The Great Fire
The Good the Bad & the Queen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cubs make fires on the edge of the golf course
But there's more of them than us now
And they have come to settle scores
So there's bound to be altercations
On the B-road where they don't fly the union flag

Back to the seaside, the dream
About 6PM
The North Pier
The lead stare
The deep dead laughter of the yellow stars
Rapturous waves
Rapturous waves

This tram is for Stargate
Next stop Uncle Toms Cabin
With the bloody nuts
And the dark forces and girls

Is 15 milligrams
A way to a dream you can never touch?
Lips like a Zeppelin
Sticky brown Chinese, coke and a dummy
Metal detector
Blue skies
Joyous waves
Alcoholism disguised with a balloon or two
On Preston station

The rust on our palms
Greenbelt, pleasant land
Fills the smoky room
With the headlamp fairy lights
Suit clad purple tinsel
Karaoke knave Tuesday night
At Tiffany's



Six cocktails nursed
A million ways back to the sea

Overall Meaning

The Good the Bad & the Queen's song The Great Fire is a commentary on the state of modern society and the erosion of traditional British culture. The lyrics describe the conflict between the urban youth and the older generation, with the former being represented by the Cubs, who make fires on the edge of the golf course. The Cubs are described as being more numerous than the older generation, and they have come to settle scores, which suggests a sense of resentment and anger towards the established order. The line "On the B-road where they don't fly the union flag" suggests a lack of patriotism and a rejection of traditional values.


The song then takes a surreal turn, as the lyrics describe a dream-like sequence of images which seem to have little connection to the earlier verses. The "seaside dream" evokes the nostalgia and longing for a simpler time that the song seems to be criticizing. The lines "Lips like a Zeppelin/Sticky brown Chinese, coke and a dummy" suggest a sense of disorientation and confusion that characterizes the experience of modern life.


The final verse describes a scene of revelry and escape at a karaoke bar, where the characters are trying to forget the world outside. The lines "Six cocktails nursed/A million ways back to the sea" suggest a sense of ennui and loss, as if the characters are searching for an escape that is always just out of reach.


Line by Line Meaning

Cubs make fires on the edge of the golf course
There are young, inexperienced troublemakers gathering and starting fires near the golf course


But there's more of them than us now
Their numbers have grown larger than ours


And they have come to settle scores
Their intent is to get even for something we may have done in the past


So there's bound to be altercations
Violence is likely to occur


On the B-road where they don't fly the union flag
This will take place on a road where there is no sign of allegiance to the country


Back to the seaside, the dream
Returning to the coast is a cherished thought


About 6PM
Around six in the evening


The North Pier
This specific pier along the shore


The lead stare
The heavy gaze


The deep dead laughter of the yellow stars
The inauthentic, forced laughter of well-known people


Rapturous waves
The waves of the ocean are a source of immense joy


Rapturous waves
The waves of the ocean bring boundless happiness


This tram is for Stargate
The vehicle is bound for Stargate


Next stop Uncle Toms Cabin
The location of the following stop is at Uncle Tom's Cabin


With the bloody nuts
Accompanied by the insane individuals


And the dark forces and girls
Including the evil influences as well as the female population


Is 15 milligrams
Does 15 milligrams of something


A way to a dream you can never touch?
Is this a method to reach a dream that can never be achieved?


Lips like a Zeppelin
Characteristic of the lips are similar to those of a Zeppelin airship


Sticky brown Chinese, coke and a dummy
Sticky, sweet food from Chinese cuisine alongside a stimulant and a fake object


Metal detector
A device that indicates the presence of metal


Blue skies
The sky is a shade of blue


Joyous waves
The waves of the ocean are a source of immense joy


Alcoholism disguised with a balloon or two
Disguised by balloons, drinking to excess is a major issue


On Preston station
At the location known as Preston Station


The rust on our palms
The rust on our hands


Greenbelt, pleasant land
The pleasant land characterized by greenery


Fills the smoky room
The space is filled with an atmosphere of smoke


With the headlamp fairy lights
Headlamps of cars illuminate the space, characterized as fairy lights


Suit clad purple tinsel
Decorative purple foil meant for clothing


Karaoke knave Tuesday night
The night of Tuesday with a person who is untrustworthy when it comes to karaoke


At Tiffany's
At the location known as Tiffany's


Six cocktails nursed
Six cocktails are sipped deliberately


A million ways back to the sea
There are countless ways to return to the ocean




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anthony Oladipo Allen, Damon Albarn, Paul Gustave Simonon, Simon Tong, ALLEN ANTHONY OLADIPO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

robin chamberlain

Damon Albarn is possibly the best singer song writer we’ve ever had. The man is a genius.

Rodrigo producciones Con algo cool

jhon lennon or paul mc cartney are the best

Johanas B Autisticous

Nice to find I'm not the only one that feels that way.

Jason Hill

i greedily lick at the road salts on of all of damon’s musical vehicles.

scar

Did I just start listening to The Good, the Bad and the Queen?

Yes.

Do I like it?

Absolutely.

Bruhhærb

same.

Corrado Bonicelli

This is one of the most intense pieces of art I have ever heard

Char10tti3

My God this is fantastic, my favourite with Merrie Land so far, maybe it’s because I’m used to the first album but the lyrics and vocals are amazing and not just the instrumentals.

忘れたdreamingwithyxu

Una de las mejores canciones del álbum ! Increíble

Lady stardust

Que aterrador se ve Damon!! 😡 pero la canción es sin duda!! Magnifica!! 🌟🌈😍

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