Inheritance
New Model Army Lyrics


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Mother, Father, I'm doing OK
On the other side of the country, far away
And though I know the things that you want to hear me say
Sometimes these things are hard
Mother, Father, I am your son
Right down to the long thin pointed face
And this muddled up and twisted tongue
And now I find that I'm doing
All those things you would have done
Sometimes these things are hard
Ch: So do I thank you? Do I curse you?
These tracks stretch out before me - the ones you left behind
What I want and what I feel - it's yours, yours, not mine

Mother, Father, all those battles that have been
And the long, long silences that lay in between
Please don't try to tell me all those were in vain
Sometimes these things are hard
We line up at the wedding in rows of deep set eyes
In our finest formal dresses and proper suits and ties
Like a family of Munsters in a really bad disguise
Ch: So do I thank you? Do I curse you?




These tracks stretch out before me - the ones you left behind
What I want and what I feel - it's yours, yours, not mine

Overall Meaning

The New Model Army's song "Inheritance" explores the complexities of familial relationships and the enduring influence of parents on their children's lives, even when they are physically distant. The opening lines of the song, "Mother, Father, I'm doing OK On the other side of the country, far away," set the tone for the rest of the lyrics, as the singer struggles with reconciling the desire to forge a new path with the pull of tradition and inherited traits.


The song's chorus asks the question, "So do I thank you? Do I curse you?" which reflects the central theme of the song - the ways in which children both embrace and reject the values and behaviors of their parents. The reference to "tracks" left behind by the parents further emphasizes the idea that the singer is grappling with the legacy and expectations of those who came before them.


The final verse of the song reveals the insecurities and anxieties that often accompany our attempts to break away from our family's influence, as the singer describes the awkwardness of attending a family wedding and feeling like an outcast among the "deep set eyes" of their relatives. Ultimately, "Inheritance" is a poignant exploration of the complex emotions and conflicts that can exist within even the closest families.


Line by Line Meaning

Mother, Father, I'm doing OK
The singer is informing their parents about their well-being and separation from them.


On the other side of the country, far away
The singer is physically distant from their parents.


And though I know the things that you want to hear me say
The singer recognizes the parental expectation of certain expressions from them.


Sometimes these things are hard
The artist finds it challenging to meet parental expectations.


Mother, Father, I am your son
The artist acknowledges their filial relationship with their parents.


Right down to the long thin pointed face
The singer bears physical resemblance to their parents.


And this muddled up and twisted tongue
The singer acknowledges a possible communication barrier due to language or dialect differences.


And now I find that I'm doing
The artist realizes they are emulating aspects of their parents.


All those things you would have done
The artist behaves in a manner similar to their parents.


Ch: So do I thank you? Do I curse you?
The artist is conflicted about the influence of their parents.


These tracks stretch out before me - the ones you left behind
The singer recognizes the influence of their parents in shaping their life path.


What I want and what I feel - it's yours, yours, not mine
The artist feels that their desires and emotions may have been influenced by their parents rather than being uniquely their own.


Mother, Father, all those battles that have been
The singer reflects on past familial conflicts.


And the long, long silences that lay in between
The singer acknowledges a lack of communication in their family history.


Please don't try to tell me all those were in vain
The singer requests their parents to not dismiss the previous struggles and conflicts.


We line up at the wedding in rows of deep set eyes
The artist describes a wedding ceremony with a group of attendees.


In our finest formal dresses and proper suits and ties
The artist describes the attire of the wedding attendees.


Like a family of Munsters in a really bad disguise
The singer humorously compares the attendees' appearance to the fictional Munster family in a poor disguise.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JUSTIN EDWARD SULLIVAN, ROBERT CHARLES HEATON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Anna Logg


on Green and Grey

Meaningless "AI" generated guff. Welcome to the future of the internet. Fortunately I still have my cassettes with lyrics on the inlay card, and an imagination.

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