We're Gonna Change the World
Matt Monro Lyrics


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Shirley Wood gulped down her breakfast
Shut the fridge and joined the throng
Margaret Beatty snatched the milk in
Scanned the news and went along

Annie Harris drew the curtains
Screwed her eyes up, had a peep
Saw the marchers, heard their voices
Making early morning noises
Stumbled back to bed and tried to sleep

Come with us, run with us
We're gonna change the world
You'll be amazed, so full of praise
When we've rearranged your world
We're gonna change your world

Shuffling through the cold black morning
Went the marchers, spirits low
Grunting greetings, grimly pressing
Onto where they had to go

When the sun came up, they brightened
Stopped to have their thermos brew
Annie Harris got up gladly
Pondered for a little, sadly
Then got on with what she had to do

So, come with us, run with us
We're gonna change the world
You'll be amazed, so full of praise
When we've rearranged your world
We're gonna change your world

At their target, numbers swollen
'Up the marches', banners go
Chanting, shouting out with leaflets
Protest for everyone to know

Sit in front of all the traffic
Harried, busy shopping wives
Try to stir their ostrich notions
Whip them up to wild emotions
Put some fire into their wretched lives

So, come with us, run with us
We're gonna change your world
You'll be amazed, so full of praise
When we've rearranged your world
We're gonna change your world

Shirley Wood was dragged still sitting
By a policeman from the road
Margaret Beatty had her face slapped
By a man she tried to goad

Annie Harris in the office
Paused in typing, thought of Don
Glanced again at his last letter
Died for others to live better
Brushed away a tear and carried on

Come with us, run with us
We're gonna change the world
You'll be amazed, so full of praise
When we've rearranged your world
We're gonna change
Come with us, run with us
We're gonna change your world
You'll be amazed, so full of praise
When we've rearranged your world
We're gonna change
So, come with us, run with us
We're gonna change your world
You'll be amazed, so full of praise




When we've rearranged your world
We're gonna change

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "We're Gonna Change the World" by Matt Monro express the desire for change and the longing for a better future. The song describes the mundane lives of three women, Shirley Wood, Margaret Beatty, and Annie Harris, as they go about their day, until they encounter a group of activists who are determined to make a difference. Despite the initial reluctance of some of the women to engage in the protests, they ultimately realize the urgency of the cause and join the movement.


The lyrics outline the challenges and resistance faced by the protesters as they march towards their target, confronting angry motorists and shopkeepers who remain indifferent to the cause. Nonetheless, the activists remain determined to make their point and to bring about lasting change.


"We're Gonna Change the World" is a call to action for people everywhere to come together and work towards a better tomorrow. The song encourages listeners to join the fight for justice and equality, to stand up against oppression and apathy, and to never give up hope for a brighter future.


Line by Line Meaning

Shirley Wood gulped down her breakfast
Shirley quickly ate breakfast and prepared to join the group of people who were changing the world


Shut the fridge and joined the throng
After closing the fridge, Shirley became part of the crowd of people trying to make a difference


Margaret Beatty snatched the milk in
Margaret quickly grabbed the milk and headed to join others


Scanned the news and went along
Margaret briefly looked over the news before quickly joining the group of people changing the world


Annie Harris drew the curtains
Annie opened the blinds to take a look outside


Screwed her eyes up, had a peep
Annie squinted her eyes to get a better look at what was happening outside


Saw the marchers, heard their voices
Annie witnessed the marchers and heard their chanting


Making early morning noises
The marchers were creating a ruckus early in the morning


Stumbled back to bed and tried to sleep
Annie went back to bed after seeing the commotion outside, but wasn't able to sleep


Come with us, run with us
The song is urging the listener to join the movement aimed at changing the world


We're gonna change the world
The marchers are hopeful and determined to make a difference


You'll be amazed, so full of praise
Those who join the movement will be impressed with the changes made and will commend the marchers


When we've rearranged your world
The marchers are set on changing the current order of society


