The Red The White The Blue The Black

Also, I always heard this as (I could be wrong);

Mouths of dust and ruptured windpipe Fairytales for lying cheats They're lashing out like wolves in barbed-wire Ring the bells and stop the fires now

The red white and the blue has always been what led you If you don't do something they'll steal it all from under you

Board decisions, bored children Watch the world through gunsight eyes Hijack trainwrecks, sell the wheels No way out unless you steal it all

The red white and the blue has always been what led you If you don't do something they'll steal it all from under you

You beat us black and blue We're coming back to find you

The red white and the blue has always been what led you If you don't do something they'll steal it all from under you

I don'y think I've ever heard a more powerful song. I think its about the UK's independence, and the EP cover (two burnt flags- the Union Jack and the Stars & Stripes) suggest its independence from American, not Europe.

I love the fusion of the electric violin, the accoustic guitar and the stomping piano. They are so fucking talented and they will go so, so far.

I don'y think I've ever heard a more powerful song. I think its about the UK's independence, and the EP cover (two burnt flags- the Union Jack and the Stars & Stripes) suggest its independence from American, not Europe.

I love the fusion of the electric violin, the accoustic guitar and the stomping piano. They are so fucking talented and they will go so, so far.

nice theory boss... Sounds about right to me...

I thought it was about how America is sort of trying to take over the UK and Tony Blair is too afraid to stand up to Big Bad Bush. Bush trying to corner us into sending out all our men to iraq's bad spots so while our scot's get killed,his people are better off?

I think its definately a reference to current times. The chorus "The red white and the blue has always been what led you" is a reference to people being proud of their country, and following their flag, no matter what...Which is bad.

i think this song is about the entire history of power and politics: the red white and blue ALWAYS led you, or at least politics since UK has been a world power. then the song talks about how generations of people have become swept up in this system and know nothing different, "steal it all from you" refers to stealing a person's identity and freedom of mind. the last two lines sum up the message and resolution to do something and not be swallowed up in a greedy, power-hungry world.

There's little doubt, at least to me, that this is an attack on patriotism in the most powerful countries of the Anglosphere. Red, white and blue initially make one think of America, and the video's an obvious reference to America in its military heyday, but the most powerful English-speaking countries (Britain, Aus, US) all use red, white and blue flags and are all bogged down by patriotism. The lyrics could refer to any one of them. America's certainly the most infected by blind patriots, the sort whom the red, white and blue have always led, though.

Of course, there is one alternative interpretation along these lines, that it does not refer to individuals blindly devoted to their countries but to countries blindly devoted to others. Most of Europe's currently under the hegemony of the US, Britain possibly most prominently so, and a lot of US corruption has been conveniently routed through Britain. That said, this was not the case in 2004 to the extent that it is now (or, rather, it wasn't public that this was the case in 2004), so it is somewhat doubtable that a band would write about in 2004.