Friendly Fire
Sean Lennon Lyrics


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I don't want to hear
Another word from you now
I'd rather be wrong
Life is mostly what
You don't see anyway
So just look away
But our shadows
Never leave us alone
Down the bad roads
They will follow us
Faithfully home

[Chorus]
You launched the assault
With the first cannonball
My soldiers were sleeping
I know that you thought
It would never come down,
Down to the wire
It's friendly fire

In your room filled with the things
That you've never done
Does anyone really care
Your shadow
Just won't leave you alone
Cause he knows well
He knows what you've done

[Chorus]

Waves don't wonder
When you're drowning
Under the sea
So don't look for me
Find her keep her lose her
Deserts you in the end
You were my friend
Like your shadow
No one knows you as well
As I do

You launched the assault
With the first cannonball
My soldiers were sleeping
I know that you thought
It would never come down,
Down to the ground
Cause I was so tired
Then I'll get down




Down to the wire
It's friendly fire

Overall Meaning

Sean Lennon's song "Friendly Fire" is a breakup song filled with melancholic lyrics, self-reflection, and regret. The song speaks about bitterness and disillusionment of one's self and others. Lennon opens with the lyrics "I don't want to hear another word from you now; I'd rather be wrong," indicating that he is tired of hearing his partner's justifications and apologies. He also acknowledges that life is mostly invisible, and we tend to overlook the things that matter. He posits that we should look away and suggests that our shadows never leave us alone, reminding us of our failures and shortcomings.


In the chorus, Lennon uses a war metaphor, referencing "friendly fire," which represents the incident where a soldier is mistakenly hit by his comrades in arms, which is regrettable. Here, he likens the situation to the war incident. He sings, "You launched the assault with the first cannonball; my soldiers were sleeping," indicating that his partner betrayed him when he least expected it. He further admits that he was so tired, and that's why "it came down to the wire," meaning he could not fight anymore.


Later, Lennon talks about his friend and how he was like his shadow, representing an extension of himself. He suggests that he knew his friend well and that no one knows us better than our shadows. However, he confesses that his friend launched an attack using the first cannonball, making friendly fire inevitable. This song speaks to our inner struggles, our inability to trust others, and the pain of losing someone we thought we knew.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't want to hear
I do not want to listen to you anymore.


Another word from you now
I am tired of hearing from you at this point.


I'd rather be wrong
I would love to be incorrect about what I'm feeling right now.


Life is mostly what
Most of life is full of events that we miss and do not observe.


You don't see anyway
We do not see many things that happen around us.


So just look away
It's best to ignore what you don't want to see.


But our shadows
Even in the darkest times, our inner selves remain with us.


Never leave us alone
Our inner selves can be our friend or foe, but they will always be with us.


Down the bad roads
Even in the worst situations, our inner selves will still be there.


They will follow us
Our inner selves always follow us through the ups and downs of life.


Faithfully home
Our inner selves will always lead us home.


You launched the assault
You began the attack.


With the first cannonball
The first strike came from you.


My soldiers were sleeping
My defenses were not prepared.


I know that you thought
I realize that you assumed.


It would never come down,
You believed it would never happen.


Down to the wire
At the last possible moment.


It's friendly fire
You attacked me, one of your own side.


In your room filled with the things
You are surrounded by things you've never done in your life.


That you've never done
Things you've always wanted to do, but never did.


Does anyone really care
No one cares about your unfulfilled ambitions.


Your shadow
Your inner self, your conscience.


Just won't leave you alone
It keeps reminding you of your unfulfilled ambitions.


Cause he knows well
Your inner self knows exactly.


He knows what you've done
He knows that you didn't do what you wanted to do.


Waves don't wonder
The waves in the sea do not question when you're drowning.


When you're drowning
When you're in trouble and need support.


Under the sea
In a situation where it's hard for others to understand what's going on.


So don't look for me
Don't seek my support when you're struggling.


Find her keep her lose her
It is easy to find and keep someone but it is difficult to maintain the relationship.


Deserts you in the end
In the end, people will leave you on your own.


You were my friend
You were my companion.


Like your shadow
Just like my inner self.


No one knows you as well
No one understands you better.


As I do
Like me.


Down to the ground
Things got really intense.


Cause I was so tired
Because I was exhausted.


Then I'll get down
I'll finally break down.


To the wire
At the last possible moment.


It's friendly fire
The shot came from my side.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: SEAN ONO LENNON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

The Bohemian Luciferian Witch

This album is amazing. But even though I've seen the short film for it so many times, even just listening to it makes you uncomfortable. Not because it's bad, but because it's so intimate, so personal. And when you see the woman the album was written about in the short film, it's just.. wow. Crazy. But he's so awesome and talented.

Intania Pharamita

There was nothing wrong with his voice and music, you just can't relate

Kutest Snails

AMEN. This is gorgeous.

Lilith Vervain

I fell in love with his voice...

Annastasia Grandiose

Sean is AMAZING! I love his music SO much!

HollywoodFameAwards

This is a gem, music married to cinema. Keep up the great work.

Coop 18

I think it's an amazing CD. And when you buy it you get a bonus DVD of all the songs. You can definitely tell he's John's son

K L

one thing I know , thats I love this song !

Andy Marshall

He is one of the best artists of this century

blabadiblabla

I know you're right this was a little harsh. I watched some of Sean's live stuff he as done more recently and he really sounds awesome live. i have since apologized for my comments on other vids of his... he's totally evolving as a singer at an alarming rate. ;^)

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