The sound is on the visions move
The image dance starts once again
They shuffle with a bovine grace and glide in syncopation
Just living lines from books we've read
With atmospheres of days gone by
With paper smiles
The screenplay calls a message for the nation

Chorus:

And those who sneer will fade and die
And those who laugh will surely fall
And those who know will always feel their backs against the thin wall
The thin wall
Thin wall

Grey men who speak of victory
Shed light upon their stolen life
They drive by night and act as if they're moved by unheard music
To step in time and play the part
With velvet voices smooth and cold
Their power games a game no more
And long the chance to use it

(Chorus)

And those who dance will spin and turn
And those who wait will wait no more
And those talk will hear the word
And those who sneer will fade and die
And those who laugh will surely fall
And those who know will always feel their backs against the thin wall
The thin wall
Thin wall

The thin wall (Repeat 3 times)

And those who dance
The thin wall
And those who talk
The thin wall
And those who sneer
The thin wall
And those who laugh
The thin wall
And those who know
The thin wall
And those who dance
The thin wall
And those who wait
The thin wall
And those who talk
(Fade)



Lyrics submitted by MrLongrove

The Thin Wall Lyrics as written by Midge Ure Christopher Thomas Allen

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Thin Wall song meanings
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2 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This song certainly chimed with my teenage feelings of paranoia about people in power. Nowadays of course, they chime with my middle-aged paranoia about people in power.

    Lmac1970on October 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    As if writen by Goethe

    ManOfTwoWorldson February 10, 2010   Link

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