Shuffling through the cold black morning
The marchers were walking slowly through the dark, chilly morning


Went the marchers, spirits low
The group's morale was low


Grunting greetings, grimly pressing
The marchers were greeting each other while maintaining a sense of determination


Onto where they have to go
The group was headed to their destination, knowing where they needed to be


When the sun came up, they brightened
As the morning progressed and the sun rose, the marchers' spirits lifted


Stopped to have their thermos brew
The marchers took a break and had a warm drink from their thermoses


Annie Harris got up gladly
Annie woke up happy after hearing the excitement outside


Pondered for a little, sadly
However, her mood soon turned sad as she considered the challenges facing the marchers


Then got on with what she had to do
Despite her emotions, Annie resumed working on her tasks


At their target, numbers swollen
Once the group arrived at their destination, they had grown in numbers


'Up the marches', banners go
The marchers raised their banners and signs to protest for their cause


Chanting, shouting out with leaflets
The group was chanting and distributing informative material


Protest for everyone to know
The group was publicly protesting to raise awareness


Sit in front of all the traffic
The marchers were blocking traffic


Harried, busy shopping wives
People on the street were busy with their errands and shopping


Try to stir their ostrich notions
The marchers were trying to awaken people from their complacency and ignorance


Whip them up to wild emotions
The group was trying to evoke passionate reactions from onlookers


Put some fire into their wretched lives
The marchers were trying to ignite passion and purpose in the lives of those around them


Shirley Wood was dragged still sitting
Shirley was forcibly removed from where she was sitting by the police


By a policeman from the road
The police were the ones who removed Shirley from the scene


Margaret Beatty had her face slapped
Margaret was physically assaulted by a man she argued with


By a man she tried to goad
The man Margaret argued with was the one who hit her


Annie Harris in the office
Annie resumed work at her place of business


Paused in typing, thought of Don
Annie took a moment to stop typing and thought of someone named Don


Glanced again at his last letter
Annie looked over a letter that Don had sent her previously


Died for others to live better
Don had given his life for the betterment of others


Brushed away a tear and carried on
Annie wiped away a tear and continued working




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: David Matthews, Tim Harris

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

TheSmithDorian

Brilliant lyrics 

"Sit in front of all the traffic
Harried, busy shopping wives
Try to stir their ostrich notions
Whip them up to wild emotions
Put some fire into their wretched lives"

Incidentally, where did the last 40 years go?



All comments from YouTube:

Michael McCrory

Ladies and gentlemen...
This is what you call pure class, from the song writers, music, and to the wonderful voice of Matt Monro. What a flavour of a story from decades past, wrapped up in a great song.

SteveSputnik

'Brushed away a tear and carried on...' - fantastic lyric! I was just five years old when this was released in 1970. Got some serious radio play but, astonishingly, it didn't chart. Just hearing the opening bars whisks me back 50 years... Life was good.

Ray Gaskell

snap! we are the same age.

rasper dan

Mat one of the finest voices of all time and this Bass player is OMG !!

Dave

This is one of my all time favourite records, superbly sung !👍🏻

doubleotwentyone

Frank Clarke's brilliant inventive bass line really propels this song. Agree with the comments about Matt, a world-class singer who died far too soon.

Kaz Leslie

Yes so sad taken from us far too soon ..The best .

guetary

a great track from a truly wonderful singer. He is sorely missed.

staffsyeoman

I remember this being on an almost constant loop on Radio 2 in the early 70s... Pete Murray, Terry Wogan... Still love it though!

James Leavey Connections

This great record was arranged, produced and conducted by my old acquaintance, Kenny Clayton, who has enhanced many famous hit records over the years. He worked closely with Matt Monro, Charles Aznavour and Petula Clark especially in the 60s and 70s, and many other musical legends. The good thing is he is still alive and playing (he's also a very good jazz musician). Love this record. A truly inspiring musician.✅📺📻😎❤

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