Rory McLeod is a British folk singer-songwriter born in London. As well as … Read Full Bio ↴Rory McLeod is a British folk singer-songwriter born in London. As well as singing, his performances include storytelling in the tradition of the travelling minstrel or troubadour and playing a wide range of instruments including guitar, harmonica, trombone and his own invention the 'stomping box'.

He has travelled widely performing and has released the following albums:

• Swings and Roundabouts (2010)
• Songs for Big Little People (2007)
• Brave Faces (2005)
• Mouth to Mouth (2000)
• Lullabies for Big Babies (1997)
• Travelling Home (1992)
• Footsteps and Heartbeats (1989)
• Kicking The Sawdust (1986)
• Angry Love (1985)

Rory's songs are invariably big-hearted story-like ballads about family, justice, racism, poverty, immigration, traveling and love. His live shows are particularly impressive - it's hard to believe he performs with such a full and busy sound when there's only him on the stage.

http://www.rorymcleod.com

Passing The Pain Down
Rory McLeod Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They’re making us fight for a better living; they’re making us fight again and again.
It takes fifty years to reach twenty years, with a prisoner’s ball and chain,
And in case we blame our leaders and punch those who are governing
One brother in Argentina is sent to punch me and I’m sent to punch him.

Chorus:

And they’re passing the pain down saying: ‘Be my friend or I’ll punch you’,
They’re passing the pain down; they’re making our enemies for us.
They want us to make war ‘gainst our brothers and sisters,
They want us to hate them; they’re going to make us into strangers.

I got a ____er sister in America, got an auntie in Russia, got
(backing – I want to be with you
A son in Mexico, in London our, our father and mother got
I want to see you again
Cousins in China and Japan, Turkey, Ireland, Afghanistan,
I want to see you again
My Uncle Bill lives in Birmingham, I want to hold your hand
I ........................................................... I want to hold your hand

We want Independence; we don’t want your American dream,
Your dream is a nightmare, with too many screams
Of families waking up in the middle of the night,
Soldiers knocking down doors, they blame us for starting the fight.

Verse:
Well in their army the general kicks a major then the major has a go
He kicks the captain who then kicks the sergeant who then kicks the one below
And as the kicks get harder the poor private you can see
And everybody else are kicked to hell they’re trying to save their democracy,

Chorus:
And they’re passing the pain down saying: ‘Be my friend or I’ll punch you’,
They’re passing the pain down; they’re making our enemies for us.
They want us to make war ‘gainst our brothers and sisters,
They want us to hate them; they’re going to make us into strangers.

I got a ___er sister in America, got an auntie in Russia, got
{backing – } *I want to be with you]
A son in Mexico, in London our, our father and mother got
*I want to see you again]
Cousins in China and Japan, Turkey, Africa, Afghanistan,
*I want to see you again]
My Uncle Bill lives in Birmingham, I want to hold your hand
*I ........................................................... I want to hold your hand]

We want Independence; we don’t want your American dream,
Your dream is a nightmare, with too many screams
Of families waking up in the middle of the night,
Soldiers knocking down doors, they blame us for starting the fight.
{repeat chorus}

Overall Meaning

"Passing the Pain Down" describes the frustration of being caught up in the vicious cycle of war and violence that governments thrust onto their citizens. The first verse accuses leaders of making people fight repeatedly for a better life, only to find themselves imprisoned with little hope of progress. And when individuals inevitably resist this oppressive system, they're pitted against their fellow human beings as enemies rather than allies. The chorus emphasizes the passing down of this pain from one generation to the next, how one's enemies are created through the manipulation of people's fears and divisions.

The rest of the song paints a picture of a vast, diverse family spread out across the globe, all longing to be reunited with each other. The repetition of "I want to see you again" underscores the yearning for connection and community that is under threat from the forces that would divide people. The lyrics suggest that there is a way forward, that people can resist the call to hate their fellow beings and instead work towards a common cause. But as long as war and violence remain the norm, this hope will remain elusive.

Line by Line Meaning

They’re making us fight for a better living; they’re making us fight again and again.
We are being made to fight repeatedly for a better living standard.

It takes fifty years to reach twenty years, with a prisoner’s ball and chain,
We are stuck in an oppressive system with no hope of progress for a long time.

And in case we blame our leaders and punch those who are governing
We are not allowed to blame our leaders and if we do, retaliation is expected.

One brother in Argentina is sent to punch me and I’m sent to punch him.
We are pitted against each other by those in power, even if we have no personal enmity towards each other.

Chorus: And they’re passing the pain down saying: ‘Be my friend or I’ll punch you’,
Those in power create divisions and force people to choose sides to maintain control.

They’re passing the pain down; they’re making our enemies for us.
Those in power create enemies for us to fight against, rather than addressing real issues.

They want us to make war ‘gainst our brothers and sisters,
Those in power want to create conflict between people who should be united.

They want us to hate them; they’re going to make us into strangers.
Those in power want to divide us to maintain their control over us, even if it means people who were once close become strangers.

I got a ___er sister in America, got an auntie in Russia, got
I have family and loved ones all over the world.

{backing – } *I want to be with you]
I want to be reunited with my loved ones.

A son in Mexico, in London our, our father and mother got
My family is spread out across different countries.

*I want to see you again]
I long to see my loved ones again.

Cousins in China and Japan, Turkey, Africa, Afghanistan,
My family is scattered across different cultures and nations.

*I want to see you again]
I hope to be reunited with my loved ones.

My Uncle Bill lives in Birmingham, I want to hold your hand
Family is important to me and I miss their physical presence.

*I ........................................................... I want to hold your hand]
I crave physical connection with my loved ones.

We want Independence; we don’t want your American dream,
We desire freedom from oppressive systems and reject the myth of the American dream.

Your dream is a nightmare, with too many screams
The American dream is not attainable for many and comes at a great cost to those who do achieve it.

Of families waking up in the middle of the night,
The dream is not sustainable and causes a lot of unrest and struggle for families.

Soldiers knocking down doors, they blame us for starting the fight.
The systems in power blame ordinary people for issues they themselves have caused, and use force to maintain their control.

{repeat chorus}
The cycle of creating enemies and forcing division continues.

Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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