Limbo
Steve Kilbey Lyrics
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Exhausted resources made us ashamed
Hollywood won't touch you with a pole
Jesus does not love you, lucifer does not want your soul
Made a mistake, no one will forgive you
The servants you love to dismiss all will outlive you
What a fiasco, well I never
Such a good baby, such an old man
Thanks for the memories, now why don't you scram
The lyrics of Steve Kilbey's song 'Limbo' are quite complex and can be interpreted in different ways. The first two lines suggest that people have lost faith in prophets and saints, and that the world has exhausted its resources. The next two lines are quite striking as they suggest that no matter how famous or successful someone may be, they are not immune to being rejected by society. Jesus does not love them, and even Lucifer does not want their soul. This could suggest that the person being referred to has committed some unforgivable sin, and has become an outcast.
The next two lines refer to the idea that the person being addressed is arrogant and dismissive towards their servants or underlings. However, the song suggests that in the end, these 'servants' will outlive them and perhaps even rise above them. The following two lines suggest that someone has purposely divided people against each other, possibly through manipulation or deceit, and created a mess or 'fiasco'.
The last two lines of the song seem to be addressed directly to someone who was once a 'good baby' but has now become an 'old man'. It is not clear whether this is meant to be taken literally or metaphorically, but it could suggest that the person being addressed has lost their innocence or purity over time. The line 'thanks for the memories, now why don't you scram' suggests that the singer wants the person to leave, possibly because they are no longer wanted or needed.
Line by Line Meaning
Ate up the prophets, corrupted the saints
We devoured the wise, lost our morals
Exhausted resources made us ashamed
Our greed brought us to a point of embarrassment
Hollywood won't touch you with a pole
You are so disliked that even the entertainment industry rejects you
Jesus does not love you, lucifer does not want your soul
No one wants anything to do with you, not even the devil himself
Made a mistake, no one will forgive you
Your wrongdoing is so unforgivable that no one can pardon you
The servants you love to dismiss all will outlive you
Those whom you ignore will have a longer-lasting legacy than you
Set us against each other, thought it was clever
Our division was purposely fueled, thinking it would end in victory
What a fiasco, well I never
This situation is a complete disaster, I never imagined it would turn out this poorly
Such a good baby, such an old man
You were once innocent, but time has aged you and corrupted you
Thanks for the memories, now why don't you scram
Remembering you is not pleasant, please leave and don't come back
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Mansfield
" jesus does not love you, lucifer does not want your soul", Powerfull lyrics....
What do they mean? .......
calmblueocean
@errYuck Hey, cool! Not sure if my little old indie band is your cup of tea but we have our own channel called Doradus (thumbnail pic of a blonde chick in sunnies and a dark haired guy behind) to put up old vids for our small-but-loyal fanbase! There's even a very short doco someone made a couple of years ago - it has just been put back up after a little glitch was fixed. (Finding our channel should avoid confusion as there are lots of doradus vids of stars - it's the name of a star after all - plus other people have reposted our stuff in conjunction with other music vids that have nothing to do with Doradus (pretty annoying ) . And thanks for reminding me to try playing the VHS of the 92 Church gig! Hope it hasn't gone too wobbly! Peace 😆
errYuck
@calmblueocean I'll have to see if there's a copy of that concert anywhere, never knew about it. Somebody upped an excellent 1982 live show from The Church - it looks like the Enmore. I'll go and check out Doradus - chhers.
calmblueocean
@errYuck Hey - I just noticed your reply! Yes, that 1992 Church concert at the Enmore was a really amazing experience, I had seen the Church previously at Selina's (big beer barn that it was, crappy sound) and since at other venues, but they were great at the Enmore. The theatre setting and sound really works for the Church anyway, but there was a tangible magic in the air that night... the atmosphere. .. I am getting all nostalgic now. There was a VHS of that concert available about 15yrs ago, a friend bought me a copy as a gift (from red eye I think.)The sound and picture quality isn't the best, I still have it on my shelf but haven't watched it in years! Should get it converted to disc, it's a piece of history! Btw, my band was a 3-piece called Doradus (it was the 90s,everyone was getting a 3 piece together!) There's a few bits and pieces of ours on YouTube if you are curious... try googling 'First Right At The Sun ' is prob the easiest way to get to the right Doradus channel. There are 2 eps and some short vids. Peace 🎸
errYuck
@calmblueocean yes you're right about Jay Jay's location, Scratches was across the road and back towards Broadway. I saw The Church at the Enmore in '92 too - my fav band and its the only time I have seen them. Cheers...btw what was your band's name?
calmblueocean
@errYuck Hey errYuck what a blast from the past! I do remember Jay Jays, on the left side of the road when you are on a bus going from Sydney Uni to Newtown station, is that right? (I remember jumping off the bus to buy a stripey t-shirt in the window once...) I think I vaguely remember Scratches, though it may have been before my time there (up the road from and on the same side as The Marlborough?) My band ping-ponged between Newtown and Newcastle constantly between 1993 and 2000. At the time I sold my Church records we were renting a crappy flat above Torino Pizzeria, up the road and opposite the Enmore Theatre (saw the Church there in '92 - mindblowing show!) I worked in various cafés (like café blue, next to Eastern Flair ) during the day and played at pubs like The Sando at night. It was a good era to be there, a lot of good music. I am interstate now. Peace 😆