Shot Down
The Cherry Faced Lurchers Lyrics
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Many times have we seen
In the eyes of the neighbours
In the eyes of the neighbours
A feeling that leaves none to guess
Who's gonna walk with you and when
Or less who's been left out there with dust on his dead feet
Shot down in the street baby
Look right at the sunset
Look left 'n poverty
Look on in amazement
Mill first and mind's crazy yeah
Nowhere else in the world
Can you see so many monsters that keep outside patiently
And leave you wondering what happened to all those sacred things
Well they got shot down, yeah
In the street, yeah
New morning
New morning
Old ways they get away
But here in my cradle
I lie and can't move
I'm a white boy
Looked at his life gathered in his hands
And thought don't do this, son of some other man, that one who got
Shot down
In the street babe
Shot down in the street
The beginning of "Shot Down" by The Cherry Faced Lurchers feels like an introduction to something you've been waiting for. You've seen it happen before as if it's a scene you've watched repeatedly. However, the faces of the onlookers tell you that it's not a sight you'd call familiar. It's a feeling that "leaves none to guess," and you know that it's one of dread or sadness. There's no question whether someone has been left out there, alone, with "dust on his dead feet." The repetition of "shot down in the street baby" throughout the song emphasizes the tragedy further.
The middle part is a contrast to the beginning, and yet it still conveys a similar feeling. You're asked to look right at the sunset and left at poverty. And, in doing so, feel a sense of amazement. Maybe it's amazement of how something so beautiful can exist right next to poverty. Or maybe it's amazement at how someone could witness both and not be affected. Either way, you're forced to confront the monsters that exist outside, and you're left wondering what happened to all those sacred things that once were. Again, the phrase "shot down" is utilized to emphasize that what was once seen as sacred or valuable is now gone.
The last part is more personal. The new morning brings about change and possibly hope. Old ways are left behind, but at the same time, you feel stuck. You're in your "cradle" and can't move. The image, along with the line "I'm a white boy," highlights a sense of privilege that doesn't allow one to fully engage with the world outside or maybe even understand it. You see your life gathered in your hands, and you know that you don't want to end up like someone else's son, someone who has already been "shot down in the street."
Line by Line Meaning
Long have we all waited
We have all been waiting for a while now
Many times have we seen
We have seen this happen many times before
In the eyes of the neighbours
We can see it in the eyes of those around us
In the eyes of the neighbours
We can see it in the eyes of those around us
A feeling that leaves none to guess
The feeling is unmistakable
Who's gonna walk with you and when
Who will support you and when?
Or less who's been left out there with dust on his dead feet
Who has been abandoned and left to struggle?
Shot down in the street baby
They were killed in public
Look right at the sunset
Take a moment to appreciate the beauty
Look left 'n poverty
But then remember the harsh reality
Look on in amazement
We are still shocked by what we see
Mill first and mind's crazy yeah
The world is focused on money, and it's making us crazy
Nowhere else in the world
This is a unique situation
Can you see so many monsters that keep outside patiently
So many dangerous people are just waiting outside
And leave you wondering what happened to all those sacred things
We are left wondering what happened to our values
Well they got shot down, yeah
Our values were destroyed
In the street, yeah
All of this happened publicly
New morning
A new day has begun
New morning
Another new day
Old ways they get away
The old ways are disappearing
But here in my cradle
But I am still young and innocent
I lie and can't move
I am helpless in the face of these changes
I'm a white boy
I come from a privileged background
Looked at his life gathered in his hands
I am trying to make sense of my life
And thought don't do this, son of some other man, that one who got
I don't want to end up like someone else who was also
Shot down
Killed
In the street babe
In public
Shot down in the street
Publicly killed
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kinas182
@TheDivaofdeath thanks for the reply sounds like a great time , when I listen to that live at Jamesons I imagine what it was like. Feels like i was there thanks to such great music.
@wrexony
Hey Guys -you can find most of Jame's work at Sjambokmusic. I'm putting lots of stuff from Shifty Rec - Urban Creep up soon - just done the Aeroplanes
@Gamster420
Nice. Thanks so much!
@kinas182
Hi LeeBeeBee1, If you knew him well you should write a blog or something about him or experiences with him. There`s definetly interest in him and there`s maybe one decent article about him on the net. Not many people were expressing themselves the way he was at such a hectic time in the country, his music is almost a diary.
@kinas182
@TheSpectat0r Thanks dude. Here's a website where i download most of my sa stuff from there's a lot james phillips stuff on there but about those other ones i'm not sure about and not even sure there were studio versions of songs on that live jamiesons album. I reckon the people at the website might know more about that rare stuff...
@rcswart1
Does anyone know where I can get an album of these guys? It's a shame that no-one knows this band, at least not in my age class.
@LeeBeeBee1
I knew James well. Smoked it up with him ... took Acid & got pissed with him, then he died in a car crash in Grahamstown. Tragic.
@kinas182
rhythmmusicstore just put a dot com at the end
@midnigatgmaildotcom
@kinas182, hey, thanks for this. What's the address of the website where you get the sa stuff?
@Deontjie
WTF?