BEG
Man & The Echo Lyrics
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I'm barely sane
I have no talent
To speak of but baby, that′s okay
I'm after reflected fame
I took my photo
At arms-length you see
With someone famous looking sheepish
And I'm not ordinary
I′m in a club so exclusive that
Even I find it quite illusive sometimes
Let me regail you with tales of the rich
In the bars of Shoreditch
You know, of London, right?
If not you′re wasting your life
Are you impressed by the connections I made?
That look gives me all away
If only I got paid
My mum looks after me
'Cause I′m in a club so exclusive that
Even I find it quite illusive sometimes
Oh, my friend Pablo- he actually reads books
He's got this nerdy beatnick look
I met him at the Tate
Well, in the Tate Café
I ran up to him I said:
"Hey I′m just like you, I think the coffee's great here too"
He looked disturbed at first, but now he gets me
′Cause we're in a club so exclusive that
Even we find it quite illusive sometimes
I have uploaded over forty different musics
Really not a big deal
I like when people share
It's where I get my ideas
I want your life
I watch your days out from your postcards
What you did in a new wedding
It′s a compliment
Oh take it how it′s meant
I might not understand everything you say
But if I act in a certain way
And buy all the music that I should
And say everyone else is a sheep
It won't matter if I′m genuine
It's all about the clothes that you are in
In Man & The Echo's song "Beg," the singer reflects on their obsession with fame, and how they see themselves as an "ordinary" person with no talent or special qualities, chasing reflected fame through their connections with famous people. They take a photo with someone famous to make themselves feel important, and join an exclusive club in Shoreditch to feel even more special. They name-drop constantly, regaling others with tales of their encounters with the rich and famous to impress them. They also reference their friend Pablo, who they met at the Tate Café, and how they are both part of this exclusive club, seeking some kind of validation through their experiences.
The singer also comments on their own use of social media and how they use it to copy others, taking ideas and inspiration from their posts. They compliment others on their lives and their activities, trying to mimic and replicate them to make their own life seem just as exciting. They acknowledge that they might not understand everything that they see and hear, but as long as they act in a certain way, buy the right things, and criticize those who don't follow the same path, they believe they can achieve the same level of success and fame.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m not important
I am insignificant
I'm barely sane
I might be losing my mind
I have no talent
I'm not gifted
To speak of but baby, that's okay
But that's alright
I'm after reflected fame
I want to bask in the glow of someone else's success
I took my photo
I snapped a picture of myself
At arms-length you see
With my arm stretched out to take the photo
With someone famous looking sheepish
Featuring someone well-known, who seems uncomfortable
Yeah. now they know me
Now people recognize me
And I'm not ordinary
I'm unique
I’m in a club so exclusive that
I belong to a select group
Even I find it quite illusive sometimes
Sometimes, it's even hard for me to believe
Let me regail you with tales of the rich
Allow me to entertain you with stories of wealthy people
In the bars of Shoreditch
At the drinking spots in the Shoreditch area of London
You know, of London, right?
You're familiar with London, aren't you?
If not you’re wasting your life
If not, you're missing out
Are you impressed by the connections I made?
Do you find my contacts impressive?
That look gives me all away
Your expression reveals your opinion of me
If only I got paid
If only I received compensation
My mum looks after me
My mother takes care of me
Oh, my friend Pablo- he actually reads books
My friend Pablo is a bookworm
He's got this nerdy beatnick look
He dresses like a bohemian intellectual
I met him at the Tate
I encountered him at the Tate Modern
Well, in the Tate Café
Specifically at the cafeteria
I ran up to him I said:
I approached him and said
"Hey I’m just like you, I think the coffee’s great here too"
"Hey, we share the same opinion about the coffee"
He looked disturbed at first, but now he gets me
At first, he seemed uneasy, but now he understands me
′Cause we're in a club so exclusive that
Because we belong to a group that few can access
Even we find it quite illusive sometimes
Even we sometimes find it hard to believe we're in this group
I have uploaded over forty different musics
I have shared more than forty songs
Really not a big deal
It's not that significant
I like when people share
I enjoy when others share their content
It's where I get my ideas
It's where I find inspiration
I want your life
I desire your lifestyle
I watch your days out from your postcards
I follow your travels through your postcards
What you did in a new wedding
What you did at the recent wedding
It's a compliment
It's a form of flattery
Oh take it how it’s meant
Please interpret it favorably
I might not understand everything you say
I might not comprehend everything you say
But if I act in a certain way
But if I behave in a specific manner
And buy all the music that I should
And purchase all the music that others think I should
And say everyone else is a sheep
And call everyone who doesn't follow the crowd a sheep
It won't matter if I'm genuine
Being authentic doesn't matter
It's all about the clothes that you are in
It's all about how you present yourself
Writer(s): Joseph Patrick Forshaw, Gareth Neil Roberts
Contributed by Elena E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bec Sloane
love this song... even have it as a ringtone on my phone....
EndOfEntertainment
cool stuff :)