The track started out under the working title of "Generation Terrorists" and originally featured the lyrics "Why don't you just fuck off" in the chorus, which was later cut to "Why don't you just... [gap]" in the released version with a guitar fill in the aforementioned gap. It has since become customary for fans to shout the original lyric when the band occasionally perform the song live.
Marc Burrows of Drowned in Sound proclaimed "Stay Beautiful" a "straightforward punker", and "the most pure punk record in their arsenal" alongside "Repeat (UK)", and that it had "more in common with their earlier indie-label records [...] than it does with its parent album".[1]
Stay Beautiful
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All broken up at seventeen
Jam your brain with broken heroes
Love your masks and adore your failure
We're a mess of eyeliner and spray paint
D.I.Y. destruction on chanel chic
Deny your culture of consumption
Don't want to see your face
Don't wannt hear your words
Why don't you just
Babes on the run with poisoned lips
Wrap your arms round this everlasting kiss
Clinging to your own sense of waste
All we love is lonely wreckage
Your school your dole and your cheque book dreams
Your clothes your suits and your pension schemes
Now you say you know how we feel
But don't fall in love 'cause we hate you still
Don't want to see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Destroyed by madness
Destroyed by madness
Destroyed by madness
Destroyed by madness
Anxiety is freedom
The lyrics of Stay Beautiful by Manic Street Preachers are a commentary on the youth culture and society that existed during the late 80s and early 90s. The song speaks specifically of the disillusionment that was prevalent amongst the young people in this era. The opening lines, "Find your faith in your security; All broken up at seventeen", depict a generation that has lost faith in institutions and is disillusioned with the future. The second line, in particular, speaks of how the youth were not only disillusioned, but also broken and damaged at such an early age.
The lyrics "Jam your brain with broken heroes; Love your masks and adore your failure" suggests that young people sought solace in heroes that were deeply flawed instead of the perfect idols they could no longer believe in. The idea of loving your masks and failure speaks to a desire to reject societal expectations and to embrace individuality, something that was not commonly accepted at the time. The idea of DIY destruction and challenging the culture of consumption were also themes that were very popular with the youth of this era.
The lyrics "Don't want to see your face; Don't wanna hear your words; Why don't you just" represent the rejection of the establishment and everything that it represented. Finally, the lyrics "Destroyed by madness, Anxiety is freedom" suggest that the madness of the era, the constant feeling of confusion and disillusionment, was ultimately freeing as it allowed young people to break away from everything they had been told to believe and forge their own identities.
Line by Line Meaning
Find your faith in your security
Believe in the comfort of your own safety
All broken up at seventeen
Feeling lost and confused as a teenager
Jam your brain with broken heroes
Fill your head with flawed icons
Love your masks and adore your failure
Embrace pretending and glorify defeat
We're a mess of eyeliner and spray paint
We are chaotic, wearing heavy makeup and spray paint
D.I.Y. destruction on chanel chic
Creating our own destruction in a stylish way
Deny your culture of consumption
Rejecting the society's obsession with materialism
This is a culture of destruction
Our current culture celebrates tearing things down
Don't want to see your face
We don't want to acknowledge you
Don't wannt hear your words
We don't want to listen to what you say
Why don't you just
Just go away
Babes on the run with poisoned lips
Women who are fleeing with destructive tendencies
Wrap your arms round this everlasting kiss
Hold on tight to the self-destructive lifestyle
Clinging to your own sense of waste
Holding onto feelings of worthlessness
All we love is lonely wreckage
We are drawn to isolated destruction
Your school your dole and your cheque book dreams
Your formal education, your welfare, and your financial ambitions
Your clothes your suits and your pension schemes
Your attire, your professional life, and your retirement plans
Now you say you know how we feel
You claim to understand us now
But don't fall in love 'cause we hate you still
Don't get close to us because we still despise you
Destroyed by madness
Craziness ruined us
Anxiety is freedom
Nervousness is liberating
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRADFIELD, EDWARDS, JONES, MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
薔薇薫麻美
"Stay Beautiful"
Find your faith in your security
All broken up at seventeen
Jam your brain with broken heroes
Love your masks and adore your failure
We're a mess of eyeliner and spraypaint
D.I.Y. destruction on chanel chic
Deny your culture of consumption
This is a culture of destruction
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Babes on the run with poisoned lips
Wrap your arms round this everlasting kiss
Clinging to your own sense of waste
All we love is lonely wreckage
Your school your dole and your chequebook dreams
Your clothes your suits and your pension schemes
Now you say you know how we feel
But don't fall in love cos we hate you still
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Anxiety is freedom
peepingtom20101
Some of the lyrics on that first album were just crazy good.
