To Cut A Long Story Short Lyrics
See him through white light
Running from strangers
See you in the valley
War upon war
Heat upon heat
To cut a long story short
I lost my mind
Sitting on a park bench
Years away from fighting
To cut a long story short
I lost my mind
Standing in the dark
Oh I was waiting for man to come
I am beautiful and clean
And so very very young
To be standing in the street
To be taken by someone
Questions questions
Give me no answers
Thats all they ever give me
Questions questions
Oh look at the strange boy
He finds it hard existing
To cut a long story short
I lost my mind

An interpretation of this song is that a traumatized veteran is relaying his experiences from a war. He was just a boy when he enlisted/drafted ("I am beautiful and clean and so very very young...") Sounds like he was captured and tortured as a POW ("That's all they ever give me. Questions questions...") And emerged from the experience worse for wear. Now he's "sitting on a park bench, years away from fighting" and basically muttering what amounts to nonsense. So to cut a long story short, he lost his mind.

I always thought it's about post-war male prostitution. He saw the soldier like a saviour (in the white light), but soon he had to run from those stranger soldiers, separated from his family and got to survive as he could (war upon war / heat upon heat)
then, years away from fighting, he's cruising in the park. "Standing in the dark Oh I was waiting for man to come I am beautiful and clean And so very very young To be standing in the street To be taken by someone"
the strange boy receives a lot of nasty questions, but no one can explain what's the point in the war that completely shredded his life.
to cut a long story shot, he lost his mind.

Seems like the OST from Manchurian Candidate - mixes war trauma, childhood and adult manipulation - it's hauntingly paraniod.

Great song full of typical new romantic nonsensical nonsense. Classic.

I've always believed it's about war

One of their best songs in my opinion, though I've never quite understood the meaning behind it. Damn you people, and your bad tastes for no commenting here your thoughts ! >;

IMO this song is about male prostitution "Standing in the dark Oh I was waiting for man to come I am beautiful and clean And so very very young To be standing in the street To be taken by someone"

Same as most peoples' posted already except "war" does not necessarily mean putting on a uniform and wielding a gun. Truleigh said it best, but a bullied/abused child goes through a personal war as well.

I think this song is about a young person fighting drug addiction. He lost his mind because he cannot resist it. By saying that he’s clean I think he means that he’s not on drugs for some period of time. “Standing in the dark” because he thinks life isn’t nice without it. “To be standing in the streets” I think he has no home since he tries to change his lifestyle and get rid of addiction, so he doesn’t sell drugs anymore. That’s my interpretation.