Imperial Bodybags
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics


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Imperial bodybags, coming home in dribs and drabs
Life is numbers, with doggy tags
Filled with holes and coming back
So come on up the sky

Never had a chance to wave goodbye
Thrown away and unhappy
Driven by hypocracy

Nothing's finished it just fades away
Like a lover who has lost her faith
Nothing's finished it just fades away
Fades away

[Chorus]
Imperial bodybags, Prom Queen disposible
Children wrapped in home-made flags
Imperial bodybags, Prom Queen disposible
Children wrapped in home-made flags

And here we love the kids
We're still human like everyone else
Stuck in school
Always willing to stick by the rules

Nothing's finished it just fades away
Like a lover who has lost her faith
Nothing's finished it just fades away
Fades away
Fades away





[Chorus x2]

Overall Meaning

The song "Imperial Bodybags" by Manic Street Preachers is a poignant and critical reflection on the consequences of war. The opening line of the song, "Imperial bodybags, coming home in dribs and drabs" sets the tone for the song, speaking to the devastating loss of life and the harsh reality that these individuals become nothing more than numbers with dog tags. The lyrics speak to the senselessness of war, with the bodies of young soldiers coming back to their families in body bags, robbed of the chance to say goodbye. The chorus draws attention to the disposable nature of these soldiers, likening them to Prom Queens who are used in a moment and then discarded.


The lyrics are a powerful commentary on the impact of war on young men and women who are thrown into battle without a proper understanding of the politics and ideologies involved. The song speaks to the hypocrisy of leaders who send others to fight wars, and the bitter irony that these soldiers return in flag-draped coffins. The reference to the fading away of love and faith speaks to the sense of loss, not just of life but of hope.


Overall, "Imperial Bodybags" is a moving and provocative song that challenges listeners to think deeply about the consequences of war and the value and sacrifice of human life.


Line by Line Meaning

Imperial bodybags, coming home in dribs and drabs
The bodies of soldiers killed in war are being sent home in small, inconsistent groups.


Life is numbers, with doggy tags
The government treats soldiers as expendable numbers instead of valuable human beings, given only identification dog tags for identification.


Filled with holes and coming back
The soldiers' bodies are marked with bullet holes and other injuries from the war.


So come on up the sky
The artist is calling for people to recognize and acknowledge the tragedy of war.


Never had a chance to wave goodbye
The soldiers who died did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones.


Thrown away and unhappy
The soldiers were discarded by the government, leaving them unhappy and disregarded.


Driven by hypocrisy
The government continues to promote war while ignoring the devastating consequences and human cost.


Nothing's finished it just fades away
The aftermath of war lasts much longer than the conflict itself, and the memory of those lost slowly fades over time.


Like a lover who has lost her faith
The fading memory is compared to a lover who has lost their trust and faith in the person they once loved.


Imperial bodybags, Prom Queen disposable
The government treats soldiers as disposable, like a Prom Queen who quickly goes out of fashion.


Children wrapped in homemade flags
The soldiers killed in war are not just strangers, they are someone's child, wrapped in a homemade flag as a tribute to their life.


And here we love the kids
The artist acknowledges that young soldiers, who are often sent to war, deserve to be loved and respected just like everyone else.


We're still human like everyone else
The soldiers killed in war were still human beings deserving of empathy, even though the government failed to recognize their worth.


Stuck in school, always willing to stick by the rules
Young soldiers are often recruited directly from high school and are conditioned to follow the rules and authority without question.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES BRADFIELD, JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD, NICHOLAS JONES, NICHOLAS ALLEN JONES, SEAN MOORE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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