There's no hope in the colonies
So catch yourself a lifeline
Things have gone wrong too many times
So catch yourself a slow boat to China

Fixing some holes from the tigers claws
All your tears will be trembling
Stick those teeth into my back
Seasonal beasts keep them at bay

Can't something go right
Little things change people's lives
Hostile words won't fill your eyes
Same noise left too destroy

Loathsome smile head full of forever's
Will tomorrow bring some perfection
The zoos been overrun in Baghdad
Tiger's claws still in my back

[Chorus]
So send away the tigers
Because we're lonely and we're desperate
So send away the tigers
Because they're creeping up and dangerous

I've got problems I've got too many of them
Throw away your yesterdays I did it all for you
Blank horizons and hotels rooms
Cheap Whiskey and god-awful truths
Look at me I'm honest and I'm free
I was born to underachieve

[Chorus x2]


Lyrics submitted by gsleith

Send Away the Tigers Lyrics as written by James Dean Bradfield James Bradfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Send Away the Tigers song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +2
    Song Meaning

    "Send away the tigers" - phrase British comedian Tony Hancock used to refer to the idea of battling one's inner demons by getting drunk. Hancock became an alcoholic, an addiction he explained would "send away the tigers" that had been scratching at his back.

    So that's what the lyrics are about, it seems.

    chernobyl86on March 05, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I believe this song is about the US's involvement in the Iraq war.

    JayneCampon June 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is amazing, perfect to start up an album

    Baphomet-Lordon November 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The line "Little things change people's lives" is from an interview with Sid James talking about Tony Hancock. Sid is talking about the time he saw Tony in London and Tony looked terrible, Sid parked his car and tried to find Tony but he'd gone. Sid thought if he could have found him it might have chaged Tony's life.

    fredkiteon May 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yep, and the line 'things just went wrong too many times' is from Hancock's suicide note, and one Richey often quoted.

    manic4manicson March 17, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is a message to a young man in Ireland

    theres no hope in the colonies , hope is emo is a fictional character from America so catch yourself a lifeline , titanic is sinking again damn those crazy irish things have gone wrong too many times , so catch yourself a slow boat to china , maybe future of world markets lies in china fixing some holes from the tiger claws , this person will be in the near future fixing all your tears will be trembling , they will feel regret stick those teeth into my back seasional beast keep them at bay , the person sees themselves as being low on the food chain cant something go right little things change people lives hostile words wouldn't fill your eyes same noise left to destroy, this person sounds like richey or reminds him of him , being hostile will not make you friends loanesome smile head full of forevers , he thinks things should last forever and has a loanesome or loathsome smile will tomorrow bring some perfection , word perfect here I think is interesting that zoo in Baghdad has been overrun , check oil price circa when albumn was released tiger claws stuck in my back , the celtic tiger claws are stuck in his back so send away the tigers because we are lonely and we are desperate , the subject is both lonely and desperate in nickys eyes so send away the tigers because they are creeping up and dangerous , not sure about this but subject matter may have been wearing a creeping death t-shirt when engaged with nicky , the subject kinda thinks that runaway ecomomies should be managed better in order to benefit the most people not just the people at the top or at least not to a disprotional degree . but funny the subject has already accepted defeat even before battle and now his tears are trembling when a man is young he is usually a revolutionary ,so here I am speaking of my revolution

    tommylimeron April 02, 2013   Link

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