In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Well they took you from your mother's womb and put you in a school
Told you how to run your life by following the rules
Told you not to pick your nose or disrespect the queen
Scrub your teeth three times a day keep mind and body clean
Save up all your pocket money, nothing is for free
And you'd better trust your parents 'cause there's no one else you see
And then they send you off each day remember what you're told
"You may think you don't need teaching but you'll need it when you're old"
And if you're too intelligent they'll cut you down to size
They'll praise you til you're happy then they'll fill you full of lies
'Cause intelligence is threatening and genius is sin
If you could ever see through them they know they'd never win
So they channel your ability into the right direction
If you're good enough and rich enough you can be a politician
On the other hand if your too thick they'll tell you that you're lazy
They'll put you down and wind you up until it drives you crazy
They'll say you ought to learn a trade to help you in your life
Success is written in three parts: A job, a house, a wife
They'll say that school prepares you for the awesome world outside
Well it certainly gives you bigotry and patriotic pride
Racism, sexism teacher to class
From school to work remains the same, are you white and middle class?
You'll learn that bad men dress in black and good men dress in white
And the pamphlets in the playground say that's right
And that girls were made for housework and boys were made to fight
And the naughty pictures on page 3 make everything alright
And so from school to the outside world these morals you will take
And unless you can reject them you'll have your mind at stake
They'll give you a decision when you get to 18, too
The right to vote for someone else who says he cares for you
But the only thing he cares about is getting to the top
By conning you with empty words that promise you a lot
But the end result is slavery to a false set of ideals
You'll be tempted to believe them 'cause they'll seem so very real
The slavery of attitudes that make you keep in line
Subconsciously devoted to the morals of our time
And when you end up on the dole which you very likely will
They'll offer you a brand new trade: Learning how to kill
Why don't you join the army? Be a man and not a fool
There's someone else to think for you just like there was at school
They'll promise you absolution from the murders you'll commit
In the name of god and country they can get away with it
They fill you full of orders and promise you rewards
Like busting up your family by sending you abroad
A holiday in Germany or Iceland or Hong Kong
Making money being useless well it seems it can't go wrong
But then it's off to Northern Ireland where you'll practice what they preached
You'll shoot to keep yourself alive and kill to keep the peace
And then it won't be so much fun as you hear the wounded crying
'cause before they couldn't speak English and you didn't know what they were saying
But when the children call you "Bastard" it will make you think again
When you cannot tell the difference between animals and men
Animals don't wear uniforms but they kill as much as you
But the army kills for money and animals kill for food
It's the basest degradation in the name of what is right
Become something you never were and regret it til you die
'cause your father will tell you "Sonny, you must do as you are told"
And you'll say the same thing to your kids when you're 32 years old
And unless you can react against the brainwash from the start
Your government will rule your mind and your mind will rule your heart
You'll conform to every social law and be the system's slave
From birth to school to work to death, from the cradle to the grave
Told you how to run your life by following the rules
Told you not to pick your nose or disrespect the queen
Scrub your teeth three times a day keep mind and body clean
Save up all your pocket money, nothing is for free
And you'd better trust your parents 'cause there's no one else you see
And then they send you off each day remember what you're told
"You may think you don't need teaching but you'll need it when you're old"
And if you're too intelligent they'll cut you down to size
They'll praise you til you're happy then they'll fill you full of lies
'Cause intelligence is threatening and genius is sin
If you could ever see through them they know they'd never win
So they channel your ability into the right direction
If you're good enough and rich enough you can be a politician
On the other hand if your too thick they'll tell you that you're lazy
They'll put you down and wind you up until it drives you crazy
They'll say you ought to learn a trade to help you in your life
Success is written in three parts: A job, a house, a wife
They'll say that school prepares you for the awesome world outside
Well it certainly gives you bigotry and patriotic pride
Racism, sexism teacher to class
From school to work remains the same, are you white and middle class?
