Oh! You Pretty Things
Peter Noone Lyrics
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You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Wake up you sleepy heads
Put another log on the fire for me
I need some breakfast and coffee
I look out my window and what do I see?
A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me
All the nightmares came today
And it looks as though they’re here to stay
What are we coming to?
There’s no room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By the puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Let me say it again
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Look at your children
Their faces in golden rays
Don’t kid yourself they belong to you
They’re the start of the coming race
The earth is a beast, we’ve finished our news
Homo sapiens have outgrown their use
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Let me say it again
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Let me say it again
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Peter Noone's song "Oh You Pretty Things" is about the dawn of a new era where society is being shaped by a superior species who are overthrowing Homo Sapiens. Noone sings about the "homo superior", a reference to a new human species that is in the process of replacing human beings. The line "You gotta make way for the homo superior" is the main theme of the song, and it is repeated several times throughout.
The song suggests that the current generation of young people, whom Noone refers to as "pretty things", are the vanguard of the changes that are sweeping society. He tells the young people to wake up and take charge of their future, to make way for the new, superior beings that are coming to replace them. The lyrics seem to be a warning to the older generation that their time is up and that they need to step aside for the next wave of evolution.
The lines "All the nightmares came today / And it looks as though they’re here to stay" suggest that these changes are happening rapidly and may be irreversible. The song ends with Noone calling on parents to make way for their children and for Homo Sapiens to make way for Homo Superior.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
The young and beautiful people are causing great stress to their parents.
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior
The next phase of evolution is upon us and we must embrace it.
Wake up you sleepy heads
Put on some clothes, shake up your beds
Put another log on the fire for me
I need some breakfast and coffee
It's time to start the day and get moving. Some coffee and breakfast are needed to begin.
I look out my window and what do I see?
A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me
All the nightmares came today
And it looks as though they’re here to stay
Something horrific is happening and it seems as though it's here to stay.
What are we coming to?
There’s no room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By the puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they’re here to stay
The current state of the world is not ideal. The artist longs for a world in which knowledge is shared and valued, rather than one that is filled with strangers and confusion.
Look at your children
Their faces in golden rays
Don’t kid yourself they belong to you
They’re the start of the coming race
Children are not simply the property of their parents. They represent the start of a new era for humanity.
The earth is a beast, we’ve finished our news
Homo sapiens have outgrown their use
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they’re here to stay
The earth is not a static entity, but rather one that evolves and changes. Humanity's usefulness has come to an end and strangers seem to be here for the long haul.
Oh, you pretty things, don’t you know
You’re driving your mamas and papas insane?
Let me say it again
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Once again, the young and beautiful are causing great stress for their parents. We must make room for the next phase of evolution.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LB 2.0.
Wow this is my first time hearing the peter noone version and I gotta say this is pretty good. Though the Bowie version will always be my favorite ole Peter did a good job with this version.
Joe Postove
Agree! He does a fine job. Bowie owns it, but Peter acquits himself well!
mousehitscat
I was 14 years old when this record came out, and I still love it just as much...... oh you pretty things.....
ClueSign
Peter Noone is one of the sweetest guys in the business, second only to Bowie.
Joe Postove
+ClueSign He is a legitimately nice and sincere person. Second to Bowie!
Aurora De La Parra
Excelente 🎶🌹🎶💞
Rick Filippone
I like this version. Peter did a good job on this Bowie song
† ravenhill -mystery night merchant 1968 †
i love this version, reminds me of london back in the 60's even though this was early 70's.
Ally Shewan
It was 1966
David Sheraton
I remember seeing this on TOTP: Bowie (with long hair and a dress) was on keyboards. Even my broad-minded fellow students had never seen anything like it. Unfortunately (I assume) that version has been lost.