Sallie-Anne
Spy vs. Spy Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sally-Anne

You get what you can
When things don't work out right
City life makes you grow up fast

To each their own
We somehow find a path
But feet get dirty on the way

Disappointment always
Rears its ugly head
Expensive habits
Expensive tastes
Lead you to bed
Sallie-Anne

Who do you trust
To do what you must do
No destination, but always on the loose
Temptations sake, you never make a stand
But I feel that I must rake up
This painful past
Sallie-Anne

They had their way
We all know that was true
But meeting in the park
Was a silly thing to do
Suspicion doesn't age
Nor memories of you
I've never been closer than a newspaper




But I feel for you
Sallie-Anne

Overall Meaning

The song "Sallie-Anne" by Spy vs. Spy is a thoughtful reflection on the city life, the struggle to find one's own path, and the disappointment that often comes with trying to navigate a complex world. The track explores the uncertain journey of a young woman named Sallie-Anne, who finds herself caught up in the expensive habits and tastes that are typical of big city living. The song suggests that Sallie-Anne has had a painful past and is constantly tempted to make choices that may not be in her best interest.


The lyrics of the song are quite introspective, capturing the mood of a somewhat disillusioned protagonist who is experiencing the ups and downs of trying to make it in the big city. The song seems to be cautioning against the dangers of getting too caught up in the fast-paced lifestyle of a big city, warning that it can be easy to lose sight of what is truly valuable in life. The lyrics touch on themes of regret, temptation, and suspicion, highlighting the challenges that so many people face when trying to navigate life's various obstacles.


Overall, "Sallie-Anne" is a poignant and reflective song that captures the essence of big city living in all its complexity. It's a powerful reminder that life can be tough, but it's important to keep pushing forward, even when things don't work out as planned.


Line by Line Meaning

You get what you can
You do what you can to succeed


When things don't work out right
When plans don't go as planned


City life makes you grow up fast
Living in the city forces you to mature quickly


To each their own
Everyone has their own way of doing things


We somehow find a path
We eventually find our way


But feet get dirty on the way
We may face hardships and struggles along the way


Disappointment always
Failure is always a possibility


Rears its ugly head
Manifests itself in an unpleasant way


Expensive habits
Costly lifestyle choices


Expensive tastes
Preference for expensive things


Lead you to bed
Result in negative consequences


Sallie-Anne
Referring to a person named Sallie-Anne, the subject of the song


Who do you trust
Questioning who to put your trust in


To do what you must do
To accomplish necessary tasks


No destination, but always on the loose
Not having a specific goal, but remaining free and adventurous


Temptations sake, you never make a stand
Giving in to temptation instead of taking a stand


But I feel that I must rake up
Feeling the need to revisit and address past issues


This painful past
Past experiences that were difficult or hurtful


They had their way
People in power were able to control the situation


We all know that was true
The situation was clear and widely accepted


But meeting in the park
Referring to a specific event of meeting in a park


Was a silly thing to do
In retrospect, it was a foolish choice


Suspicion doesn't age
Distrust and uncertainty don't go away over time


Nor memories of you
Likely referring to negative memories of Sallie-Anne


I've never been closer than a newspaper
Referring to a lack of closeness or connection to Sallie-Anne


But I feel for you
Despite the lack of closeness, the singer feels empathy or compassion for Sallie-Anne




Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@StephenFogarty2023

Hey Craig,
I hope that the gig went well.
I’m sure u found your rhythm and groove, and then started bounding around the stage, as if it was 1988 again…
Hopefully Covid is under control soon
We really need the pubs, clubs etc and live music scene too be back ASAP
It would be awesome to c u play live again.
I made another comment attached to your other comment here.
Cheers,
🎸 🎤 🥁



@jimmywrangles

You get what you can
When things don't work out right
City life makes you grow up fast

To each their own
We somehow find a path
But feet get dirty on the way

Disappointment always
Rears its ugly head
Expensive habits
Expensive tastes
Lead you to bed
Sallie-Anne

Who do you trust
To do what you must do
No destination, but always on the loose
Temptations sake, you never make a stand
But I feel that I must rake up
This painful past
Sallie-Anne

They had their way
We all know that was true
But meeting in the park
Was a silly thing to do
Suspicion doesn't age
Nor memories of you
I've never been closer than a newspaper
But I feel for you
Sallie-Anne

Watched them live in their last gig at the Venue in DeeWhy(before they reformed), brillaint. RIP SallieAnn and Mike.



