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Travels In Nihilon Lyrics
You've learnt no lessons
all that time so cheaply spent
there's no youth culture
only masks they let you rent
Travels, travels in Nihilon
we've seen, no Jesus come and gone
Fashion, their vampire
drapes itself across your back
as you fall from style
it waits rebirth on its rack
Building your whimsy
hypnotising you to need
dance goes full circle
one step ahead of your greed
You've learnt no lessons
all those years to get it right
flashes of promise
burn out faster than strobe light
all that time so cheaply spent
there's no youth culture
only masks they let you rent
we've seen, no Jesus come and gone
drapes itself across your back
as you fall from style
it waits rebirth on its rack
hypnotising you to need
dance goes full circle
one step ahead of your greed
all those years to get it right
flashes of promise
burn out faster than strobe light
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Just discovered this song. XTC's back catalog is so deep, it's astounding. They were doing things in the late 70's and early 80's that people are killing themselves trying to reproduce successfully today. ANYWAY, I've never heard anything like this song...it's horrific, tribal clang is perfectly matched with the tone of the lyrics. It approaches the futility of keeping up with trends, trying to be in touch with youth culture, fashion, consumerism, etc. "You've learnt no lessons." Let it go, grow up, be yourself.
I do agree with you about XTC, lunaharpua. Someone said they are the "great lost pop band", and, yes, they are... in fact, I don't really love that song, this kind of obscure, rageous, very repititive sound doesn't fit them very well... but the lyrics are really good. Two lines in particular, that should be written near every highschool or faculty : "There's no youth culture / Only masks they let you rent" ... nothing left to say Lunaharpua, have you heard "The Somnambulist"? One of XTC's most unknown, enigmatic and beautiful... Dig that band to the core !
I just wanna say:
You two are awesome.
Anyway, cheers. :)