Rohan has written numerous scores for TV, radio and the theatre alongside developing a career performing E. European, Middle Eastern and Jewish folk music. His classical compositions bear witness to these interests, and to his award winning experiments in multimedia radio with producer Lance Dann. As a violinist, clarinettist and bagpipe player he has performed in Israel, Poland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland, and gives regular recitals around S. E. England in such venues as St. Martins in the Fields, the National Theatre Foyer and Brighton’s Chapel Royal. His larger Classical works have been performed the Academy and the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Garner Arts Centre. He has done recordings with Soname, Junoreactor, Jambience, Broadway Project, Black Grass, Hard Kandy and Pressure Drop, among others.
Perfect World
The Rohan Theatre Band Lyrics
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And to parents who make promises they're never going to keep,
Let him trample every stranger who has never sought to fit,
And ride rough-shod over preachers who believes their God is 'it'
Every man who lacks conviction, every girl without a heart,
Every womanly seduction, every soul that lives off hate
Every dreamer without consequence, every man who thinks he's free
Then we'll have a perfect world where everyone's like me!
To the man who worships money may his life's possessions burn,
May the world come tumbling down around his egotistic purse,
May his nemesis come stalking leading death upon a cart,
May he scare the poor man shitless before tearing out his heart,
To the rude and the abusive I offer up this curse,
May their tongues swell up with cancer and their mouths contort and burst,
Let death walk around among us and take every man he sees,
I'll be hiding in the darkness so he won't be taking me.
Let death open up an office,
Let the madmen lead the blind,
Let them in with smiling faces as their dreams run out of time,
Let him gather every hypocrite, each sycophant and thief,
And then we'll have a perfect world where everyone's like me!
To the tragically deluded may their words all fall apart,
May their feet continue dancing while the wolves devour their heart,
May their houses fill with water and their cities fall to ruin,
May the lava flow like honey down the hillsides where they run,
To those who won't ask questions may their heads turn inside out,
May their eyes be ever open as they're buried underground,
Let death call on every one of them and drive them underneath,
And then we'll have perfect world where everyone like me!
Let death open up an office,
Let the madmen lead the blind,
Let them in with smiling faces as their dreams run out of time,
Let him gather every hypocrite, each sycophant and thief,
And then we'll have a perfect world where everyone's like me!
The Rohan Theatre Band's song "Perfect World" is a scathing critique of society, where the singer wishes a form of punishment upon those who do not fit their ideal of what a person should be. The song targets parents who promise things they can't deliver, those who lack conviction and heart, and people who worship money. The singer wishes those individuals to be punished in highly specific and gruesome ways, like their houses filling with water, their cities falling to ruin, and their mouths contorting and bursting. Through this song, the singer seems to be saying that the world would be perfect if everyone was like them, and they are willing to see anyone who doesn't fit that mold punished.
The lyrics of "Perfect World" are evocative, painting vivid and disturbing pictures of different punishments. While some could argue that the song is a call to action against societal injustices, the extreme nature of the lyrics suggests that the singer holds a very narrow view of what is acceptable behavior. Through their incendiary lyrics, the Rohan Theatre Band challenges listeners to consider what kind of world they would like to live in and what kind of people they want to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Death to all the children who have never learned to sleep,
May those who fail to find peace and rest in life meet their end.
And to parents who make promises they're never going to keep,
May those who break their commitments and betray trust face death.
Let him trample every stranger who has never sought to fit,
May those who choose not to belong and never make an effort to fit in be punished.
And ride rough-shod over preachers who believes their God is 'it'
May those who claim to know it all and brag about their faith be crushed.
Every man who lacks conviction, every girl without a heart,
May those who lack morals and values, commitment and compassion face death.
Every womanly seduction, every soul that lives off hate
May those who use their charm and charisma to manipulate, and those who thrive on negativity, meet their end.
Every dreamer without consequence, every man who thinks he's free
May those who dream without working hard for their goals, and those who take freedom for granted meet their end.
Then we'll have a perfect world where everyone's like me!
The artist claims that those who meet their end are not worthy, and wishes for a world where everyone is like them.
To the man who worships money may his life's possessions burn,
May those who are obsessed with money and material possessions lose everything.
May the world come tumbling down around his egotistic purse,
May those who have greed and pride in their wealth face destruction.
May his nemesis come stalking leading death upon a cart,
May those who have enemies, who seek revenge, or who are doomed by fate face death.
May he scare the poor man shitless before tearing out his heart,
May those who abuse their power and prey on the weak face karma.
To the rude and the abusive I offer up this curse,
May those who lack manners and respect, and who harm others face punishment.
May their tongues swell up with cancer and their mouths contort and burst,
May those who speak ill of others, spread lies, or use hurtful words suffer.
Let death walk around among us and take every man he sees,
The singer desires death for all those who do not meet their ideal standards.
I'll be hiding in the darkness so he won't be taking me.
The artist claims to be exempt from the punishment they wish upon others.
Let death open up an office,
The artist imagines a world where death is a profession or authority.
Let the madmen lead the blind,
The singer imagines a world where those who are insane or ignorant are in charge.
Let them in with smiling faces as their dreams run out of time,
The singer imagines a world where others' hopes and dreams are shattered and they are oblivious.
Let him gather every hypocrite, each sycophant and thief,
The artist wishes for all those who are fake, insincere, and deceitful to face death.
And then we'll have a perfect world where everyone's like me!
The artist repeats their wish for the world to be only filled with those who meet their ideal standards.
To the tragically deluded may their words all fall apart,
May those who are deceived, misguided, or lost lose their persuasive power.
May their feet continue dancing while the wolves devour their heart,
May those who are carefree, mindless, or foolish face destruction without realizing it.
May their houses fill with water and their cities fall to ruin,
May those who have pride in their material possessions and their home city face destruction.
May the lava flow like honey down the hillsides where they run,
May those who flee from danger or live recklessly face a gruesome death.
To those who won't ask questions may their heads turn inside out,
May those who don't care to learn, grow, understand or ask for help suffer.
May their eyes be ever open as they're buried underground,
May those who close their minds to others, their surroundings, or their own actions face eternal darkness.
Let death call on every one of them and drive them underneath,
The artist wishes for all those who do not meet their ideal standards to face death.
And then we'll have perfect world where everyone's like me!
The artist repeats their desire for only those who match their preferred characteristics to exist in the world.
Contributed by Levi E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.