Have You Ever Been Away
The Beautiful South Lyrics


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Your 'fight them on the beaches' speeches make me despair
'Cause if there's one thing we can guarantee is you will not he there
Tidying your room, making up your bed
And if your diary's full that week you'll send us lot instead

Send us lot instead, put a poppy by my lovers bed
We believe you when you say you've hurt your back
Have you ever been away
Where were you when we took Calais?
You don 't know, you don't care
You 're just glad that you wasn't there
Have you ever been away

I'm afraid your Rule Britannia mania doesn't ring so true
If I was captain of the waves I'd turn the gun on you
Any last requests before you join dead?
I'll crap into your Union Jack and wrap it round your head

Wrap it round your head, take a look at all the blood we've shed
We'll believe you when you say it was worth it

Liberate the streets of Europe, give our kids a chance
Give them Beaujolais by tap and cheap day trips to France




But you have never seen or smelt this ungodly death
It's like the stench of roasted lamb upon your father's breath

Overall Meaning

The Beautiful South's song "Have You Ever Been Away" is a satirical commentary on the hypocrisy of politicians and their slogans during wars. The lyrics express disgust towards the empty promises of politicians, especially those who give speeches about fighting in wars yet never risk their own lives on the battlefield. The opening line of the song, "Your 'fight them on the beaches' speeches make me despair," specifically references Winston Churchill's famous World War II speech. The singer doesn't believe the politicians' promises because they know that the politicians will not actually be there to fight alongside their countrymen. The lyrics go on to insult politicians by suggesting that if they are too busy with personal tasks, they will send "us lot instead" to fight for them.


The song also mocks the notion of patriotism, especially when wars are fought for questionable reasons. The line "I'm afraid your Rule Britannia mania doesn't ring so true" implies that the idea of British superiority is not as believable as it once was. The chorus inquires, "Have you ever been away? Where were you when we took Calais?" The rhetorical question challenges the notion of patriotism by suggesting that those who make nationalistic claims are often removed from the actual events they are claiming to champion. The line "I'll crap into your Union Jack and wrap it round your head" drives home the point that patriotism can be taken to an extreme to the point of absurdity.


The final verse dismisses the politicians' slogans and paints a graphic picture of the reality of war. The lyrics call the politicians out, stating that they have never "smelt this ungodly death." The song highlights the absurdity of politicians calling for war without truly understanding the horrors that come with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Your 'fight them on the beaches' speeches make me despair
I feel hopeless when I hear your speeches about fighting on the beaches


'Cause if there's one thing we can guarantee is you will not he there
We can definitely expect that you will not be there if there's a fight


Tidying your room, making up your bed
You're busy sorting out your personal things instead of contributing to the cause


And if your diary's full that week you'll send us lot instead
If you're busy that week, you'll send us to fight in your place


Send us lot instead, put a poppy by my lovers bed
You'll send us to fight while you stay home and pay lip service to our cause


We believe you when you say you've hurt your back
We don't believe that you're genuinely injured


Have you ever been away
Have you ever gone out to fight for your country?


Where were you when we took Calais?
Where were you when our troops captured Calais?


You don 't know, you don't care
You have no idea and no concern about what's happening on the front lines


You 're just glad that you wasn't there
You're happy that you weren't personally involved in the fighting


I'm afraid your Rule Britannia mania doesn't ring so true
Your jingoistic patriotism is not authentic


If I was captain of the waves I'd turn the gun on you
If I were in charge, I would use force against you instead of our enemies


Any last requests before you join dead?
Do you have any final wishes before you die?


I'll crap into your Union Jack and wrap it round your head
I will insult your country by defiling its flag


Wrap it round your head, take a look at all the blood we've shed
Look at all the lives lost in the name of patriotism


We'll believe you when you say it was worth it
We don't actually believe that the loss of life was worth any gain


Liberate the streets of Europe, give our kids a chance
We want to free Europe and give our children a better future


Give them Beaujolais by tap and cheap day trips to France
We want to provide our children with material prosperity and opportunities to travel


But you have never seen or smelt this ungodly death
You have no idea what it's like to face the horrors of war


It's like the stench of roasted lamb upon your father's breath
The smell of death is so all-encompassing that it touches every aspect of life




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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