All Along the Watch Tower
P.O.S Lyrics


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There must be some kinda way outta here
There must be some way outta here said
the joker to the thief
There must be some way outta here, this place

Said the clown to the crook
There's so much hustle and bustle
So much disgusting and, my man, its got me shook
See, they come in with their suits and their ties
They hollow my bottles and step on my pride
Hop in their SUVs and ride, damn
They trample my earth
I rant and i curse
But there ain't no gettin' across
See they don't know what it's worth
Or they do, but they don't care
Super sized, terrified way more than their share
But my share, they don't share, I'm scared
I'm only half way past the righteous type
But I'm thinkin' like Bronson
And I'm gonna take one of their righteous lives

"Calm down", the crook spoke
Lit up a smoke,
ashed it in the cuff of his jeans
and cleared his throat like (coughs)
While this cigarette is killing me, its calming me
Most these people see this life as comedy
But not me. And not you.
I appreciate your vision
I waste my breath on cigarettes
You waste your breath on people who don't wanna listen
See, we aint got a pot to piss in and we cool with that
But keep in mind that most people see us as rats
And I aint saying you shouldn't try and let 'em know
You know what ignorance is.
If you was happy would you let it go?

He stood up, his pointer finger pressed right next to his ear
"Your next world war and your revolution's right here"
Yeah that, or you should kill us all.
My last request?
Triple Rock homie, last call.

All along the watchtower, watch how we knocks our, sweet imcomplete's




To a prince, see the serfs, see unique, see the threat but we don't see defeat
See the threat but we don't see defeat

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of P.O.S's song "All Along the Watch Tower" is a critique of the modern society, its values and the power dynamics that govern it. The song starts with a sense of desperation as the joker and the thief (representative of society's outcasts) are looking for a way out of their current predicament. The clown and the crook then lament the dehumanizing nature of capitalism and consumerism that has reduced individuals to commodities. The powerful and privileged, represented by the "suits and ties," exploit and trivialize the suffering of others for their gain. They are indifferent to the plight of the dispossessed and marginalized, who are left to fend for themselves.


The chorus "All along the watchtower, watch how we knocks our, sweet imcompletes. To a prince, see the serfs, see unique, see the threat but we don't see defeat," is a call to arms that asks people to recognize their power and fight the system that oppresses them. P.O.S encourages listeners to see beyond their own imperfections and recognize their individuality and strength in resistance. The song ends with a dystopian vision of a world on the brink of war and revolution but still finding solace in the Triple Rock bar.


Line by Line Meaning

There must be some kinda way outta here
The singer is frustrated and looking for a way to get out of their current situation.


There must be some way outta here said the joker to the thief
The singer imagines themselves as a jester asking a criminal for help finding a way out of their troubles.


There must be some way outta here, this place
The singer is so unhappy with their current situation that they wish they could escape it entirely.


Said the clown to the crook
The imaginary conversation continues, with the jester talking to the criminal.


There's so much hustle and bustle
The artist is bothered by the chaotic activity going on around them.


So much disgusting and, my man, its got me shook
The singer is disgusted by the people and situations they encounter and scared of what might happen to them.


See, they come in with their suits and their ties
The singer is observing people who wear formal clothing as they enter their environment.


They hollow my bottles and step on my pride
The people disrespect the artist's property and sense of self-worth.


Hop in their SUVs and ride, damn
The disrespectful people drive off in their expensive SUVs.


They trample my earth, I rant and i curse
The artist is angry that the people are damaging the environment and expressing their frustration.


But there ain't no gettin' across
Despite the singer's complaints, their situation doesn't change.


See they don't know what it's worth
The people lack an understanding of the value of the artist's environment.


Or they do, but they don't care
The people might understand the value of the environment, but they choose to disregard it.


Super sized, terrified way more than their share
The people are obsessed with consumerism and materialism, to the point where they are scared of not having enough.


But my share, they don't share, I'm scared
The singer is scared that they will be left without a fair share of resources.


I'm only half way past the righteous type
The artist is not perfect but at least tries to do what is right.


But I'm thinkin' like Bronson
The artist is referencing the violent Charles Bronson as an indication of their aggressive thoughts.


And I'm gonna take one of their righteous lives
The singer imagines taking revenge on one of the people they dislike.


"Calm down", the crook spoke
The imaginary conversation continues, with the criminal telling the singer to relax.


Lit up a smoke, ashed it in the cuff of his jeans and cleared his throat like (coughs)
The criminal smokes a cigarette while trying to dismiss the artist's distress.


While this cigarette is killing me, its calming me
The criminal is aware that cigarettes are harmful, but he smokes them anyway to cope with stress.


Most these people see this life as comedy
The criminal reflects on how many others view life as a joke and don't take it seriously.


But not me. And not you.
Both the singer and the criminal feel like they are outsiders who don't buy into the status quo.


I appreciate your vision
The criminal respects the artist's perspective on their environment.


I waste my breath on cigarettes
The criminal is aware that he could spend his time on healthier activities, but he chooses not to.


You waste your breath on people who don't wanna listen
The criminal sees the singer trying to communicate with people who won't pay attention.


See, we aint got a pot to piss in and we cool with that
Both the singer and the criminal are poor, but they have learned to live with it.


But keep in mind that most people see us as rats
The artist points out that others look down on and disrespect poor people like them.


And I aint saying you shouldn't try and let 'em know
The criminal suggests that the artist should still try to communicate with the people who ignore them.


You know what ignorance is.
The criminal reminds the singer that many people simply lack knowledge about their situation.


If you was happy would you let it go?
The criminal questions whether the singer would try to escape their situation if they were content with their life.


He stood up, his pointer finger pressed right next to his ear
The criminal prepares to say something important and emphasizes it by gesturing to his ear.


"Your next world war and your revolution's right here"
The criminal indicates that upheaval or conflict might happen in their present society, despite the people's ignorance of it.


Yeah that, or you should kill us all.
The criminal implies that it might be preferable to start a violent revolution rather than continuing to live under oppressive conditions.


My last request? Triple Rock homie, last call.
The criminal asks for a specific bar ('Triple Rock') to be his final destination ('last call').


All along the watchtower, watch how we knocks our, sweet imcomplete's
The artist invokes the image of a watchtower to suggest that someone is keeping an eye on them, and that the people don't appreciate what is valuable.


To a prince, see the serfs, see unique, see the threat but we don't see defeat
The singer sees themselves as a prince, while others are mere peasants (serfs). They recognize their own power and potential danger to the system, even if they have not yet achieved their goals.


See the threat but we don't see defeat
The singer is aware of the obstacles they face, but they maintain their resolve to keep fighting for change.




Writer(s): Bob Dylan

Contributed by Kayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

big sherpa

It's 2020 and this cover still rules.

Andrew Balderree

One of the best verses out there. Beautiful remake

donttakeoffense88

ill never stop loving this song lol

cmutramu

How does this not even have 100 views? This dude is light years ahead of most.

SEPARATE MEDIA

For real. The man is amazing.

Nick

I couldn't find this on itunes, but I did buy a bunch of random songs from him. Fuck, he's awesome.

SEPARATE MEDIA

God damn this is amazing.

Raymond Polino

Still dope

Earsiq Radkeys

MeatTape was a tour CD out for a while. I had it until my car ate it. P.O.S. killing it.

Luke Favreau

reppin' the tc's from sota!

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