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Blow Up The Pokies Lyrics
There was the stage, two red lights and a dodgy P.A.
You trod the planks way back then
And it's strange that you're here again, here again
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
Don't, don't explain
Lots of little victories take on the pain
It takes so long to earn
You can double up or you can burn, you can burn
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your own secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To blow up the pokies and drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
Flashing lights, it's a real show
And your wife? I wouldn't go home
The little bundles need care
And you can't be a father there, father there
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
Show them you can be your own man again
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To blow up the pokies and drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
Another man there was made the trains run on time
You trod the planks way back then
And it's strange that you're here again, here again
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
Lots of little victories take on the pain
It takes so long to earn
You can double up or you can burn, you can burn
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your own secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
To blow up the pokies and drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
And your wife? I wouldn't go home
The little bundles need care
And you can't be a father there, father there
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
Show them you can be your own man again
To blow up the pokies and drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
Another man there was made the trains run on time
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I don't understand how this song can remind you of being free. It's COMPLETELY the opposite of that.
This song was banned in casinos all over Australia, because our policies are completely screwed up and the Government makes millions of dollars through the pokies... but hey don't get me started on that.
I think Tim captured the agony and torture that is a gambling addiction (or an addiction of any kind really) perfectly, and managed to offer some hope; "Show them you can be your own man again." Because this crap is going on all the time and it's tearing families apart.
Quoting Tim from the DVD:
"The music was written by Gretta Gertler and I wrote the words. I don't usually just write words to a pre-existing piece of music.I loved the tune so I tried to tell this story. It was sort of inspired by Andy, who was in the band at the start. He was the double bass player for the first three albums and he had a bad gambling problem. He'd already left the band when I wrote this song and tragicly about 6 months after the album came out, Andry committed suicide, after putting all his wages in a poker machine after working hard one week in Sydney."
For those really into it, an 11 piece string section was used for the album recording.
Love this song. One of the best on "Love This City"!!
Very sad. Song about a gambling addiction. Pokies are slot machines in Oz
yeah, beautiful yet sad... i always get the feeling that their songs are actually 'true' stories, i know how weird that sounds but i seriously feel like they are writing about someone they know or something :S
this song reminds me of summer, the pool, playing guitar, christmas and being happy adn feeling free!
this song is about andy lewis, one of the founders of the whitlams who committed suicide exactly four years after the establishment of the band after battling with a gambling problem
this song is about andy lewis, one of the founders of the whitlams who committed suicide exactly four years after the establishment of the band after battling with a gambling problem
@little_miss_pink Maybe that's how the song makes you feel - and that's fine - but the song is about as far opposite those nice things in life as you could get.
@little_miss_pink Maybe that's how the song makes you feel - and that's fine - but the song is about as far opposite those nice things in life as you could get.
While this song IS about gambling and addiction, it is also lamenting the quiet death of the Australian Pub Band scene that Tim was worried about. Because of the proliferation of pokies in pubs, less people were coming to gigs - instead they would sit on their arses and feed coins into machines.
my friend craze bout this song, but after read every word inside, i think this is a song picturing a man struggle with gambling addiction. excellent voice and good determination through out anyway ;).
This song is about one of the original band members, Andy Lewis. He quit the band after Stevie died, and fell into a gambling addiction. Tim wrote the song then just before it was released, Andy commited suicide one evening after blowing a weeks wages in one night. It's really sad and beautiful.
I freaking LOVE this song, it's perfect. It has a point and the music is AMAZING. It's a pity you can't buy it as a single anymore though cuz I WANT IT!
its a beautifull song yeh our govt is pretty fucked pokies should be banned. i used to work at a pub n ppl would come to gamble at 10 am. whitlam was a good guy