High & Low
Stiff Little Fingers Lyrics


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She got a 2 year old in nursery
And then lately got the sack
She gets a phone call from her mother
And she takes a little flak
Cause she earns all her money now
By lying on her back
Yet it's just an even change she needs
A lucky break she lacks

She's searchin'
High&low
For something to believe in
And for sure
She knows she's has enough of dreaming
If she got the start
She's certain she could do it
Cause it seemed complicated
But there's really nothing to it

He works from home everything evening
Baby laxative & scales
And he's make a bloody fortune
If he just stays out of jail
Got a network of runners
And a friend who'll stand his bail
Yet he's give up in a minute
If he has a real career

They're twoccing cars for excitement
Tearing up council estates
They're painting walls and doors of businesses
With messages of hate
Hanging round street corners till' late




Cause they see no exit, no way out
There's no way to escape

Overall Meaning

The song High & Low by Stiff Little Fingers tells the stories of three different individuals struggling to find their place in life. The first verse focuses on a woman who has been recently fired from her job and now works as a prostitute to support herself and her two-year-old child in nursery. She receives criticism from her mother for her unscrupulous profession, but the woman is desperate for a change and a big break to improve her life. She searches high and low for meaning and opportunities but seems unable to find what she's looking for.


The second verse describes a drug dealer who works from home by using baby laxative and scales to cut and sell drugs. He has a vast network of runners and is close to becoming wealthy if he can avoid getting caught by the authorities. However, he considers his profession as a temporary fallback job and would switch to a legitimate career if he gets the chance. He is also searching for a way to achieve something greater in life.


The third and final verse speaks about young people who resort to destructive behavior for amusement due to lack of direction and purpose. They engage in carjacking, vandalism, and writing graffiti with hate messages. They hang around the streets aimlessly as they feel trapped with no way out. The song highlights the struggles faced by different individuals in a changing world and the difficulties they face to find their way and achieve their dreams.


Line by Line Meaning

She got a 2 year old in nursery
She has a 2-year-old child who goes to nursery for a better upbringing.


And then lately got the sack
She recently lost her job, and hence, she has become unemployed.


She gets a phone call from her mother
Her mother called her on the phone for a casual conversation.


And she takes a little flak
Her mother criticized her slightly for her wrongdoings.


Cause she earns all her money now by lying on her back
She makes money through prostitution, which she has to do by lying on her back.


Yet it's just an even change she needs, a lucky break she lacks
She needs a fair opportunity to change her life, but she hasn't got that lucky chance yet.


She's searching high and low for something to believe in
She is searching desperately everywhere for some meaningful belief and purpose in her life.


And for sure, she knows she's had enough of dreaming
She is tired of only dreaming and not achieving anything in real life.


If she got the start, she's certain she could do it, cause it seemed complicated. But there's really nothing to it
If she gets a starting point or a chance, she feels confident that she can do anything because what appears complicated is simple once begun.


He works from home everything evening
A man works from his home in the evening to earn his livelihood.


Baby laxative & scales
He is involved in selling drugs to make a living and weighing them for precise measures.


And he's made a bloody fortune, if he just stays out of jail
He makes a lot of money through drug dealing but could lose everything and be imprisoned if caught by the authorities.


Got a network of runners, and a friend who'll stand his bail
He has a group of people who work with him in selling drugs and are also available to help him bail out of jail if necessary.


Yet he'd give up in a minute if he had a real career
He would abandon drug dealing if he gets a legitimate and worthy career opportunity that promises a better future for him.


They're twoccing cars for excitement tearing up council estates
They steal and drive cars for fun, which leads to damaging council places.


They're painting walls and doors of businesses with messages of hate
They vandalize business properties with hateful messages by painting them on walls and doors.


Hanging round street corners till' late
They spend their evenings and late nights lingering around on street corners.


Cause they see no exit, no way out. There's no way to escape
They lack hope for any way out of their current miserable lives, which makes them feel trapped with no means to escape their predicament.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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