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Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) Lyrics
And the women tug their hair
Like they're trying to prove it won't fall out
And all the men are gargoyles
Dipped long in Irish stout
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they've done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
And everyone is blonde
And everyone is beautiful
and when blondes and beautiful are multiple
they become so dull and dutiful
And when faced with dull and dutiful
They fire red warning flares
Battle-Khaki personality
With red underwear
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they've done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Like they're trying to prove it won't fall out
And all the men are gargoyles
Dipped long in Irish stout
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they've done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
And everyone is beautiful
and when blondes and beautiful are multiple
they become so dull and dutiful
They fire red warning flares
Battle-Khaki personality
With red underwear
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they've done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Liverpool or Rome
'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Song Info
Submitted by
novartza On Jun 29, 2002
More The Beautiful South
36D
Song For Whoever
Let Love Speak Up Itself
Don't Marry Her
You Keep It All In
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This song was so annoying when it was never off the radio or televison, I vaguely remember the video too.Strange.....
I love this song. Reminds me of spilling hot chocolate all over my little sister at a cafe in Rotterdam.. also reminds me of a holiday on Bute a few years ago. Nice tune :)
My mum plays it on the guitar so I just love it ^_^
I remember finding the pickle verse particularly hilarious as a kid.
same!!! ths was the first song i ever learnt all the lyrics to... i felt well chuffed
Paul Heaton used to catch the ferry from Hull, where he lived, to Rotterdam to try and escape lonliness. This song is about how that and it follows you around no matter where you go. Quality stuff.
How can only 5 people have commented this?! It is one of my favourite all time songs.
Sounds to me like he's fed up with the people in his life at the moment or just generally in life.
He just wants to escape from it all and have some peace and quiet to himself?
For some reason I always assumed this song was about people working in a office, driving each other cray-zee. shrug
I always have to laugh at this part: And everyone is blonde And everyone is beautiful and when blondes and beautiful are multiple they become so dull and dutiful
Because most of the inhabitants of Rotterdam are foreigners, mainly of Turkish and Morrocan origin. So the blonde part isn't very accurate :P
I heard this song was about globalisation. Paul was told he couldn't just have a leisurely drink in a bar. They wanted him to spend more. Buy more. Cities around the world have become the same with their Starbucks etc. Rotterdam was the same as any other city now.