
And old glass houses, ivory towers
There fragile as dreams, but never what they see-eem

You know, now-a-days, you go to town
There's glass all arou-ound
And they're still building towers
And they're buried deep in the grou-ou-ou-ou-ound
A travesty, starin' at me-ee

Old glass houses, ivory towers
They flash like a sun, from every one
We live in glass houses with ivory towers
Protecting our gold and we're all growin' old





And we're all growin' old

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Glass Houses" by Jon English tell the story of a generation, born in 1949, who grew up with high expectations of their future. They believed they would inherit a world of endless possibilities, where they would build glass houses with ivory towers on streets paved with gold, and never grow old. However, the reality of life was not what they expected, and as time passed, their hopes and dreams fell apart before their eyes.


The first verse describes the singer's birth as part of a long line of roses and wine. The second verse refers to the 1960s, a time of great change and optimism, when they were taught about the past through rose-colored glasses. It speaks of the Fenix rising from the ashes, a metaphor for their own expectations. The chorus warns that old glass houses with ivory towers are not what they seem, they're fragile as dreams.


The third verse references the Vietnam War, with the singer being handed boots and guns in 1971. In 1978, authorities apologized for the mistake and promised some fun. However, the singer realizes that they live in glass houses with ivory towers, providing an illusion of protection, but they are still growing old.


The song's lyrics suggest that people are living in a world of illusions and false promises. They are told that the future is bright, but it turns out to be anything but. Glass houses with ivory towers represent the illusions and false promises of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Born, in forty-nine
The singer was born in 1949.


Part of a long-long line of roses and wine
The singer comes from a long line of people who have enjoyed the good things in life.


And we wore clouds of thread and we buried our dead
The singer's ancestors had a simple life and they mourned their dead.


The future was mine, or so they said
The singer was told that he had a bright future ahead of him.


And late, in sixty-five
The singer was in his late teens in 1965.


Underneath sun and skies, hearin' words from wise, some dowers
The singer heard wise words from some people in 1965, probably related to fighting for social or political change.


Teaching the past, through a rose coloured glass
Those wise people taught the singer about the past in a positive way.


Said the Fenix will rise, from the ashes at last
Those wise people predicted that something good would arise from the destruction and chaos of the past.


And build glass houses with ivory towers
People wanted to build grand, impressive structures to show off their wealth and power.


On streets paved with gold, where we'll never grow old
People imagined living on streets that were so rich and luxurious that they would never age or suffer.


And old glass houses and ivory towers
Those grand structures were actually quite fragile and not as sturdy as they appeared.


Are not what they seem, they're fragile as dreams
The grand structures were illusions that could easily crumble and disappear.


And oh, seventy-one
In 1971, the singer was in his early twenties.


They were handin' out boots and guns to some mother's son
The government was sending young men to war without considering the impact on them or their families.


But seventy-eight, they said sorry, but we made a mistake
The government apologized for sending young men to fight in an unjustified war.


Time for some fun, ooh ain't life grea-eat
After the war ended, people were ready to enjoy their lives again.


In tall glass houses with ivory towers
Even after the war, people still wanted to live in grand, impressive structures that showed off their wealth.


The beaches are gold and we'll never grow old
People imagined living in such luxury that the beaches would be made of gold and they would never age or suffer.


And old glass houses, ivory towers
Those grand structures were still illusions that could easily crumble and disappear.


There fragile as dreams, but never what they see-eem
Those grand structures were illusions that were easily shattered, but people refused to acknowledge the truth.


You know, now-a-days, you go to town
In the present day, people live in cities full of grand, impressive structures.


There's glass all arou-ound
Modern buildings are made mostly of glass.


And they're still building towers
Despite the fragility of those grand structures, people continue to build them.


And they're buried deep in the grou-ou-ou-ou-ound
The foundations of those grand structures are strong and buried deep in the ground, but the structures themselves are fragile.


A travesty, starin' at me-ee
The singer sees the grand structures as a waste and a tragedy.


Old glass houses, ivory towers
The grand structures of the past still exist in some form in the present.


They flash like a sun, from every one
Modern buildings are still designed to impress and show off people's wealth and power.


We live in glass houses with ivory towers
People continue to live in grand, impressive structures that are highly visible to society.


Protecting our gold and we're all growin' old
Those grand structures are meant to protect people's wealth and status, but time still marches on and people continue to age.


And we're all growin' old
The passing of time affects everyone, regardless of how grand or impressive their surroundings are.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JONATHAN JAMES ENGLISH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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