Live East Die Young
The Skints Lyrics


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Jade is 15 she lives in a little flat in Ilford with her mum and two younger brothers, no job,
but her mum's in Primark. She's the prettiest girl in her class by far,
but she's not on that school ting nah, she's got her head in the clouds, at least, out of the window.
So when the weekend comes, there's a party down at her girl friend's drum where they play that sound
"bede-bam-bam-bam, bede-bam-bam-bam"
And in walks Justin from Manor Park and he's got money,
he's got a car, he promises the world, and know he's 10 years older...
She was just a young girl, who had too much to drink
with a scumbag who wanted to take advantage.
Now another little yout, with her own little kid,
she cries "it was supposed to be like this!"

Well I'm telling ya that this is not a state of address, trust,
it's merely what I've seen growing up out in the bits,
And I count my self a lucky one,
so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system.

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

Danny is 19, stays at his brother's place in Leyton,
his parents have kicked him out because he wouldn't get a job,
he tells them that "when I was at school, they treated me like I was a fool"
but his Daddy swears blind his youngest son is just a slob.

And one day, one of Danny's brother's mates,
is at Danny's brother's place, and asks Danny boy if he wants some road man pay,
and Danny boy is as broke as a fucking joke, what can he say?
And he wants to look The Don in front of the crew so that they rate him.
All he's got to do is take a package to a rave in Gants Hill
and that's little more than 5 miles out from Leyton but little does he know,
how things are about to go, the police authority have clocked his whole damn operation...

He was just a young boy who made a big mistake,
now it's seven years inside for pedalling cocaine.
And he cries himself to sleep, and his mates say "it's a shame",
he goes "it wasn't supposed to be this way"

Well I'm telling ya that this is not a state of address, trust,
it's merely what I've seen growing up out in the bits,
And I count my self a lucky one,
so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system.

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

I count my self a lucky one,
so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system
I count my self a lucky one,
so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system
I count my self a lucky one,
so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system
I count my self a lucky one,
so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time





You only get one life, and then you die.
Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time

Overall Meaning

"Live East Die Young" by The Skints is a poignant narrative of two young people's downward spiral into the criminal world despite their potential. The first verse focuses on a teenage girl named Jade who lives in a modest flat with her family in Ilford. She is smart and beautiful, but unmotivated in school and disinterested in a future that seems out of reach. On weekends, she goes to parties where she meets older men, one of whom takes advantage of her while she was drunk. The lyrics reflect Jade's regret and sadness as she becomes a mother too soon and realizes that her life didn't turn out as she hoped it would.


The second verse depicts the story of Danny, a 19-year-old who has been kicked out of his parents' home because he refuses to get a job. He fears being treated like a fool as he was in school, and a friend of his brother offers him a chance to prove himself by delivering drugs to a rave. Though Danny knows it's wrong, he accepts the offer to impress his friends and falls into the trap of drug dealing. He is later arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison, where he laments his poor decision.


The chorus emphasizes the message that everyone only gets one life and shouldn't take it for granted or waste it on poor choices. It questions why so many people end up in similar situations and being trapped in the same cycle of life. The artists express their gratitude for having had a chance to live a more fulfilling life and ask others to recognize their privileges and make use of them.


In summary, "Live East Die Young" is a sobering commentary on the risks and consequences of poor decision-making and the limitations faced by those born into less fortunate circumstances.


Line by Line Meaning

Jade is 15 she lives in a little flat in Ilford with her mum and two younger brothers, no job, but her mum's in Primark.
Jade is a 15-year-old girl living with her mother and two younger brothers in a small flat in Ilford. Her mother works at Primark, but Jade is currently unemployed.


She's the prettiest girl in her class by far, but she's not on that school ting nah, she's got her head in the clouds, at least, out of the window.
Jade is considered the most attractive girl in her grade, but she doesn't pay attention to her studies. She often daydreams and stares out the window during class.


So when the weekend comes, there's a party down at her girl friend's drum where they play that sound "bede-bam-bam-bam, bede-bam-bam-bam"
Jade attends parties with her friends on weekends where they dance to the sound of drums playing "bede-bam-bam-bam, bede-bam-bam-bam".


And in walks Justin from Manor Park and he's got money, he's got a car, he promises the world, and know he's 10 years older...
Jade meets Justin, who is from Manor Park and is ten years older than her. He appears wealthy and promises her the world.


She was just a young girl, who had too much to drink with a scumbag who wanted to take advantage. Now another little yout, with her own little kid, she cries "it was supposed to be like this!"
Jade was taken advantage of by Justin when she was young and drunk. Now, with a child of her own, she laments that her life was not supposed to turn out this way.


Danny is 19, stays at his brother's place in Leyton, his parents have kicked him out because he wouldn't get a job, he tells them that "when I was at school, they treated me like I was a fool" but his Daddy swears blind his youngest son is just a slob.
Danny is a 19-year-old who lives with his brother in Leyton after being kicked out by his parents for not finding a job. He complains that he was treated poorly in school but his father insists that he is just a lazy person.


And one day, one of Danny's brother's mates, is at Danny's brother's place, and asks Danny boy if he wants some road man pay, and Danny boy is as broke as a fucking joke, what can he say? And he wants to look The Don in front of the crew so that they rate him. All he's got to do is take a package to a rave in Gants Hill and that's little more than 5 miles out from Leyton but little does he know, how things are about to go, the police authority have clocked his whole damn operation...
Danny is approached by one of his brother's friends who offers him work delivering drugs to a rave in Gants Hill. Danny, who is broke, agrees to do it to impress the others. However, he is unaware that his actions have caught the attention of the police.


He was just a young boy who made a big mistake, now it's seven years inside for pedalling cocaine. And he cries himself to sleep, and his mates say "it's a shame", he goes "it wasn't supposed to be this way"
Danny is arrested for his drug-related activities and is sentenced to seven years in prison. He regrets his actions and laments that his life wasn't supposed to turn out this way.


Well I'm telling ya that this is not a state of address, trust, it's merely what I've seen growing up out in the bits, And I count my self a lucky one, so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system.
The artist insists that their observations are not a state of address but simply what they have seen growing up in their neighborhood. They consider themselves fortunate and advise others to do the same in the oppressive system they live in.


You only get one life, and then you die. Someone tell me why, it's the same story each time
The artist reflects on the fact that every person only has one life to live and wonders why so many people end up with similar stories.


I count my self a lucky one, so count yourself a lucky one in this Babylon system
The singer reiterates their belief that they are fortunate and that others should consider themselves lucky in the oppressive society they live in.




Contributed by Keira M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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