"The Clash were wonderful, that's why I wanted to be involved in this compilation. I could describe their wonderfulness, that they were chaotic and restrained and noisy and melodic and conventional and experimental and they looked cool and they had good album art (except for "Combat Rock") and they were political and they were celebratory and they were more open minded than their audience and they were more open minded than the journalists who wrote about them (i.e. Bonds Casino in '82) and they wrote great songs and I still listen to them even though it's 20 years after the fact. The Clash were great, but it feels foolish saying that cos it's so obvious. Like I said, they were wonderful." — Moby
Straight To Hell
Moby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How's about a British reel?
Speaking in quotation
As railhead towns feel the steel water froze
Clear as winter ice
This is your paradise
There ain't no need for you
Go straight to hell boys
Straight to hell boys
Why'want to join in a chorus
Of the Amerasian blues?
When it's Christmas Ho Chi Minh
Oh papa-san take me home
See me got a photograph of you
And Mamma-san
Oh Papa-san take me home
Oh take me home
Straight to hell boys
Go straight to hell boys
Go straight to hell boys
Straight to hell boys
Oh mmmmm
Can you cough it up loud and strong
The immigrants
They want to sing all night long
It could be anywhere
Could be any hemisphere
And no man's land and there ain't no asylum here
King Solomon he never lived round here
Go straight to hell boys
Go straight to hell boys
Straight to hell
Straight to hell
The opening lyrics of Moby's Straight To Hell speak of the fiddle, and the British reel, equating them to a siren call or answer to the denizens of railhead towns. The song seems to talk about the effect of industrialization on the populace in the vicinity of the railhead towns, and how these people toiled in poverty, watching as their surroundings rapidly changed with the intrusion of technology. The line "as railhead towns feel the steel," paints a vivid picture of workers trying to cope with the changes all around them. Amidst this seemingly bleak backdrop, the chorus rings clear and plaintive; "Go straight to hell boys." This is perhaps a plea to escape the bleakness and hardship of life, by trading them for an afterlife that may offer relief.
Line by Line Meaning
If you can play on the fiddle
If you possess some talent or skill
How's about a British reel?
Would you like to play a traditional British dance?
Speaking in quotation
Talking in phrases or sentences quoted by someone else
As railhead towns feel the steel water froze
When the towns that depend on the railroad experience difficulties, like the river freezing
Clear as winter ice
Obvious like a frozen pond in winter
This is your paradise
This is your perfect place
There ain't no need for you
There is no reason for you to stay
Go straight to hell boys
Leave quickly, without return
Why'want to join in a chorus
Why do you want to sing alongside
Of the Amerasian blues?
A genre of music that reflects the experience of mixed Asian and American cultures
When it's Christmas Ho Chi Minh
On Christmas Day in Ho Chi Minh City
Oh papa-san take me home
Father, bring me back to my country
See me got a photograph of you
I have a picture of you
And Mamma-san
And my mother
Oh Papa-san take me home
Father, take me home
Oh take me home
Please bring me back to where I belong
Can you cough it up loud and strong
Can you sing it passionately and loudly
The immigrants
People who come from another country to live in a different place
They want to sing all night long
They want to express their joy and freedom through music until morning
It could be anywhere
It could happen in any location
Could be any hemisphere
It could happen in any part of the world
And no man's land and there ain't no asylum here
A place where no rules apply and no refuge is available
King Solomon he never lived round here
The wisest man who ever lived had no experience of this place
Straight to hell boys
Leave immediately without looking back
Go straight to hell boys
Get out of here quickly
Straight to hell
Go directly to a bad place, without passing go
Straight to hell
Don't delay, go immediately to a terrible fate
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on Jltf 1
Here are the lyrics. Gee thanks a fucking lot for NOT giving the lyrics