In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
For what I am not aware
Must be what you wrote
What you write, you swore that you'd swear
Now remember why you came
Not to play follow the leader, no no
Poor kids dressing like they're rich (Mods!)
Rich kids dressing like they're poor (oh my god!)
White kids talking like they're black
I tried it with Charlene
And I spent three days on my back
But she said "Baby
I like the cut of your J.I.B."
Oh don't believe them when they say
That you don't get nothing for free
It's all for free
Follow me now
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
For what I am not aware
Must be what you wrote
What you write, you swore that you'd swear
Now remember why you came
Not to play follow the leader, no no
Poor kids dressing like they're rich (Mods!)
Rich kids dressing like they're poor (oh my god!)
White kids talking like they're black
I tried it with Charlene
And I spent three days on my back
But she said "Baby
I like the cut of your J.I.B."
Oh don't believe them when they say
That you don't get nothing for free
It's all for free
Follow me now
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
Lyrics submitted by on_a_plain_11
Campaign of Hate Lyrics as written by Peter Doherty
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I agree that it's about school.
'There's a campaign of hate It's waiting at the school gates'
I think this line refers to how, as soon as you get to school, you're part of a clique, and you're constantly at war with the other cliques around you.
'For what I am not aware Must be what you wrote What you write, you swore that you'd swear.'
This means that the kid going to school doesn't exactly know why his clique is warring with another clique, or how the cliques got started in the first place. But kids just accept that it's because they made friends with one set of peoepl that they're against others.
'For remember why you came Not to play follow the leader, no no.'
This is Pete Doherty saying get an identity of your own.
'Poor kids dressing like they're rich (mods) Rich kids dressing like they're poor (oh my god) White kids talking like they're black I tried it with Charlene And I spent three days on my back.'
Once again, refering to cliques and how kids act differently form what they really are to fit in. I think the 'I tried it with Charlene' bit is about how kids succum to peer pressure, and 'try' different things like sex, drugs, ect.
'Oh she said baby... I like the cut of your J.I.B. Don't believe them when they say That you don't get nothing for free It's all for free follow me now.'
I think this line is saying that the singer won the heart of a girl because he was himself, and because he's different, the girl 'likes the cut of his J.I.B (in case you don't know, to like the cut of someone's jib refers to how, in pirate days, you could tell if someone was friend or foe because of the flag they were flying.)' So the singer is saying that because he was himself, and he didn't have to give away part of his identity, good things happened to him.