Thank You Lucky Star
Siffre Labi Lyrics
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What!? Not moving?!
Pick up the spoon. Get grooving!
There's kids your age and younger
Fat and thin with hunger
So you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
So if your stabbed in the back say "ta
Cos you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
Yes I know you're hungry
and we've got food to spare
We're throwing our surplus food away
But don't think we don't care
We can't afford to send the stuff
to the places where you are
but you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
So if your stabbed in the back say "ta
Cos you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
When you find tou have to pay
but the phone calls go astray
When the bus fares seem to rise
Everytime you close your eyes
When you're old enough to go to war and bleed
But somebody tells you what you can't read
You get 30 years for robbing a train
You get 10 for murder, now that's insane
So if your stabbed in the back say "ta
Cos you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
What do you mean, you're poor?
Well you can't have any more
It's napalm, guns and bombs we nee
We'd like to help you, yes indeed
But we've got to protect the state
So I'm afraid you'll have to wait
but you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
So if your stabbed in the back say "ta
Cos you can thank your lucky star
There's someone, somewhere, much
worse off than you are
The song "Thank You Lucky Star" by Labi Siffre is a powerful commentary on inequality and injustice. The first two verses describe the situation of a child who is reluctant to eat rice pudding that has gone cold. The child is reminded that there are other children who are hungry and suffering around the world, and that they should be grateful for what they have. The third verse highlights the wastefulness and lack of concern for others that exists in society. The fourth verse further emphasizes the harsh realities of life, including war and injustice, and suggests that people should be grateful for what they have, even if it is not much.
Overall, the song encourages listeners to be grateful for what they have and to recognize the suffering of others, even if they are far away or their problems seem insignificant. It reminds us that our good fortune is not necessarily due to our own merit, and that we should be compassionate and humble towards others who may be less fortunate.
Line by Line Meaning
Five years old, rice pudding cold
When I was five years old, I had to have my rice pudding cold.
What!? Not moving?! Pick up the spoon. Get grooving!
Are you really just going to sit there and not eat your food? Pick up the spoon, and dance while you eat!
There's kids your age and younger, Fat and thin with hunger
Don't forget, there are other children out there who are much hungrier than you.
So you can thank your lucky star, There's someone, somewhere, much worse off than you are
Be grateful for what you have because there will always be someone who has less.
Yes I know you're hungry, and we've got food to spare, We're throwing our surplus food away, But don't think we don't care
I understand that you're hungry, and we have more than enough food, but we're throwing it away instead of giving it away. That doesn't mean that we don't care.
We can't afford to send the stuff to the places where you are, but you can thank your lucky star, There's someone, somewhere, much worse off than you are
We would like to give away our surplus food to places like where you live, but we can't afford to do so. Remember, there are people who are even less fortunate than you are.
When you find tou have to pay but the phone calls go astray
Sometimes it feels like you have to pay a lot of money, but everything goes wrong.
When the bus fares seem to rise, Everytime you close your eyes
The cost of the bus seems to increase every time you take a nap.
When you're old enough to go to war and bleed
When you're old enough to join the war and end up fighting.
But somebody tells you what you can't read
Someone tells you what you can or cannot read.
You get 30 years for robbing a train, You get 10 for murder, now that's insane
It doesn't make sense that you can get a shorter sentence for murder than robbing a train.
What do you mean, you're poor? Well you can't have any more
What do you mean you're financially struggling? We can't give you any more resources.
It's napalm, guns and bombs we need, We'd like to help you, yes indeed
We need weapons to defend ourselves using napalm, guns, and bombs. But we do want to help if we could.
But we've got to protect the state, So I'm afraid you'll have to wait
We have to protect our country, so we cannot help you immediately. You'll have to be patient.
So if your stabbed in the back say "ta, Cos you can thank your lucky star, There's someone, somewhere, much worse off than you are
If someone betrays you, be grateful that you aren't in a worse position. There will always be someone who's having a tougher time than you.
Contributed by Kaylee O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.