99
MACROSS 82 Lyrics
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Of clueless blues,
Pays the views,
And no-mans news.
Blades will fade from blood to sport,
The heroin's cut these fuses short,
Smokers rode a colonial pig, [Smoke is rolling colonial pink,]
Drink and frame this pain i think.
You bleed your wings and then disappear.
The moving scenes and pilot lights, [...pyre lights]
Smithereens have got 'em scaling heights.
Modern times come talk me down,
And battle lines are drawn across this town.
Parisian boys without your names, [...with obscure names]
Ghetto stones instead of chains,
Talk 'em down cause it's up in flames, [Talk me down...]
And nothing's changed.
Parisian boys without your names, [...with obscure names]
Riot like 1968 again.
The days of rage yeah nothing's changed,
Well pretty flames.
In school I would just bite my tongue,
And now your words they strike me down. [But now your words have struck me dumb.]
The flags are false and they contradict,
They point and click which wounds to lick,
On avenues this christian breeze,
Turns it's heart to more needles please.
Our eyes roll back and we beg for more,
It frays this skin and then underscore.
The case for war you spin and bleed,
The sales you feel screensavers feed,
The girls you breed the soaps that you write,
The graceless charm of your gutter snipes.
The moving scenes and suburbanites,
And smithereens got 'em scaling heights.
Modern times come talk me down,
The battle lines are drawn across this town.
English boys without your names, [...with obscure names]
Ghetto stones instead of chains,
Hearts and minds and US Planes,
Nothing's changed...
And english boys without your names, [...with obscure names]
Riot like the 1980's again,
The days of rage yeah nothing's changed,
More pretty flames.
The lyrics of MACROSS 82's song 99 paint a picture of a bleak and hopeless urban landscape where the people are oppressed, addicted to drugs, and caught in a cycle of violence and conflict. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song: the singer observes people walking around in "city shoes" and feeling "clueless blues," absorbed in their own misery and unaware of the world around them. In this city, the news only brings bad tidings, and violence is depicted in the metaphor of blades that fade from drawing blood to becoming a sport.
The chorus focuses on the Parisian and English boys without names who are stuck in the ghetto, condemned to repeat the same cycles of violence and uprising as previous generations. The pretty flames symbolize the pointless destruction that comes from these riots, leaving nothing in their wake.
The rest of the song talks about the singer's own observations and critiques of modern society, including fake patriotism, the fetishization of drug culture, and the manipulation of the media to sell cheap thrills. Throughout the song, the imagery is dark and dystopian, painting a picture of a society on the brink of collapse.
Line by Line Meaning
In city shoes,
Living in the city lifestyle.
Of clueless blues,
Feeling emotionally numb.
Pays the views,
The cityscape is expensive to take in.
And no-mans news.
The news reports are non-existent for events happening around the city.
Blades will fade from blood to sport,
Violence and danger will become normal entertainment.
The heroin's cut these fuses short,
Drug use is increasing and leading to short life expectancies.
Smokers rode a colonial pig,
People smoke and act like colonial oppressors.
Drink and frame this pain i think.
Alcohol is used to cope with the pain of life.
I'm melting silver poles my dear,
I'm breaking down and losing myself.
You bleed your wings and then disappear.
You reveal your vulnerability and then disappear.
The moving scenes and pilot lights,
The city's bright lights and hustle bustle.
Smithereens have got 'em scaling heights.
People are reaching new heights while getting destroyed in the process.
Modern times come talk me down,
The present is overwhelming and causing stress.
And battle lines are drawn across this town.
People are divided and at odds with one another.
Parisian boys without your names,
Boys from Paris with unknown identities.
Ghetto stones instead of chains,
Poverty and oppression are leading to rebellion.
Talk 'em down cause it's up in flames,
Trying to calm down the situation as it's worsening.
And nothing's changed.
The issues and struggles have remained the same.
Riot like 1968 again.
Protesting and unrest similar to the events of 1968.
The days of rage yeah nothing's changed,
The anger and frustration remains despite the passage of time.
Well pretty flames.
But at least the people are making a statement with their rebellion.
In school I would just bite my tongue,
Holding back your thoughts and opinions in academic environments.
And now your words they strike me down.
But now negative opinions or criticism are heavily discouraging.
The flags are false and they contradict,
National symbols and patriotism feel empty and meaningless.
They point and click which wounds to lick,
The media focuses on what they think people will care about, rather than the important issues.
On avenues this christian breeze,
Religion is still present in the culture of the city.
Turns it's heart to more needles please.
But drug addiction is becoming increasingly common.
Our eyes roll back and we beg for more,
We're addicted to entertainment and media, and want more.
It frays this skin and then underscore.
But the entertainment is damaging to our mental health.
The case for war you spin and bleed,
The justifications for war are often eery and violent.
The sales you feel screensavers feed,
The media we consume is being dictated by corporate salespeople and their interests.
The girls you breed the soaps that you write,
The media is focused heavily on gender roles and stereotypes.
The graceless charm of your gutter snipes.
People are becoming more vulgar and abrasive.
The moving scenes and suburbanites,
The hustle and bustle of the city, contrasted by the monotony of suburbs.
And smithereens got 'em scaling heights.
People are pushing themselves to new heights despite the risk of destruction.
English boys without your names,
Unknown-named boys from England.
Ghetto stones instead of chains,
The impoverished are in chains despite physical prisons.
Hearts and minds and US Planes,
War is prevalent and the United States is heavily involved.
Riot like the 1980's again,
Rebellion and protests similar to those in the 1980s.
More pretty flames.
But at least the city is ablaze with energy and passion.
Contributed by Levi C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.