The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
We watch you
Your expert double exes
It's just like you
To paint those whiter fences
It's so polite, it's so polite
It's offensive, it's offensive
It's so unright, it's so unright
It's a technical, accept it
But who needs love when there's Law And Order?
And who needs love when there's Southern Comfort?
And who needs love at all?
We stalk you
Your expert, double exes
We oxidized you in your sleep
There's no exit, there's no exit
You're on a roll, you're on a roll
No one gets it, no one gets it
Your honor, no, your honor
Can't you protect us? Protect us
But who needs love when there's Law And Order?
And who needs love when there's Southern Comfort?
And who needs love when the sandwiches are wicked
And they know you at the Mac Store?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, I'm so excited
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, the blacks and beat kids
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, I'm getting frightened
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Someday, someday Leeds United
La ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba
Ba, da da, da, da
Da da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da da, da
Bugsy Malone came to carry you home
And they're taking you all to the doctor
Verbally vices, all sugary and spices
It's nice but it's not what I'm after
Sure, I admire you, sure, you inspire me
But you've been not getting back so
I'll wait at the Sainsbury's, counting my change
Making bank on the upcoming roster
And we'll stop you
Your expert double exes
Oh yeah, big stack hold of extra care
Two exes, oh, oh, oh
That never talking thing you do
Is effective, it's effective
And your shoulder's icy cold
Oh, than a death wish, than a death wish
But who needs love when there's Law And Order?
And who needs love when there's Dukes Of Hazzard?
And who needs love when the sandwiches are wicked
And they know you at the Mac Store?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm so excited
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The blacks and beat kids
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm so excited
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
When I think about Leeds United
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ouch, I'm getting frightened
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The blacks, the blacks, the blacks and beat kids
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It's so exciting
Someday, someday, someday, someday
Someday, someday Leeds United
Your expert double exes
It's just like you
To paint those whiter fences
It's so polite, it's so polite
It's offensive, it's offensive
It's so unright, it's so unright
It's a technical, accept it
But who needs love when there's Law And Order?
And who needs love when there's Southern Comfort?
And who needs love at all?
We stalk you
Your expert, double exes
We oxidized you in your sleep
There's no exit, there's no exit
You're on a roll, you're on a roll
No one gets it, no one gets it
Your honor, no, your honor
Can't you protect us? Protect us
But who needs love when there's Law And Order?
And who needs love when there's Southern Comfort?
And who needs love when the sandwiches are wicked
And they know you at the Mac Store?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, I'm so excited
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, the blacks and beat kids
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, I'm getting frightened
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Someday, someday Leeds United
La ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba
Ba, da da, da, da
Da da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da da, da
Bugsy Malone came to carry you home
And they're taking you all to the doctor
Verbally vices, all sugary and spices
It's nice but it's not what I'm after
Sure, I admire you, sure, you inspire me
But you've been not getting back so
I'll wait at the Sainsbury's, counting my change
Making bank on the upcoming roster
And we'll stop you
Your expert double exes
Oh yeah, big stack hold of extra care
Two exes, oh, oh, oh
That never talking thing you do
Is effective, it's effective
And your shoulder's icy cold
Oh, than a death wish, than a death wish
But who needs love when there's Law And Order?
And who needs love when there's Dukes Of Hazzard?
And who needs love when the sandwiches are wicked
And they know you at the Mac Store?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm so excited
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The blacks and beat kids
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm so excited
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
When I think about Leeds United
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ouch, I'm getting frightened
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The blacks, the blacks, the blacks and beat kids
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It's so exciting
Someday, someday, someday, someday
Someday, someday Leeds United
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I'm not sure about the meaning of the song as a whole, but I believe the bit about "who needs love when there's law and order...etc" is about using trivial things to distract you from the loss of a lover, or from the unhappiness of being alone.
Law and Order, and Dukes of Hazzard are both TV shows, and Southern Comfort is a brand of whiskey. So she's using television and alcohol to numb herself, so to speak.
Also, it's not "Bugzy My Lone"; the correct line is "Bugsy Malone", which was a musical from the '70s.
Southern Comfort could also be a double meaning. It could be the alcohol, but it also could be sex.
Amazing song.
i think the whole song is about using trivial things to make yourself not think about love. Leeds United sounds like a football team, Dukes of hazzard is a film (and tv show), Law and Orders a TV show etc...
It's a amazing song
This may be kind of a strange guess, but I actually think it's about the obesity epidemic in America. I think it's about couch potatoes who think living is sitting around at home watching life happen to other people on TV. I could be really, really wrong though. I'm still kind of at a loss for pretty much the second half of the song.
what if its both a gay rites song and an obesity thing. lets say that someone who was still in the closet, was watching the news tell them that gayness was wrong, so they decided that instead of getting out there and finding their true love, they hide in their basements watching old reruns of t.v. shows and drinking booze? or it could be my original interpretation!! pssst, reead it!!!
