Souvenir
Neil Finn Lyrics


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Don't ask the question
You won't like the answer
Get up off your chair
There's nothing for you here
Where the guests like souvenirs
They play with you till you're all worn out
Back where the guests like souvenirs
Prison colour blue
It's a uniform of choice
Count yourself lucky
That you don't write the software
Where the guests like souvenirs
They play with you till you're all worn out

Back where the guests like photographs
They hope you had a good night
Loosen up your tie
Make the viewers cry
I cannot pretend to cry
Memorise by heart
Every single part

There's nothing for you here
Where the guests like souvenirs
They play with you till you're all worn out




Back where the guests like souvenirs
They hope you had a good night

Overall Meaning

Neil Finn’s song “Souvenir” is a powerful commentary on the superficial and transient nature of fame, the media, and modern society at large. The lyrics are cutting and incisive, with Finn’s skillful use of metaphor painting a bleak picture of a world where people are used up and discarded like cheap souvenirs.


The opening lines “Don't ask the question, You won't like the answer” suggest that the truth about the shallowness of contemporary celebrity culture is too hard for most people to bear. The phrase “get up off your chair” is a call to action, urging listeners to break free from the constraints of a society that values appearances over substance.


The line “Where the guests like souvenirs, they play with you till you're all worn out” speaks to the idea that people are disposable commodities - products that are consumed and discarded once their usefulness has run out. The use of the color blue to describe a prison uniform is evocative, highlighting the idea that people are trapped in a cycle of superficiality and celebrity worship that is ultimately suffocating.


Overall, “Souvenir” is a poignant and lyrical critique of modern society, written with insight and sensitivity.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't ask the question
Avoid asking questions as the answer might not be what you want to hear


You won't like the answer
The answer to a certain question might be unpleasant to you


Get up off your chair
Move, take action, don't stay idle


There's nothing for you here
The current situation/ environment is not beneficial/ suitable for you


Where the guests like souvenirs
Referring to a place where people only care about collecting memories/ mementos of a place/ event rather than truly living in the moment


They play with you till you're all worn out
People in that place might use and abuse you until you're exhausted physically and emotionally


Prison colour blue
The color blue is associated with prisons and detention centers, representing limitation and confinement


It's a uniform of choice
Choosing to wear blue or anything that might limit your freedom could be a conscious decision dependent on the situation at hand


Count yourself lucky
Consider yourself fortunate or grateful for not having to do a task or be in a certain situation that someone else is in


That you don't write the software
Appreciate that you don't have to deal with the technical side or the nitty-gritty of a project, which can be difficult to understand or execute


Where the guests like souvenirs
Referring to people who only value collecting memories/mementos of a place/event rather than fully experiencing it


Back where the guests like souvenirs
Returning to a place where the emphasis is on material goods rather than living in the moment


They hope you had a good night
The guests want to hear that you enjoyed yourself or had a good experience, regardless of whether that's true or not


Loosen up your tie
Relax, let go of your professional persona, and be yourself


Make the viewers cry
Evoke an emotional reaction or connection from the audience by being authentic and genuine


I cannot pretend to cry
I cannot fake an emotional reaction or connection as it goes against my beliefs or values


Memorize by heart
Commit to memory, be familiar with it, and know it inside and out




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTINA ROSENVINGE, ALEJANDRO NUEZ MAGARZO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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