See that smokin' bowl before you
Mark our glorious rebelry
Round and round take up a chorus
And in raptures loudly sing

A fig by the law protected
Liberty's a glorious feast
The court for the coward's erected
And the church was built to please the priest



Lyrics submitted by punkpirate, edited by NateDawggE

Smokin' Bowl song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    A great song that celebrates a rebels freedom and equates church and state with authority (a means of control) posing the question of liberty from a rebels perspective.

    The first verse is celebratory, smoking a bowl as a toast among rebels who enjoy the coveted metaphorical fig in the chorus of the song.. In the chorus the fig (metaphor) is protected by law / liberty's a glorious feast. ~ The court was erected for cowards but who are the cowards, those who are weighed (ie. the rebels) or those who weight the scales of justice? Also, a church serves the interests of a clergy. In both cases authority is an institutionalized means of control to serve the interest of a higher class.

    So the question of liberty. Who gets the fig? Is freedom rebelry or an institution. Liberty's a glorious feast. Both sides will tell you that, but everybody wants their fig. All in all, Folky and Rocky, with Punk attitude.

    NateDawggEon January 28, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The first stanza of the song is setting up a scene. The smoking bowl marks the freedom to do as you want, the result of rebellion and fighting for freedom. People gather around, and recite a chorus from Robert Burns, a Scottish national symbol who wrote about freedom and liberty.

    The second stanza is the chorus of Burns' poem, which celebrates the Scottish attitudes of freedom and happiness.

    Source: poetrynook.com/poem/drinking-song-16

    Kalificuson November 30, 2019   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Whooo, first post...

    ...not that it really matters. Anyway amazing song, the first one I heard by them in fact. Great to sing along to but i have no idea on the meaning though

    GwillaWillaon October 19, 2006   Link

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