A jester of sorts you stand holding your courts
Over minions of Capitol Hill
In a bath full of blood, I'm alone standing still
Under God you can fire at will

When the devil's angels come
To take your life and lead you
To the flames beneath
Your headstone reads now
Here lies the dead who was
Hung by his head beneath us
They're laying in their graves
Damnation free for all

La,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,
La,la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la
A prodigal son can't undo what he's done
A figurehead of capital crime
With a light shining down
As you fall to your knees
To repent would be nothing but lies

When the devil's angels come
To take your life and lead you
To the flames beneath
Your headstone reads now
Here lies the dead who was
Hung by his head beneath us
They're laying in their graves
Damnation free for all

Deadbeat, six feet, dead underground
An eye for an eye only leaves us all blind going once, twice, there goes your life

When the devil's angels come
To take your life and lead you
To the flames beneath
Your headstone reads now
Here lies the dead who was
Hung by his head beneath us
They're laying in their graves
Damnation free for all


Lyrics submitted by afitch1206

The Jester Lyrics as written by Deryck Jason Whibley Deryck Whibley

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Jester song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

7 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    I heard that one of their songs off "Underclass Hero" was banned from the radio 'cos it made fun of Bush too much. Is it this one? Sounds like it could be.

    colleenxon August 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Can't believe no one has commented on this song yet.

    Absolute ripper of a track... best on the album I reckon..

    I think this song is about exactly what the title says.... Idiots.

    Possibly a political twist to it.

    Lirraciston July 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song was my favourite and the chorus is amazing and so explosive but the first verse ruins it for me now. I hear the first line and go to the next track.

    I think this songs about war and the people who are serving the US in Iraq right now.

    __182__on August 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is probably my favorite song from the new album. The lyrics are a little off tho...

    The Chorus should be this: When the devil's angels come to take your life and lead you to the flames beneath your headstone reads now here lies the dead who was hung by his head beneath us they're laying in their graves damnation free for all

    and the part after "Deadbeat six feet dead underground" should go like this:

    An eye for an eye only leaves us all blind Going once twice there goes your life

    other than that its pretty much all right, and I'd have to agree that its about the government and what idiots they are and the mistakes theyre making that they can't undo

    bri-guyon August 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Chorus goes like this:

    And when the devil's angles come Take your life and lead you To the flames beneth Your headstone reads here Lies the dead who was Hung by his head beneth us Laying in their graves Damnation free-for-all

    And bridge goes like:

    Deadbeat, six feet dead underground An eye for an eye only leaves us all blind Going once, twice, there goes your life

    brandonplaysguitaron November 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Such a beautiful song. Possibly my favorite from the new CD

    lutheriuson November 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Is it just me or does the chorus of this song sound similar to the chorus of My Chemical Romance's "House of Wolves"??

    dannysmymanon September 03, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
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.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.