mix
WAH-WAH! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here in my pocket
I got the Story of the Blues
Try to believe me
'Cos it could be front page news

I say I live with it like it hasn't happened yet
I keep thinking of everyone
How I'm the one, the one they're trying to get

To tell the Story of the Blues

First, they take your pride
Turn it all inside
And then you realise
You've got nothing left to lose

So, you try to stop
Try to get back up
And then, you realise
You're telling the Story of the Blues

Feeling browbeaten
Day after day
I think it's over
But I just can't get away

You say forget it
We'll don't jump the gun
You're laughing this time
Next time you might be the one
To tell the Story of the Blues

First, they take your pride
Turn it all inside
And then you realise
You've got nothing left to lose

So, you try to stop
Try to get back up
And then, you realise
You're telling the Story of the Blues

(repeat)

What they gonna say 'bout me

When they tell the Story of the Blues
...well that's my story and i'm sticking to that. So let's have another drink and let's talk about the blues. Blues is about dignity, it's about self-respect, and no matter what they take away from you - that's yours for keeps. I remember how it was, how every medium - T.V. and papers and radio and all those people were saying: 'you're on the scrap-heap, you're useless', and I remember how easy it was to start believing that. I remember how you'd hear people take it for granted that it was true - just 'cause someone with an ounce of power said so. And that's a problem now, too many oddballs, too many pocketbook psychologists and would-be philosophers with an axe to grind. But there's a solution, it's not easy, but it's a matter of coming to terms in your heart with situation you're in, a matter of choosing how things go for you and not having things forced upon you. There are plenty of forces against you, forcing you against your will, your ideals - you've got to hope for the best, and that's the best you can hope for - you've got to hope against hope... I remember something Sal Paradise said, he said: 'the city intellectuals of the world are debauched from the full body blood-of-the-land and are just rootless fools'. So listen, when the smile, the condescending pat-on-the-back comes and says: 'we're sorry, but you're nothing, you've got nothing for us and we've got nothing for you', you say: 'No', and say it loud: "NO!", and remember, people who talk about revolution and a class-struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love, and what is positive in the refusal and constraint...since people have a corpse in their mouth.

Overall Meaning

The song "Story of the Blues" by WAH-WAH! channels the raw emotion and struggle of living through difficult times. The lyrics describe the feeling of being beaten down day after day, yet refusing to give up, refusing to let those who try to take away your dignity succeed. The singer speaks to the listener, urging them to believe the story of the blues, as it is a story that deserves to be heard and remembered, a story of strength and perseverance.

The first verse sets the scene, with the singer holding onto the story of the blues, knowing that it is something powerful and worth sharing. The second verse speaks to the way that pride can be taken away, turning a person inside out until they feel like they have nothing left to lose. But even then, the singer urges the listener to stop trying to give up, to get up and keep fighting, and to tell their own version of the story of the blues. The final verse is a call to action, encouraging the listener to remember that even in difficult times, they have the power to choose how things go for them, and to never let anyone take away their self-respect or dignity.

Overall, "Story of the Blues" is a stirring reminder that even when life gets tough, we have the power to fight back and tell our own story with dignity and strength.

Line by Line Meaning

Here in my pocket
I have something important with me

I got the Story of the Blues
I have a personal experience of hardship and struggle

Try to believe me
I want you to listen to my story with an open mind

'Cos it could be front page news
My story is significant and noteworthy

I say I live with it like it hasn't happened yet
I try to ignore the pain and trauma I've experienced

I keep thinking of everyone
I am aware of other people's struggles

How I'm the one, the one they're trying to get
People are pressuring me to share my story

To tell the Story of the Blues
To share my personal experience of hardship and struggle

First, they take your pride
People try to strip you of your self-respect

Turn it all inside
They make you feel ashamed and worthless

And then you realise
Eventually you come to an understanding