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Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself) Lyrics
Hey, neighbor, let me give you some advice!
The Russians are about to pulverize us
In our sleep tonight!
That is if the crazy Arabs,
Or the riots don't get us first.
And the fire will rain down from the sky.
The fire will rain down from the sky!
People die, people die.
People die, people die.
But go ahead sleep tight in your beds,
Remember what the wise man said-
There's nothing to fear nothing to fear!
There's nothing to fear nothing to fear!
There's nothing to fear (but fear itself)!
There's nothing to fear (but fear itself)!
And the temperature's starting to drop, now..
The temperature's starting to drop.
The temperature's starting to drop now...
The temperature's starting to drop!
Hey, little girl, won't you come this way?
Won't you let me buy you candy or perhaps a chocolate shake?
Or perhaps some nice cocaine..?
..or perhaps a little kiss?
Or perhaps a ride in my big car,
Perhaps a ride in my big car!?
Won't you make an old man happy?
Won't you make an old man happy?
Won't you let me show you paradise?
(Don't ask your mother for advice!)
CHORUS
If they don't turn you into a junkie, or a zombie on the street..
If they don't turn you into a yo-cat, or a grinning Jesus freak!
If they don't take away your brains or turn your body inside out!
If they don't take away your passion with a color TV set!
They'll take away your heart and soul,
They'll take away your heart and soul,
They'll take away your heart and soul
Don't let them take away your heart and soul!
Remember what the wise man said:
CHORUS
The Russians are about to pulverize us
In our sleep tonight!
That is if the crazy Arabs,
Or the riots don't get us first.
And the fire will rain down from the sky.
The fire will rain down from the sky!
People die, people die.
But go ahead sleep tight in your beds,
Remember what the wise man said-
There's nothing to fear nothing to fear!
There's nothing to fear (but fear itself)!
There's nothing to fear (but fear itself)!
And the temperature's starting to drop, now..
The temperature's starting to drop.
The temperature's starting to drop now...
The temperature's starting to drop!
Won't you let me buy you candy or perhaps a chocolate shake?
Or perhaps some nice cocaine..?
..or perhaps a little kiss?
Or perhaps a ride in my big car,
Perhaps a ride in my big car!?
Won't you make an old man happy?
Won't you make an old man happy?
Won't you let me show you paradise?
(Don't ask your mother for advice!)
If they don't turn you into a yo-cat, or a grinning Jesus freak!
If they don't take away your brains or turn your body inside out!
If they don't take away your passion with a color TV set!
They'll take away your heart and soul,
They'll take away your heart and soul,
They'll take away your heart and soul
Don't let them take away your heart and soul!
Remember what the wise man said:
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I think that this song is saying how screwed up our world is today, how there is constant war, and old men suducing little girls. But then it's saying not to fear, to just sleep tight in our beds, or in other words just be ignorant to the world around you. I tihnk that the 'they' Boingo is refering to is everyone around us and if we don't become like them, then we will be soulless-- at least we will think we will be soulless. But we have to remember we don't have to become like 'them', we don't have to fear them taking away our souls either that's my take on it
I think that some component of this song is in response to to the scaremongering and sensationalism that is rampant in the news today (though I can't speak for conditions in 1982). I could easily be wrong.
@ccbubblegum It hasn't changed... that's the irony.
@ccbubblegum It hasn't changed... that's the irony.
I've always interpreted as shit happens, life goes on ("People die...don't be afraid") It seems like it's saying that in the end, we'll all have to make it through.
Creepy how this song can connect to our world situation. I mean, in 1982 it had relevance. The song mentions the Russians (the Cold War had been going on since the 60's) and it mentions Arabs (which we can assimilate to our current situation).
And the "wise man" would be Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President during World War II who famously uttered the phrase, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
While it's not a strict reference to any particular subject, the song does play on fears of people during those days. A good song, nonetheless.
Boingo has a lot of songs about this sort of thing.
Live like the world is coming to an end. Don't be afraid of anything, and yes 'shit happens'.
This song is sarcastic. It's saying there IS plenty to fear.
The real message is in the final bridge where at the end he repeats “They’ll take away your heart and soul”. He’s referring to sensationalist media back then and the fear mongering that is now the standard format for television today.
Basically saying living a life in constant fear is not a life at all.