If I want to sit in and drink super tenants in the day I will
No one's going to fucking tell me jack
But can you rely on anyone in this world?
No, you can't
It's not my fault there's wall-to-wall empty cans
Everyone wanted this to all go wrong for me from the start
It's fucked up that a man's life can just be attacked
Watching this morning with a beer
Is much better than relying on
Unknown cunts for mates I was given
That don't have my back
Scott texted me to say he'd have a look at the TV for me
But I laid it down telling him to fuck right off chap
Phoned this company out the yellow pages
Told them to take away the TV and fix it quick snap
The next day they took away the TV
Told me they would repair the little bit
That's broken round on the back
I thought that would be that but the next bit was on top
This was where it all started to get a bit out of hand

[Chorus 1]
No one gives a crap about Mike
That's why I'm acting nasty
You know what you can do with your life
Introduce it up your jacksie
'Cause no one gives a crap about Mike
That's why I'm acting nasty
You know what you can do with your life
Introduce it up your jacksie

The TV man comes back later, knocks on mine
To say he's found something in the back of the TV
I'm looking at it absolutely speechless, can't quite believe
He's trying to pull this fucking stunt on me
I knew it was a simple case of the power supply gone on the back
But he's trying to tap me up for more money
He says it's not like that and I'm like "Fuck off and die!"
And stick up my two fingers and one more to make three
He says "Don't talk to me like that", and I don't understand
My face is in his face, I tell him I understand perfectly
And he grabs my shirt and I grab his face with my hand
So he brings his fist up and twats me a good one on my cheek
Now I'm trying to pull his head down so I can knee it
But he's got my ear
He's twisting it round so much that it's
Really hurting me
And we both go down on the floor, and he pushes my head back
Onto the corner of the fridge which is, total agony
Then he gets up and runs out the kitchen, and out of the door
Shouting stuff to me, slams his door, shouting at me
So here I am in my house, drinking on my own settee
Everyone's a cunt in this life, no one's there for me

[Chorus 1]

If I want to sit in and drink super tenants in the day I will
No one's going to fucking tell me jack
But can you rely on anyone in this world?
No, you can't
It's all my fault there's wall-to-wall empty cans
I sat in the kitchen all fucked off
Imagining over and over what they're all doing behind my back
Dodgy things going on, actions I regretted
Stain bottle with a pipe and tin foil on the mat
Scott texted me to say he'd have a look at the TV for me
And I felt like just telling him to fuck right off chap
But what he said about wanting to do the right thing by both mates
And then opting to stay out? It seemed to match
But I told him he could make it up by fixing the TV
He said that's the least he could do to square things flat
I thought that would be that but then the next bit was mad
This is where everything started to all turn back

[Chorus 2]
The end of the something I did not want to end
Beginning of hard times to come
But something that was not meant to be is done
And this is the start of what was

He had to unscrew about fifteen screws
Before he could pull the panel off the back
To get in the fecking thing
But just as he did so, he said he saw something
That slipped inside behind the panel
Down the back of it
Must have been some leaflets or a bill maybe
I didn't want to lose the bill in case it was a final warning
So we both tried to get the back off and work out
If there was any more screws to get out
Or if we left any in
And when he looked down the back of the TV his eyes just froze
Before he rammed his hand in, saying, "No shit!"
He's looking at me absolutely speechless
He can't quite believe what he's trying to pull, out the slip
I get up wondering what he's smiling about
He's shaking his head at this point with, the biggest of grins
I look down the back of the TV and that's where it was
In all its glory?my thousand quid

[Chorus 2]

About two this afternoon the last of the people left my house
'Cause they never stop chatting 'til all the rackets gone
I really feel like things clicked into place at some point
Or maybe it's the fact that me and Alison really got on
Or maybe it's that I realized that it is true
No one's really there fighting for you in the last garrison
No one except yourself that is
No one except you
You are the one who's got your back 'til the last deeds done
Scott can't have my back 'til the absolute end
'Cause he's got to look out for what over his horizon
He's gotta make sure he's not lonely, not broke
It's enough to worry about keeping his own head above
I shut the door behind me, huddled up in my coat
Condensation floating off my breath, squinted out the sun
My jeans feel a bit tight, think I washed them too high
I was gonna be late, so I picked up my pace to run

[Chorus 2: Repeat 4X]


Lyrics submitted by machineofgod

Empty Cans Lyrics as written by Michael Geoffrey Skinner

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Empty Cans song meanings
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28 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    It's about taking 2 different attitudes (positive and negative) to a situation and the different results it can have.

    Take the hump, be a prick and fuck off all your old freinds

    or

    See it the way it is, accept it and try and see the silver lining and you'll be better and stronger for it. Sheer class, this tune gives you goosebumps.

    R_Dukeon July 30, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    WHat is he late for? I'll tell ya...

    Probably returning a DVD, seeing his mom for tea, and stopping by the cash machine...since he's starting over again.

    MrTragedyon December 05, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Man, I think its funny how in the first version, the repairman is trying to tell Mike about the thousand quid in the TV, but Mike's so angry at everything and wants to take it out that he takes the repairmans words the wrong way, and loses the money...

    LeftyLanfordon March 23, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I agree with what was said above about him running to return the DVD, which was the first thing he had to do in "It Was Supposed To Be So Easy".

    What a record! I think this is the best track on the album, and one of the better songs that I've heard in a long time. I completely relate to wanting to be bitter and just drown your misery and fuck all, but forcing yourself to give people a chance to right their wrongs, and letting karma do the rest, as it were. I love the way the second half begins, with the beat coming in first, as opposed to the first half. I'd like to know that he laid out Dan (his mate that was screwing Simone behind his back.)

    BCKnighton February 26, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song reminds me of when you've been sitting at home for a few days and you start to get the feeling everything's shit and everyone's hating on you

    dnbmxon February 28, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song rules and theres no one who is gonna tell me jack !, after u break up with a brid this is just wat u needa hear ( the hole song not only the first half ). totally brilliant a perfect way to finish the album the hole story is completed within this one song mike skinner is a modern day genius of poetry.

    i love it half way thru the song wen he has his realisation and comes to terms with wat is going on and finally accepts his fate ( so to speak )

    the hole album is not just a album its a way of life and way that at one point in our lives we have all lived.

    harry04on October 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    p.s lol its not a brid its a bird haha

    harry04on October 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    well sed!!! i totally agree!!!!! i mean its kinda a story in da album but each song stands alone in its own right at da same time!!! BRILLIANT!!!

    Psychotic_Bitch219on October 07, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ya the whole cd is one big story

    lithuimon December 10, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    An amazing song, I like how it goes through two diffrent realities. Very well done, a excellant conclusion to this album/story.

    Armageddon_dragonon January 04, 2005   Link

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