The Man In The Moon
The Browns Lyrics


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Midnight to six man
For the first time from Jamaica
Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Delroy Wilson, your cool operator

Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae
With backing bands sound systems
And if they've got anything to say
There's many black ears here to listen

But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right
Charging from the bass knives to the treble
But onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel
Onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel

Dress back jump back, this is a bluebeat attack
'Cause it won't get you anywhere
Fooling with the guns
The British Army is waiting out there
An' it weighs fifteen hundred tons

White youth, black youth
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution

Punk rockers in the UK
They won't notice anyway
They're all too busy fighting
For a good place under the lighting

The new groups are not concerned
With what there is to be learned
They got Burton suits, ha, you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money

All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They'd send a limousine anyway

I'm the all night drug-prowling wolf
Who looks so sick in the sun
I'm the white man in the Palais
Just lookin' for fun

I'm only
Looking for fun





I'm only
Looking for fun

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Browns & ザ・バンド's song The Man In The Moon are poetic and insightful, with references to music, race, politics and rebellion. At first, the song describes a music scene in Jamaica, with artists like Dillinger and Leroy Smart performing for a diverse audience. This scene is contrasted with the UK pop reggae scene, which includes Ken Boothe and sound systems backed by bands. The lyrics emphasize the importance of these musicians having a voice and a platform, with "many black ears here to listen".


The song then shifts to a critique of rebellion and activism in the UK, particularly amongst the punk rockers. The lyrics caution against blindly following rebellious acts that don't lead to real change, and instead becoming preoccupied with gaining fame and fortune. The song also references the political climate, with lines about changing political views and the potential for even a figure like Adolf Hitler to be celebrated if he were to visit.


Ultimately, the lyrics speak to a sense of restlessness and searching for meaning, encapsulated in the lines "I'm the all night drug-prowling wolf/Who looks so sick in the sun/I'm the white man in the Palais/Just lookin' for fun". The song seems to caution against getting caught up in empty rebellion or superficial fun, and instead encourages listeners to seek deeper meaning and purpose.


Line by Line Meaning

Midnight to six man
The party lasted from midnight until 6 in the morning


For the first time from Jamaica
Jamaican musicians performed for the first time at this venue


Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Dillinger and Leroy Smart were among the Jamaican performers


Delroy Wilson, your cool operator
Delroy Wilson was also a Jamaican performer


Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae
Ken Boothe was a Jamaican musician popular in the UK pop reggae scene


With backing bands sound systems
These Jamaican performers had backing bands and sound systems


And if they've got anything to say
The performers had something to say through their music


There's many black ears here to listen
Many black people were there to listen to the Jamaican musicians


But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right
The Four Tops performed all night with encores from the right side of the stage


Charging from the bass knives to the treble
The music had a strong beat from the bass to the treble


But onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel
The Four Tops didn't have the spirit of the roots rock rebel on stage


Dress back jump back, this is a bluebeat attack
This is a lively bluebeat music performance


'Cause it won't get you anywhere
Fighting with guns won't get you anywhere


Fooling with the guns
Playing with guns is foolish


The British Army is waiting out there
The British Army is waiting outside


An' it weighs fifteen hundred tons
The British Army is powerful


White youth, black youth
Both white and black youth are affected by the violence


Better find another solution
A better solution needs to be found


Why not phone up Robin Hood
Robin Hood may have a solution to the problem


And ask him for some wealth distribution
Asking Robin Hood to redistribute wealth may be a solution


Punk rockers in the UK
UK punk rockers


They won't notice anyway
They won't pay attention to these problems


They're all too busy fighting
They're too busy fighting each other


For a good place under the lighting
For fame and attention


The new groups are not concerned
Newer musicians are not concerned with these problems


With what there is to be learned
They don't want to learn about these issues


They got Burton suits, ha, you think it's funny
They wear expensive suits to be ironic


Turning rebellion into money
They profit from their rebellion


All over people changing their votes
People are changing their political views


Along with their overcoats
And changing their style


If Adolf Hitler flew in today
Even if Adolf Hitler were alive today


They'd send a limousine anyway
People would still treat him like a celebrity


I'm the all night drug-prowling wolf
The artist is a person who stays up all night looking for drugs


Who looks so sick in the sun
They feel sick when exposed to daylight


I'm the white man in the Palais
The singer is a white man at the Palais nightclub


Just lookin' for fun
They are just looking for entertainment


I'm only
The singer is emphasizing their single-mindedness


Looking for fun
They are only interested in having fun


I'm only
The singer repeats their previous statement


Looking for fun
They really are only interested in having fun




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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