Driving home from my mad lab
Realized something had changed
Looked in the sky, saw with my eye
The moon was following me

where's the shadow government
When you need it
Where's the shadow government
It's a bad, bad world
It's a bad, bad world

sifting through the confetti
I picked up my broken phone
Looked in the crack, somebody went back
To sitting on their somebody throne


Where's the shadow government
When you need it
Where's the shadow government
It's a bad, bad world
It's a bad, bad...

up the library steps
Up the library steps
Up the library steps
Up the library steps
(Here comes)
Up the library steps
(the humbly)
Up the library steps
(the humbly)
Up the library steps

crawling out of the flop house
I saw the mayor stealing my junk
I doth protest citizens arrest
Now my body's in his trunk


Where's the shadow government
When you need it
Where's the shadow government
It's a bad, bad world
It's a bad, bad world
It's a bad, bad ...



Lyrics submitted by blinxbcr

The Shadow Government Lyrics as written by John S Linnell John C Flansburgh

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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The Shadow Government song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    Best first line ever.

    pumkinhedon September 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    agreed.

    sneef2010on September 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't know about anyone else, but to me this song seems to have some anti-government themes.

    "Sifting through the confetti, I picked up my broken phone Looked in the crack Somebody waved back Just sitting on their somebody throne"

    and

    "Crawling out of the flophouse, I saw the mayor stealing my junk I doth protest, citizen's arrest Now my body's in his trunk"

    make me feel like he is talking about either government corruption or something along those lines. If this is completely wrong, someone else post please, haha. I may be getting the wrong message from this song lol.

    pantomorphicon February 23, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    no, that's definitely it. i think the chorus is nostalgic for the good old days when the government would conduct its black ops in secret and at least pretend to be fair. now it ignores rights pretty explicitly.

    TedKon April 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I take it to be about corruption, but I see the chorus as being about the opposing political parties (the main party not in power is called the shadow government) not calling the party in power out for their corruption.

    jeglikerkukenon January 20, 2011   Link

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