Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Lyrics
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Are gathered 'round their TV screens
To hear the government about to speak
For solider boys and Jesus freaks
They go to heaven on their holidays
The congregation hopes and prays
They leave their letters in the mail box
For lonely souls they could not save
Off and on I used hear the call
But she was just a baby doll
And all around them were the holy men
Who twist the words of way back when
She will kiss the sky and shelter all the world from the rain
Put on a record on the jukebox
She might dance the night away
On and on we go and the rest of the world outside
May soon explode and there is no place we might hide
On and on we go and the rest of the world outside
May soon explode and there's no place we might hide
On and on we go and we kiss this world goodbye
On and on and on and on
All the people on the village green
Are gathered 'round their TV screens
To hear the government about to speak
For solider boys and Jesus freaks
The song Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds is a commentary on the societal indoctrination of nationalism and religion. The first verse sets up the scene of people gathered around their TV screens, waiting for the government to speak. The solider boys and Jesus freaks are meant to represent two different modes of consciousness that are being manipulated and used for the benefit of the government. The mention of going to heaven on their holidays highlights how these groups of people are being fed a narrative that is designed to assuage their fears and desires.
The second verse is a bit more cryptic, but it seems to be speaking to the disillusionment of the singer with regards to a past lover. The holy men who twist the words of way back when are meant to represent the Church and the distortions of religious doctrine. The line "She will kiss the sky and shelter all the world from the rain" is a reference to Jimi Hendrix and his song "Purple Haze" in which he sings "excuse me while I kiss the sky." The message seems to be that while society is being manipulated by nationalism and religion, there is still an opportunity to break free and find one's own individuality.
Overall, the song seems to be a call to action towards independent thinking and resistance to societal programming.
Line by Line Meaning
All the people on the village green
Everyone in the small town is gathered together in the public area
Are gathered 'round their TV screens
They are all watching the television with great attention
To hear the government about to speak
They are all eagerly waiting for the government's announcement
For solider boys and Jesus freaks
The speech is about the soldiers and the religious fanatics
They go to heaven on their holidays
The soldiers and the religious people believe they will go to heaven when they die
The congregation hopes and prays
The churchgoers are wishing and praying
They leave their letters in the mail box
They leave messages for those who are alone and can't be saved
For lonely souls they could not save
They hope their messages will give hope to those who are beyond their help
Off and on I used hear the call
The artist occasionally heard a call to action
But she was just a baby doll
The person who made the call was weaker than anticipated
And all around them were the holy men
There were many religious leaders around them
Who twist the words of way back when
These leaders misinterpret the meaning of certain sacred texts
She will kiss the sky and shelter all the world from the rain
She (referring to someone important) will rise above it all and protect the world from harm
Put on a record on the jukebox
Play some music on the jukebox
She might dance the night away
She might dance all night
On and on we go and the rest of the world outside
The journey continues and the rest of the world carries on without them
May soon explode and there is no place we might hide
The rest of the world might soon fall apart and they won't be able to escape
On and on we go and there's no place we might hide
They continue to move forward but there is nowhere to hide
On and on we go and we kiss this world goodbye
They keep moving forward until they say goodbye to the world they know
On and on and on and on
They keep going and going
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NOEL GALLAGHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind