Prawn's Blues
Kashmir Lyrics


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I am sleeping in the park
I'm thirsty like a low tide shark
the only time I get to see my wife is by her new man in the MALL...
wait a minute... think I'm gonna FALL...
I have shot the president
I'm queen of Brittain for a cent
for fifty bucks I'll do a trick
your wallet might not be as thick as you recall it to have been before

good-bye my friends
you won't ever see me wheeling again
this chair is gone
and so is prawn!

easy come, said grinning prawn
but suddenly it all was gone
made a mil but paid the bill
an oilfield in the middle east
butt scuds were having fire-feast, same noon

people turn around and they look at me
don't they see that I've just lost both of my legs
and my company burned down to the lawn I did piss on the day I was born?
now I am a prawn!

fascinated eyes in disguise smiling at me
I know they're telling lies 'cuz their eyes don't like to see!
that crippled little rebel in the chair must be gone before the dawn.
but I'm a prawn!

didn't you see the show with the miracle man and his band?
lots of good songs and a lot of good digging fans
that I was sledging down the strings with their hearts in my hand?
bvadr!

breaking up the band wasn't easy for me to do
'cuz I had made plans for my company hoochiekoo
makingamoneydasupadacalidafragidalisticaexpialiyawn
became a prawn!

good-bye my friends
you ain't never gonna see me again
my life depends on wine'n'women, song'n'dance

good-bye my friends
you won't ever see me wheeling again




this chair is gone
and so is prawn!

Overall Meaning

The song “Prawn’s Blues” by Kashmir is a portrayal of a man, who is now a cripple, lamenting the loss of his earlier life. He is now sleeping in the park and is thirsty like a low tide shark. He once shot the president and has also become the queen of Britain for a cent. He is now past his prime and can do tricks for fifty bucks. He says goodbye to all his friends and expresses his addiction to wine, women, song, and dance. The man is referred to as ‘Prawn’ and his life is illustrated as that of an illusion, while the reality is cruel.


Prawn’s life had been easy, as he tells us, good things came to him with ease, but they vanished in no time. He had made a fortune, but suddenly everything had disappeared. The man now sits in a wheelchair, his life destroyed, but he is still proud. The singer tells us how he is fascinated by the eyes of people who look at him with lies. They don’t understand what a rebel he has been in the past. They are only focused on his disability, that's why he calls himself “Prawn”. However, at the end of the song, he still belts out a sarcastic farewell to all his friends.


Line by Line Meaning

I am sleeping in the park
I am homeless and have nowhere else to sleep but in public places like a park.


I'm thirsty like a low tide shark
I am really thirsty and my thirst is as intense as that of a shark that is stuck in low tide and unable to get to the water.


the only time I get to see my wife is by her new man in the MALL...
My wife has left me and now spends time with her new partner who I only get to see when they are in public places like a mall.


wait a minute... think I'm gonna FALL...
I am feeling dizzy and lightheaded and fear that I might fall.


I have shot the president
I have committed one of the most significant crimes in the United States of America by killing the President.


I'm queen of Brittain for a cent
I am not significant enough to be the Queen of Britain even if it's just for one cent.


for fifty bucks I'll do a trick
I am willing to do anything for money, which includes demeaning myself to perform tricks for others for a cheap price.


your wallet might not be as thick as you recall it to have been before
Your wallet may not have as much money as you think it does and may not be able to afford the trick that I am offering.


good-bye my friends
I am leaving my friends behind and saying goodbye to them forever.


you won't ever see me wheeling again
I will not be using my wheelchair again because I don't have it anymore.


this chair is gone
My wheelchair has been taken away or lost.


and so is prawn!
This is a play on words as prawns are known for being unable to walk and my wheelchair is gone, which means I am like a prawn that can't move.


easy come, said grinning prawn
I was carefree and happy-go-lucky before I lost my legs and my wheelchair.


but suddenly it all was gone
I lost everything that was important to me, including my limbs and my wheelchair.


made a mil but paid the bill
I made a lot of money but spent it all, leaving nothing for the future.


an oilfield in the middle east
This is a reference to the Gulf War of the early 1990s, where oil fields in the Middle East were set on fire by Saddam Hussein's army.


butt scuds were having fire-feast, same noon
This is a further reference to the Gulf War and the fires started by the Iraqi army, which caused a phenomenon called 'scud stud,' where the missiles would explode in the sky and spread debris like fireworks.


people turn around and they look at me
People stare at me as I am now paralyzed and have lost my legs.


don't they see that I've just lost both of my legs
People don't seem to understand the gravity of my situation and the fact that I am now disabled and can't walk.


and my company burned down to the lawn I did piss on the day I was born?
My company, which was so important to me, has now failed, and I feel like it is as if I am back where I started, like when I was born and had nothing.


now I am a prawn!
Once again, this is a play on words as prawns are known for being unable to walk, just like me as I have lost my legs.


fascinated eyes in disguise smiling at me
People look at me strangely or with fascination, pretending to be friendly, but I know they don't really care.


I know they're telling lies 'cuz their eyes don't like to see!
I don't believe what people are saying because their eyes tell a different story, and they don't really care about my well-being.


that crippled little rebel in the chair must be gone before the dawn.
People want me to leave and not be seen because I am crippled and they see me as a rebel or outcast.


didn't you see the show with the miracle man and his band?
This is a reference to the song 'Stairway to Heaven' by Led Zeppelin and how people can be fascinated by a musician's talent and charisma.


lots of good songs and a lot of good digging fans
Musicians and bands can inspire a lot of people, and their music can be enjoyed by many.


that I was sledging down the strings with their hearts in my hand?
This is a metaphor for playing guitar and how musicians can create an emotional connection with their audience through their music.


breaking up the band wasn't easy for me to do
As a musician, breaking up a band can be a difficult decision but sometimes necessary for personal reasons.


'cuz I had made plans for my company hoochiekoo
I had made many plans for the future, but they had all fallen apart, leaving me with nothing.


makingamoneydasupadacalidafragidalisticaexpialiyawn
This is a made-up word, which is used to convey the idea that I had been trying to make a lot of money, but it had all become a chore.


became a prawn!
Once again, this is a play on words as prawns are known for being unable to walk, just like me as I have lost my legs.


you ain't never gonna see me again
This is a final goodbye to my friends indicating that I am leaving and won't be coming back.


my life depends on wine'n'women, song'n'dance
This is a reference to a carefree lifestyle, which involves drinking, meeting women, and enjoying music and dance.




Contributed by Max C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@Icekekiman

Love how the lyrics kind of make sense for the first minute before descending into total carnage by the end. Their best song imo

@SirusTheHunter

Definitely one of their best songs, and that's saying a lot. 

@popkilleren

igen og igen og igen høre jeg det her fantastiske nummer

@TheLarskoster

Pixies.... influence.. Awesome band!!!

@SB8kl

Godt Sigurd! Den eneste rigtige version jeg kunne finde på youtube:) David

@theishjort

Hvad hedder albummet igen? Det er det fedste de har lavet

@DomR1997

Fucking beautiful B-)

@Bassboomer97DK

Det hedder Cruzential :)

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