The sentiment of the song is that Australia is just about the furthest one can go to get away from their home in Wales and is a metaphor for Nicky Wire's desire to escape from the emotional turmoil caused by the disappearance of his close friend and co-lyricist, Richey Edwards.
The music helps the lyrics convey the sense of freedom, featuring heavy guitar sound coupled with a raw emotion, and a crescendo bolstered by Sean Moore's drumming.
Australia
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My cheeks are turning yellow
I think I'll take another pill
Praying for the wave to come now
It must be for the fifteenth time
I've been here for much too long
This is the past that's mine
I want to fly and run till it hurts
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
I want to fly and run till it hurts
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
In Australia
Praying for the wave to come now
It must be for the very last time
It's twelve o'clock till midnight
There must be someone to blame
I want to fly and run till it hurts
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
I want to fly and run till it hurts
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
In Australia
Australia, in Australia
I want to fly and run till it hurts
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
In Australia
In Australia
In Australia
The Manic Street Preachers' song "Australia" is a melancholic and nostalgic tune about escaping to the vastness of Australia to find peace and solace. The song starts with the lyrics "I don't know if I'm tired, and I don't know if I'm ill; my cheeks are turning yellow, I think I'll take another pill." These opening lines express the singer's disorientation and hopelessness, which he tries to fix with drugs.
The singer then proceeds to say "Praying for the wave to come now, It must be for the fifteenth time." This line symbolizes his intense yearning to escape his current situation and find a new beginning, represented by the image of a wave. However, he feels trapped, as he has been trying for too long. He then sings, "I've been here for much too long; this is the past that's mine." These lines show how the singer has been caught up in his past and cannot escape it.
The chorus expresses the singer's longing for a fresh start. He desires to "fly and run till it hurts" and "speak no words" in Australia. The repetition of "Australia" throughout the song underscores the significance of this country and how it has become a symbol of redemption and freedom for the singer. The lyrics "It's twelve o'clock till midnight, There must be someone to blame" suggest that the singer may have been faulted for something that has landed him in his current difficult situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know if I'm tired and I don't know if I'm ill
I am uncertain about my own physical and mental state of being
My cheeks are turning yellow
I am showing signs of sickness or poor health
I think I'll take another pill
I am self-medicating to alleviate my symptoms
Praying for the wave to come now
I am waiting for something to change or save me
It must be for the fifteenth time
I have been hoping for this change for a long time
I've been here for much too long
I am tired of my current situation or environment
This is the past that's mine
I am burdened by my own personal history and experiences
I want to fly and run till it hurts
I desire to escape and push myself to my limits
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
I want to rest and find peace in a new place
It must be for the very last time
I am losing hope that my situation will ever improve
There must be someone to blame
I am searching for someone or something to hold responsible for my problems
Australia, in Australia
I have a specific desire to go to Australia
In Australia
Australia is the place I believe can solve my problems
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN-PAUL JONES, CHRISSIE HYNDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fraserwebster8761
The Renford Rejects brought me here 💛
@ricardoreynoso685
Wow AMAZING band!!!
@selectgood_timesidfrommemo3192
Yup, great times ⚽
@lavcra3
Yeah man
@mortgagelink7513
Memories of 1996 brought me here!
@brs2379
Bring a teenager in 1995 brought me here
@joechill6639
Growing up in Britain in the 90s was fucking GOOD.
@exsappermadman25055
Hell fucking yeah mate!!!!!!................
@Nihilanth1982
yeah i enjoyed those times especially euro 96
@kiely4561
reminds me of a kids show called Renford rejects