Rendition, rendition, blame it on the coalition
All the emeralds that are missing, I wish we still had Jack Lemon
Rendition, rendition I never knew the sky was a prison
It's a long hard revolution, good God I feel like a liberal

[Chorus]
For tomorrow I will beg, steal and borrow
And at the moment I'm jumping at sorrow
I wish I knew what I did wrong
Can anybody hear the screaming of us? The screaming of us
In the long hard revolution

Rendition, rendition, blame it on the coalition
The CIA will stay invisible, good God I sound like a liberal
Rendition, rendition I never knew the sky was a prison
It's a long hard revolution, good God I feel like a liberal

[Chorus x2]


Lyrics submitted by gsleith

Rendition Lyrics as written by James Dean Bradfield James Bradfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Rendition song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Ah i see what you mean about the guitars, they are really similar... I dont know how you noticed though

    Anyway, the song's pretty much about the idea that places are "invented" by the CIA or whatever, where law doesn't seem to exist, places that are "above the law", like Guantanamo Bay for instance.

    I really love this song, it's really remenicant of the Generation Terrorists stuff

    RausRausFilaFilaon August 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Well this looks like a no-brainer on the face of it - Guitmo, Military Commisions, and extraordinary rendition (transferring people to repressive countries that are known to practise torture). But actually what I wanted to point out is the guitar at 2:17 - is it my imagination or does it sound uncannily similar to the guitar at 2:56 in 'Slash and Burn'? It would sort of make sense because MSP said they wanted to pay their dues to their hardcore, the ones who were there at the beginning (and 'Slash and Burn' is the first track on their first album, for anyone that doesn't know). Or maybe I'm reading too much into it, that's always a possibility!

    richeyeon June 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The line "I wish I knew what I did wrong" refers to the fact that the prisoners detained in facilities like Guantanamo are not told of the crimes for which they have been imprisoned.

    bobkindleson March 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One of my favorite songs off the album - like the other comment mentioned, guitars reminiscent of GT

    kexpseattleon September 06, 2019   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    The Jack Lemmon reference -> Missing (1982) imdb.com/title/tt0084335/

    kexpseattleon September 09, 2019   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Haha, I always thought he sings "I never knew this guy was in prison." and "Good God, I feel like a nipple."

    corrie1014on June 10, 2022   Link

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