Sitting on a park bench
Eying little girls with bad intent
Snots running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes, hey, Aqualung

Drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run, hey, Aqualung
Feeling like a dead duck
Spitting out pieces of his broken luck, oh, Aqualung

Sun streaking cold, an old man wandering lonely
Taking time, the only way he knows
Leg hurting bad as he bends to pick a dog end
He goes down to a bog and warms his feet

Feeling alone, the army's up the road
Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung, my friend, don't you start away uneasy
You poor old sod, you see it's only me

Do you still remember
December's foggy freeze
When the ice that clings on to your beard
It was screaming agony

Hey and you snatch your rattling last breaths
With deep-sea diver sounds
And the flowers bloom like
Madness in the spring

Sun streaking cold, an old man wandering lonely
Taking time, the only way he knows
Leg hurting bad as he bends to pick a dog end
He goes down to a bog and warms his feet

Feeling alone, the army's up the road
Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung my friend don't you start away uneasy
You poor old sod, you see it's only me

Aqualung my friend don't you start away uneasy
You poor old sod, you see it's only me

Sitting on a park bench
Eying up little girls with bad intent
Snots running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes, hey Aqualung

Drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run, hey Aqualung
Feeling like a dead duck
Spitting out pieces of his broken luck, hey Aqualung

Oh Aqualung


Lyrics submitted by KidArt, edited by AW, alderbarn

Aqualung Lyrics as written by Ian Anderson

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Aqualung song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is about a bum who dies.

    Feeling alone - the army's up the road salvation à la mode, and a cup of tea.

    This part refers to the Salvation Army handing out free food to people, like the bum in this song.

    And you snatch your rattling last breaths with deep-sea-diver sounds, and the flowers bloom like madness in the spring.

    This refers to the bum dying. The flowers bloom like madness in the spring refers to life going on as if nothing happened after the bums death.

    A great song. The best song I've ever heard about a bum:)

    timmybighandson May 22, 2002   Link

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