You'll learn that bad men dress in black and good men dress in white
And the pamphlets in the playground say that's right
And that girls were made for housework and boys were made to fight
And the naughty pictures on page 3 make everything alright
And so from school to the outside world these morals you will take
And unless you can reject them you'll have your mind at stake
They'll give you a decision when you get to 18, too
The right to vote for someone else who says he cares for you
But the only thing he cares about is getting to the top
By conning you with empty words that promise you a lot
But the end result is slavery to a false set of ideals
You'll be tempted to believe them 'cause they'll seem so very real
The slavery of attitudes that make you keep in line
Subconsciously devoted to the morals of our time
And when you end up on the dole which you very likely will
They'll offer you a brand new trade: Learning how to kill
Why don't you join the army? Be a man and not a fool
There's someone else to think for you just like there was at school
They'll promise you absolution from the murders you'll commit
In the name of god and country they can get away with it
They fill you full of orders and promise you rewards
Like busting up your family by sending you abroad
A holiday in Germany or Iceland or Hong Kong
Making money being useless well it seems it can't go wrong
But then it's off to Northern Ireland where you'll practice what they preached
You'll shoot to keep yourself alive and kill to keep the peace
And then it won't be so much fun as you hear the wounded crying
'cause before they couldn't speak English and you didn't know what they were saying
But when the children call you "Bastard" it will make you think again
When you cannot tell the difference between animals and men
Animals don't wear uniforms but they kill as much as you
But the army kills for money and animals kill for food
It's the basest degradation in the name of what is right
Become something you never were and regret it til you die
'cause your father will tell you "Sonny, you must do as you are told"
And you'll say the same thing to your kids when you're 32 years old
And unless you can react against the brainwash from the start
Your government will rule your mind and your mind will rule your heart
You'll conform to every social law and be the system's slave
From birth to school to work to death, from the cradle to the grave
Lyrics submitted by x_melancholy_x, edited by Tricky1979
From the Cradle to the Grave Lyrics as written by Rick Bowles Marc Beeson
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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heres the song put in verses, instead of one hard to read mess. very good song, i might add...
well they took you from you mother's womb and put you in a school told you how to run your life by following the rules told you not to pick your nose or disrespect the queen scrub your teeth three times a day keep your mind and body clean
save all your pocket money nothing is for free and you'd better trust your parents cos there's no one else you see and when they send you off each day remember what your told "you may think you don't need teaching but you'll need it when your old"
and if your too intelligent they'll cut you down to size they'll praise you til your happy then they'll fill you full of lies cos intelligence is threatening and genius is in if you could ever see through them they know they'd never win
so they channel your ability into the right direction if your good enough and rich enough you can be a politician on the other hand if your too think they'll tell you that your lazy they'll put you down and wind you up until it drives you crazy
they'll say you ought to learn a trade to help you in your life success is written in three parts a job a house a wife they'll say that school prepares you for the awesome world outside well it certainly gives you bigotry and a patriotic pride racism sexism teacher to class from school to work remain the same are you white and middle class?
you'll learn that badmen dress in black and goodmen dress in white and the pamphlets in the playground say that's right and the girls were made for housework boys were made to fight and the naughty pictures on page 3
make everything alright and so from school to the outside world these morals you will take and unless you can reject them you'll have your mind at stake
they'll give you a decision when you get to 18 too the right to vote for someone else who says he cares for you but the only thing he cares about is getting to the top by conning you with empty words that promise you a lot but the end result is slavery to a flase set of ideals you'll be tempted to believe them cos they'll seem so very real the slavery of attitudes that make you keep in line subconsciously devoted to the morals of our time
and when you end up on the dole which you very likely will they'll offer you a brand new trade - learning how to kill
why don't you join the army? be a man and not a fool theres someone else to think for you just like there was at school
they'll promise you absolution from the murders you'll commmit in the name of god and country you can get away with it the fill you full of orders and promise you rewards like busting up your family and sending you abroad a holiday in germany or iceland or hong kong making money being useless well it seems it cant go wrong but then its off to northern ireland where you'll practice what they preached you'll shoot to keep yourself alive and kill to keep the peace and then it wont be so much fun as you hear the wounded crying cos before, they couldnt speak english, and you didnt know what they were saying but when the children call you "bastard"
it will make you think again when you cannot tell the difference between animals and men
animals don't wear uniforms but they kill as much as you but the army kills for money and animals kill for food its the basest degradation in the name of what is right become something you never were and regret it til you die
'till you die
cos your father will tell you "sonny you must do as you are told" and you'll say the same thing to your kids when your 32 years old and unless you can react against the brainwash from the start your government will rule your mind and your mind will rule your heart you'll conform to every social law and be the system's slave from birth to school to work to death from the cradle to the grave