Thick As Thieves
The Jam Lyrics


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Times were so tough, but not as tough as they are now
We were so close and nothing came between us, and the world
No personal situations
Thick as thieves us, we'd stick together for all time
And we meant it but it turns out just for a while
We stole, the friendship that bound us together

We stole from the schools and their libraries
We stole from the drugs that sent us to sleep
We stole from the drink that made us sick
We stole anything that we couldn't keep
And it was enough, we didn't have to spoil anything
And always be as thick as thieves

Like a perfect stranger, you came into my life
Then like the perfect lone ranger, you rode away, rode away
Rode away, rode away

We stole the love from young girls in ivory towers
We stole autumn leaves and summer showers
We stole the silent wind that says you are free
We stole everything that we could see
But it wasn't enough, and now we've gone and spoiled everything
Now we're no longer as thick as thieves

You came into my life
Then like a perfect stranger you walked away, walked away
Walked away, walked away

Thick as thieves us, we'd stick together for all time
And we meant it but it turns out just for awhile
We stole the friendship that bound us together

We stole the burning sun in the open sky
We stole the twinkling stars in the black night
We stole the green belt fields that made us believe
We stole everything that we could see

But something came along that changes our minds (we're no longer thick as thieves)
I don't know what and I don't know why (we're not thick as we used to be)
But we seemed to grow up in a flash of time (we're no longer thick as thieves)
While we watched our ideals helplessly unwind (we're not thick as we used to be)

No, we're no longer as thick as thieves, no
We're not as thick as we used to be, no
We're no longer as thick as thieves, no
We're not as thick as we used to be





No it wasn't enough, and now we've gone and spoiled everything
Now we're no longer as thick as thieves

Overall Meaning

The Jam's song "Thick as Thieves" is a nostalgic reflection on the days of the singer's youth, when he and his friends were inseparable, united against the world. In the first verse, the singer expresses how tough life was, but how even tougher it is now. He reminisces about how nothing could come between him and his friends, and how they were united as thieves, stealing from institutions like schools and libraries, as well as from their own addictions like drugs and alcohol. Even though they stole from everything around them, they had enough to keep them together, and they promised to be "thick as thieves" forever.


However, as time passed, they grew apart, and the singer's best friend became a "perfect stranger." The second verse reveals that they stole not just material things, but also love and moments of beauty like autumn leaves and summer showers. Despite their thievery, they were still bound together, until something changed and they weren't as "thick as thieves" anymore. The last verse hints at growing up and watching their ideals disappear before their eyes, leaving them no longer united.


The message of the song, therefore, is one of loss, nostalgia, and regret. The singer longs for the days when they were united against the world, even if they were stealing from it. Now that they are older and wiser, they realize that what they had was something special, and they regret losing it. The song captures the bittersweet emotion of youth and the fear of losing those connections as time marches on.


Line by Line Meaning

Times were so tough, but not as tough as they are now
We faced tough times, but they were not as difficult compared to the present.


We were so close and nothing came between us, and the world
We shared a strong bond and nothing could weaken it, not even the problems of the world.


No personal situations
Our personal problems didn't affect our friendship.


Thick as thieves us, we'd stick together for all time
We were as close as thieves and promised to stick together forever.


And we meant it but it turns out just for a while
We were sincere about our promise, but it lasted only for a short time.


We stole, the friendship that bound us together
Our actions gradually destroyed the bond of our friendship.


We stole from the schools and their libraries
We stole books and other materials from schools and libraries.


We stole from the drugs that sent us to sleep
We stole drugs that made us sleepy.


We stole from the drink that made us sick
We stole alcohol that made us feel sick.


We stole anything that we couldn't keep
We stole anything we couldn't own permanently.


And it was enough, we didn't have to spoil anything
We had enough to satisfy our needs and didn't have to ruin anything.


And always be as thick as thieves
We wanted to maintain our close bond.


Like a perfect stranger, you came into my life
You entered my life without any prior acquaintance and were perfect in every way.


Then like the perfect lone ranger, you rode away, rode away
But then like a perfect hero, you left just as suddenly as you came.


We stole the love from young girls in ivory towers
We stole the hearts of young and innocent girls from their high-standing positions.


We stole autumn leaves and summer showers
We stole the beauty of nature in the form of autumnal leaves and summer showers.


We stole the silent wind that says you are free
We stole the freedom that the quiet wind signifies.


We stole everything that we could see
We took everything we could lay our hands on.


But it wasn't enough, and now we've gone and spoiled everything
Our greed got the better of us, and we destroyed all that we had.


Now we're no longer as thick as thieves
Our bond of friendship is no longer as strong as it used to be.


You came into my life
Once again, you entered my life.


Then like a perfect stranger you walked away, walked away
But this time, you left like a stranger, completely unfamiliar to me.


Thick as thieves us, we'd stick together for all time
We promised to be close and faithful to each other forever.


And we meant it but it turns out just for awhile
Our intentions were true, but our bond lasted only for a short time.


We stole the friendship that bound us together
Our actions caused irreparable damage to our friendship.


We stole the burning sun in the open sky
We claimed ownership of the blazing sun in the sky.


We stole the twinkling stars in the black night
We stole the shining stars that adorn the dark night sky.


We stole the green belt fields that made us believe
We stole the green and fertile fields that instilled hope and belief in us.


But something came along that changes our minds (we're no longer thick as thieves)
Something happened that changed our perspectives and weakened our bond.


I don't know what and I don't know why (we're not thick as we used to be)
We don't know the reason for the change in our bond.


But we seemed to grow up in a flash of time (we're no longer thick as thieves)
We suddenly matured and our bond was no longer as strong.


While we watched our ideals helplessly unwind (we're not thick as we used to be)
We saw our ideals gradually unravel and could do nothing to stop it.


No, we're no longer as thick as thieves, no
Our bond of friendship is weak and no longer as strong as before.


We're not as thick as we used to be, no
We are not as close as we once were.


No it wasn't enough, and now we've gone and spoiled everything
Our greed ruined everything that we had before.


Now we're no longer as thick as thieves
Our bond of friendship is weak and no longer as strong as before.


We're not as thick as we used to be
We are not as close as we once were.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul John Weller

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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