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Public Enema Number One Lyrics
When it all comes down the line
And the lights they turn to greed
And you race off with your tyres screaming
Rolling thunder
And the people choke with poison
Children cry in fear
But you've got your fast bullet
One way ticket outta here
chorus
Fall on your knees today
And pray the world will mend its ways
Get to your feet again
Refugees from the heartbreak and the pain
In the cities in the streets
There's a tension you can feel
Breaking strain is fast approaching
Guns and riots
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins
And the press get fed the scapegoats
Public enema number one
chorus
A million network slaves
In an advertising new age
I don't need a crystal ball to sell ya
Your children have more brains
Than your drug infested remains
California dreaming as the earth dies screaming
chorus
I think this song is about the way the world seems to be getting closer and closer to a breaking point, and when it finally gets here, you just book it and run away from it all.. while everyhing else falls apart. There are also overtones of how people know there are these problems and still do nothing "pray the world will mend its ways" (a passive approach?)
Note the separation of California from the rest of the world- as if they're asking why hollywood is caught up with celebrity and vanity when other people are starving and suffering. I really like this song. It's very brooding/wild and melodic. I'm surprised no one else has commented
Why would they use Enema?! Why?!
I thought this song was a reference to gangs and gangsters with the "Public Enema Number One" being a reference to Al Capone who was proclaimed Chicago's offical Public Enemy Number One shortly before his downfall. I could be wrong though...
Is it just me, or is this song's title REALLY out of place for maiden? I'd expect it from some punk band, but maiden? Just seems... odd.
YES!!! YES!!!
I couldnt agree more... Like, I kinda get the whole enema-image with like, the media/politicians just feed us their BS and we cant do anything about it and whatnot.
But I definitely do not like it.
I think they use "Enema" rather than "Enemy" because they did not want to get tangled up with courts since there is a rap/hip hop group called Public Enemy...If they would have named that song Public Enemy Number One then the group Pubic Enemy would have said that they would want some type of royalty and stuff like that...
Song is about the fall of society in certain places...
@picounion No. it enema to flush down the wickedness of man that causes the fall of society
@picounion No. it enema to flush down the wickedness of man that causes the fall of society