@alanstrom2221

Now here's a Rock Band with a social conscience and left-wing political commentary set to some of the most powerful driving music in Australian history.
These guys are a National Treasure. Love them with a passion!!!!


If anyone asks you who a great Bass player is, then you can look them in the eye and say
CRAIG BLOXOM. The rhythm and the power of Craig's playing drove the band along with the Drumming of
Cliff Grigg.
Who is a great Drummer? Tell them Cliff Grigg is awesome.
What makes this band one of, if not the best and greatest 3 piece bands is Michael Weiley's Guitar playing.
RIP MIchael



@alanstrom2221

Now here's a Rock Band with a social conscience and left-wing political commentary set to some most powerful driving music in Australian history.
These guys are a National Treasure. Love them with a passion!!!!


If anyone asks you who a great Bass player is, then you can look them in the eye and say
CRAIG BLOXOM. The rhythm and the power of Craig's playing drove the band along with the Drumming of
Cliff Grigg.
Who is a great Drummer? Tell them Cliff Grigg is awesome.
What makes this band one of, if not the best and greatest 3 piece bands is Michael Weiley's Guitar playing.
RIP MIchae



All comments from YouTube:

@craigbloxom8181

..... we recorded this at the Tivoli nightclub on George St Sydney and I remember watching the playback and thinking how bad we played that night. There were a few mistakes and shit like that. I look back now and think what in the fuck was I worried about? Ah, hindsight is 20-20 but we really felt strongly about Sallie Huckstep because she was alive one day.... about to testify to police corruption and then she was dead. Corruption killed her sure, but her misery began with drug addiction and there's the rub. Sydney was awash with heroin in those days, and I can personally testify to that problem. Recovery one day at a time. 💙💙💙

@stevonbass

Thank you for remembering Sallie Anne Huckstep. I was no closer to her than a "newspaper story", but her story was the first time it really hit home how petty and powerful corruption can be.

@tylerdmore9372

@@stevonbass you forgot deadly....

@stateofblitz

Unfortunately your old bass player friend Chris Toms passed away a few years back. You probably already knew but wasn't sure as he couldn't get in touch with you back then. I only knew him for a short while. Please excuse the public message. Take care 🎸

@craigbloxom8181

@@stateofblitz Hey thanks for the message and I only found out about Chris recently. We were in touch quite a bit via email & stuff and then the communication from him just stopped which I thought was odd. Now I know he died. He was a lovely man with a big heart and of course a great bass player. I remember him playing that white Washburn bass really, really well. Keep well and all the best okay? 💙

@MJWVI

Craig Bloxom in a perverse way mate, the good old days of Sydney. I was a Glebe and Darlo local back then. Not condoning the habits of the tasters but fuck it was a vibrant and very Sydney milleau in those days.

41 More Replies...

@craigbloxom8181

Thanks for the kudos everyone! We're lucky to have grown-up in the '80's because it was an incredible musical decade. And would you believe I'm playing my first gig in 17 years tonight? Richard Lara from the Screaming Jets and myself have put together a reggae band called SKATTERHEAD playing all '80's Australian music reggae style. We do Spys, Jets, Oils, Chisel, Divinyls, INXS etc. all REGGAE! It's fun & funny. Toronto Hotel NSW Christmas Eve our first gig ever. Wish us luck! Merry Christmas everyone!

@truespyfan

You got a page or link to when and where? would love to catch anything 80s again!

@williamquirk2899

You were the best of the best mate, the music gets better over time. Peace.

@StephenFogarty2023

Hey Craig,
I hope that the gig went well.
I’m sure u found your rhythm and groove, and then started bounding around the stage, as if it was 1988 again…
Hopefully Covid is under control soon
We really need the pubs, clubs etc and live music scene too be back ASAP
It would be awesome to c u play live again.
I made another comment attached to your other comment here.
Cheers,
🎸 🎤 🥁

More Comments

More Versions