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Serve Yourself Lyrics
you say you found jesus christ
he's the only one
you say you fund Buddha
sittin in the sun
you say you found Mohammed
facin to the East
you say you found Krishna
dancin in the streets
well there's something missing in this godalmighty stew and it's your mother
you mother don't forget your mother lad
you gotta serve yourself
nobody gonna do it for you
you gotta serve yourself
nobody gonna do it for you
well you may believe in devils and you may believe in lords
but you don't go out and serve yourself lad
ain't no room service here
??????
it's still the same old story
a bloody holy war
a fight for love and glory
ain't gonna study war no more
a fight for god and country
we're gonna set you free
we'll put you back in the syone age
if you won't be like me
get it?
you gotta serve yourself
ain't nobody gonna do for you
you gotta serve yourself
ain't nobody gonna do for you
well you may believe in devils and you may believe in lords
but christ, you're gonna have to serve yourself and that's
all there is to it
so Get right back here, it's in the bloody fridge
god, when I was a kid, didn't have stuff like this
TV fucking dinners and all that crap
you fuckin kids are all the fuckin same
want a fuckin car now?
lucky to have a pair of shoes!
you tell me you found Jesus
well that's great and he's the only one
you tell me you found Buddah
and he's sittin on his ass in the sun
you say you found Mohammed
kneelin ona bloody carpet facing the east
you say you found Krishna,
with a bald head dancin in the street
well christ lad, you're goin out and you're being heard
you gotta serve yourself
ain't nobody gonna do it for you
that right lad you better get that straight through your fuckin head
you gotta serve yourself
you know that better
who the hell els is gonna do it for you
it ain't me kid, i'll tell ya that
well you may believe in jesus and you may believe in marx and you may believe in marx and spencer's and you may believe in bloody woolworths
but there's something missing from this whole bloody stew...
and it's your mother
your poor bloody mother
she once bore ya in the back bedroom
full of piss and shit and fucking midwives
god you can't forget that awful moment
???
you should of been in the bloody war lad, you would of known all about it
well i'll tell you something
it's still the same old story
a holy bloody war
you know with pope and all that stuff
a fight for love and glory
ain't gonna study no more war
a fight for god and country
and the queen and all that
we're gonna set you free
yeah ??? i'm sure
bomb you back into the fuckin stone age
if you won't be like me
you know, get down on your knees and pray
well there's something missing from this god-all-mighty stew
and it's your goddamn mother you dirty little git
now get in there and wash your ears
he's the only one
you say you fund Buddha
sittin in the sun
you say you found Mohammed
facin to the East
you say you found Krishna
dancin in the streets
you mother don't forget your mother lad
nobody gonna do it for you
you gotta serve yourself
nobody gonna do it for you
well you may believe in devils and you may believe in lords
but you don't go out and serve yourself lad
ain't no room service here
??????
a bloody holy war
a fight for love and glory
ain't gonna study war no more
a fight for god and country
we're gonna set you free
we'll put you back in the syone age
if you won't be like me
get it?
ain't nobody gonna do for you
you gotta serve yourself
ain't nobody gonna do for you
well you may believe in devils and you may believe in lords
but christ, you're gonna have to serve yourself and that's
all there is to it
so Get right back here, it's in the bloody fridge
god, when I was a kid, didn't have stuff like this
TV fucking dinners and all that crap
you fuckin kids are all the fuckin same
want a fuckin car now?
lucky to have a pair of shoes!
well that's great and he's the only one
you tell me you found Buddah
and he's sittin on his ass in the sun
you say you found Mohammed
kneelin ona bloody carpet facing the east
you say you found Krishna,
with a bald head dancin in the street
well christ lad, you're goin out and you're being heard
ain't nobody gonna do it for you
that right lad you better get that straight through your fuckin head
you gotta serve yourself
you know that better
who the hell els is gonna do it for you
it ain't me kid, i'll tell ya that
well you may believe in jesus and you may believe in marx and you may believe in marx and spencer's and you may believe in bloody woolworths
but there's something missing from this whole bloody stew...
your poor bloody mother
she once bore ya in the back bedroom
full of piss and shit and fucking midwives
god you can't forget that awful moment
???
you should of been in the bloody war lad, you would of known all about it
it's still the same old story
a holy bloody war
you know with pope and all that stuff
a fight for love and glory
ain't gonna study no more war
a fight for god and country
and the queen and all that
we're gonna set you free
yeah ??? i'm sure
bomb you back into the fuckin stone age
if you won't be like me
you know, get down on your knees and pray
and it's your goddamn mother you dirty little git
now get in there and wash your ears
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
This song is a jab at Bob Dylan. I am not religious at all, but I thought it was lame of Lennon to make this just because Dylan (use to be a very close friend of Lennon's) claimed to have found god. Dylan released "You're Gonna Have to Serve Somebody" and then Lennon released this. Kind of fucked up I think, maybe not.
@sirharrynuggz - I agree with you, it's just nasty and mean-spirited.
@sirharrynuggz - I agree with you, it's just nasty and mean-spirited.
dear nostril flutterers . . . relax, get a life, float downstream! you are obviously not british! it's just a bit of english fun! making fun of parents of that generation (and beyond) and the kind of thing that folks (midlands & working class in particular) would've said to their post-war kids. you don't need to find the holy grail in every bloody word rhyme and silly song, it's just a bit of fun, for john's sake . . . how you nobodies love an excuse to come out of your holes revving for blood at the least opportunity; just like chapman, you want a little flush from your association, like spitting on the madona . . . have a look at john's/beatles' song book and IMAGINE, and ask yourselves: "what have a created?" then go get a life . . . it's a short one, see what you can do! soppy twats!
The greatest song of his lyrically. Very controversial at the time, highlighting his independence, and his honesty. We can admire him for his indignation.
The religous aspect to this song i really love, its so hilarious and yet so poignantly relevant... i love it
damn, gotta agree with 'ilovelucy' there.. one of the best masterpieces john lennon's ever done which brings across the strong message of the pointlessness and destruction of people fighting in the name of their gods
I think that if this song had been released at the time it was recorded, punk rockers would have embraced John Lennon as a precursor. Lyrically and musically, it's a punk song, and a great song.
Yes I agree with all of you. I am a Hare Krishna but, I do not take offense to it. As I know it is a song of expression by another being. It is very artistic and am suprised that more punk rockers do not praise John Lennon as apposed to well, booing him.
I'm going to have to disagree with basically everyone and say that I don't like this song. The lyrics and singing aren't really that great, and it's none of John Lennon's business what Bob Dylan's religious beliefs are. Also don't know why the hell this song would be a "punk precursor" considering it came out in 1979, and the first punk album, Ramones, was released in 1977. So....
Wow in this song Lennon really sounds like the petty, arch-liberal elitist he was. He can spout his pseudo-religious musings in his songs but as soon as someone else does it he's up in arms.
@atamata - can you imagine somebody making a parody of "Imagine" after the fashion of this song? Mr. Lennon would have dirtied his britches.
@atamata - can you imagine somebody making a parody of "Imagine" after the fashion of this song? Mr. Lennon would have dirtied his britches.
Lennon's rebellious tendency is highlighted on this song perfectly.
The more I learn about Lennon the more I think he was influenced by dark spirits. They say Yoko Ono wrote the lyrics to 'Imagine' and that was some dark lyrics, If you like the lyrics to this and Imagine you should reconsider.