Love's Sweet Exile
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics

Love's sweet exile
Despite the pain and struggle caused by our circumstances, we take solace in our love for one another and the fact that we are together, in exile.

Love's sweet exile
Repeating this chorus emphasizes the importance of the phrase and the deep emotion behind it.

We blur into images of state coercion
Our individual identities are crushed and replaced by the oppressive machinery of the state, forcing us into conformity.

Classified machines die misunderstood
Even the machines that uphold the state's power and authority are ultimately disposable and misunderstood in their purpose.

City reflections pour out misery
The urban landscape only serves to display the misery and suffering experienced by those who are subjugated by the state.

We don't count 'cause we hate
Society views us as worthless, and we are fueled by resentment for being pushed to the margins.

Rain down alienation
The oppressive forces that surround us only serve to increase our feelings of being alone and cut off from society.

Leave this country
Our only hope for escape is to physically remove ourselves from this oppressive country.

Leave this country
Reiterating this line emphasizes just how important it is for us to leave our current environment.

Despair seeps through and cuts our eyes
Our emotions are so intense that they feel physically painful, as if our despair is literally capable of cutting us deep inside.

Unified collapse of everything inside
Our sense of self, our relationships, our world...everything around us is breaking down and collapsing in on itself.

We understand but can't accept
We can see and comprehend the reality of our situation, but we find it impossible to come to terms with and embrace it.

You are not dead 'cause we hate
Our hate and anger are what keep us alive, driving us to keep fighting against the forces that would destroy us.

Our lives drift into a faceless sense of void
We feel as though our lives, identities, and very souls are drifting away, becoming hollow and faceless without any real purpose.

Everything of meaning becomes destroyed
The things that we once held dear and gave meaning to our lives are being systematically destroyed.

There's too much concrete for us to breathe
The cold, lifeless urban environment is suffocating us and leaving us gasping for breath.

We are kept down 'cause we hate
Our anger and hatred for the oppressive forces that surround us only further fuels their desire to keep us down and oppressed.

Rain down alienation
Once again, we emphasize the overwhelming sense of isolation and aloneness we feel.

Leave this country
Our only hope for escape from this crushing environment is to physically leave the country behind.

Leave it
A simple, forceful exhortation to abandon this country and never look back.

Believe it
Restating the importance of leaving this country and making a new life elsewhere.