You need your stars
Even killers have prestige
Access to a living you will not see
24 boredom I'm convicted instantly
Gorgeous poverty of created needs
SLASH AND BURN
Kill to live kill for kicks
Awesome
비정한세상
Find your faith in your security
All broken up at seventeen
Jam your brain with broken heroes
Love your masks and adore your failure
We're a mess of eyeliner and spraypaint
D.I.Y. destruction on chanel chic
Deny your culture of consumption
This is a culture of destruction
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Babes on the run with poisoned lips
Wrap your arms round this everlasting kiss
Clinging to your own sense of waste
All we love is lonely wreckage
Your school your dole and your chequebook dreams
Your clothes your suits and your pension schemes
Now you say you know how we feel
But don't fall in love cos we hate you still
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Anxiety is freedom
Axl Scofield
Find your faith in your security
All broken up at seventeen
Jam your brain with broken heroes
Love your masks and adore your failure
We're a mess of eyeliner and spraypaint
D.I.Y. destruction on chanel chic
Deny your culture of consumption
This is a culture of destruction
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Babes on the run with poisoned lips
Wrap your arms round this everlasting kiss
Clinging to your own sense of waste
All we love is lonely wreckage
Your school your dole and your chequebook dreams
Your clothes your suits and your pension schemes
Now you say you know how we feel
But don't fall in love cos we hate you still
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Don't wanna see your face
Don't wanna hear your words
Why don't you just
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Destroyed by madness, oh yeah
Anxiety is freedom
Oli
Well we had Oasis,Stone Roses, Pulp,The Verve,Black Grape,The Prodigy,Chemical Brothers etc but i do get your point, it wouldn’t be the same without them.
More importantly....Richey is Alive! Please see this new documentary/4 part video about Richey, part 1:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5eWyLx1oGJU
Part 2:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ceTkdsRpm9M
Part 3:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqf7F8Ee4Ow&t=74s
Part 4:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L2lHNwHAYQ0
Journalist Richard Hall with Richey’s best friend Richard Fry expose the entire story. The rest of the band know full well what happened and that he is still alive today. If you’re a Maniacs fan and / or someone who wants to know the truth please watch all 4 parts of the documentary by Richard Hall and read the book “This Is My Truth Richey Edwards Now Tell Me Yours” by Richard Fry who was Richey Edwards best friend, here’s a link to the book: https://www.richplanet.net/store/books/BRF01
Modern Mistyk
One of the most underrated bands of the 90's easily
Modern Mistyk
@Rocky the toad I love you. Thank you for providing your feedback. I think you are a great person for subscribing to my youtube channel
Rocky the toad
They were very rated in the 90s actually
jamie foyers
"Destroyed by madness. Anxiety is Freedom". Richey had a crystal ball when he wrote that one. VERY prophetic. I listened to this track for the first time yesterday and was struck by those lyrics. There's some excellent lyrics on that whole CD. Worth digging out to have a look.
Chris Bicknell
Yeah, Kierkegaard said ‘anxiety is the dizziness of freedom’, which puts it into a better context
anamf
@David Moyes I believe he's quoting Kierkegaard.
Misaki Yoshida / 美咲 吉田
Dude listen to The Holy Bible. Those are some his greatest writings
Motörhead
The paradox of the illusion of our own reality
David Moyes
Except for the part where anxiety isn't even remotely freedom. True anxiety separates you from everything and everyone you love and leaves you stranded in a Hell dimension.
Jack Carraway
Richey may have not been able to play guitar, but he was the heart and soul of the Manics.