Haha I read yogurtos reply and it makes sense!<br /> Who knows though?<br /> Its really cryptic
Leeds United is an English football team that play in black and yellow (hence the blackest bees i think). They recently got into a load of trouble over debts and stuff. They went down in the league, and tried to appeal against the FA. Most other teams hate them now.
they play it white, not black & yellow
Leeds United have always been hated. Despite being a fan myself, we are considered to have a lot of football hooligans amonst our fan base. We play in white, current away kit is yellow but it's been blue in the past. When a team goes into administration over debts you are docked fifteen points for the next season, so start the league on minus 15.
Amanda Palmer used to go out with Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs, who is orginally from Leeds so I guess its about that.
i think this song could be about people denying gays rights... though this is just my interpretation of the lyrics
we watch you your expert double x's [we watch the conservatives and their double standards, and their "expert" ways of defending why they contradict themselves]
it's just like you to paint those whiter fences [the conservatives trying to make it sound like they're doing the right thing, like everything is better their way]
it's so polite, it's so polite it's offensive, it's offensive [they think they're being good by teaching people that straight relationships are the only morally correct ones, but it's actually offensive because it's untrue and love is love]
it's so unright, it's so unright it's a technical, accept it [it's so unright that they're trying to deny people rights, and they're saying that "that's just the way things are, accept it" as though that justifies it]
but who needs love when there's law and order [the conservatives say "even if you're born gay, just don't have a relationship then... who needs love anyway, just follow the law and order will be kept" (also could be saying who needs love, just watch television and waste your life away)]
who needs love when there's southern comfort [the conservatives say "don't worry that you can't get married, there's comfort down here in the conservative south" (also could be saying who needs love, just drink alcohol and waste your life away)]
who needs love at all [again, "don't worry if you're gay, you just don't need love"]
we stalk you your expert, double x's we oxidized you in your sleep there's no exit, there's no exit [we take conservative views and disprove them, and the conservatives can't escape the truth]
your on a roll, your on a roll no one gets it, no one gets it [the conservatives think they're doing good but they're not, and that's why no one "gets it"]
you're unallowed, you're un - can't you protect us? protect us [you're in the wrong, conservatives... can't you just help protect our rights?]
but who needs love when there's law and order who needs love when there's southern comfort [already explained]
who needs love when the sandwitches are wicked and they know you at the mac store [the conservatives say, "who needs love when other aspects of life like food and technology and community are good?"]
i'm so excited the blackest bees oh i'm getting frightened someday, someday leeds united [gays and allies are excited for equal rights, but we're the "blackest bees" (the oddest ones in the bunch, the odds are against us?) and we're kinda scared... but someday, things will work out]
Bugzy My Lone, gonna carry you home [not sure what 'bugzy my lone' is a reference to, but maybe something from the past? in which case it could mean the conservatives are taking old and meaningless values to heart]
and they're taking you all to the doctor [they're calling all the fighting people "crazy"?]
verbally wise all sugary and spice [hm, i thought this part was 'loverly voices and sugary spices'... if it is, that's the conservatives sounding all nice even though they're not]
and it's nice but its not what i'm after [being straight is okay, but being gay is too]
sure i admire you, sure you inspire me [sure, we appreciate some of the other values you have, and some other things about you conservatives]
but you may not get a maxed out [but you're not fully good, and you're wrong about some things, conservatives]
where is the salesman counting my change making bank on the up 'cos i lost my friend [i thought this was 'where is the salesman counting my change, make or break on the upcoming roster'.. in which case it would mean someone is evaluating us and will determine if we make the list to heaven?]
we'll stop you your expert double x's [we'll put an end to conservative double-standard nonsense]
big stack hold for extra care, two x's [a lot of things you conservatives are saying contradict each other, so it'll take extra care to defend those double standards against our unbeatable arguments]
that never talking thing you do is effective, it's effective [their best method of defense is to walk away and ignore us]
your shoulder's icy cold & it's a death wish, yes a death wish [conservatives give us liberals the cold shoulder, and the death wish part could mean either they wish we die or their last wish is to have nothing to do with us]
but who needs love when there's law and order [explained above]
who needs love when there's dukes of hazzard [the conservatives say "who needs marriage when there's good movies and art... just have sex and nobody needs to know about it"]
and who needs love when the sandwitches are wicked and they know you at the mac store [explained above]
i'm so excited the blacks and bees i'm so excited when i think about leeds united i'm getting frightened the blacks, the blacks, the blacks and bees it's so exciting someday someday someday someday someday someday leeds united [explained above]
so that's my interpretation, what do you guys think?
yah, that's wrong.
I see where you're coming from. ^_^ I like that take on it.
Now, I don't mean to be arguing with you (though I am), but the South (where African slaves were oppressed) was actually Liberal, so the South being conservative is untrue. Might I add that if you were to actually look into who freed the slaves(Abraham Lincoln), the president was CONSERVATIVE. And the theory of conservatives walking away when anyone questions them is untrue. Conservative likes to argue and stand for their points very much so; it is actually the Liberals who try to create loopholes, talk around a topic, or point fingers(Obama for example blaming everyone else for his mistakes, such as his +70 vacations during his presidency, illusive birth certificate and multiple alias). And conservatives don't hate homosexuals either. I, being conservative, have multiple homosexual friends who I love to hang out with and have absolutely no problem with their sexual preferences(I also listen to a lot of music by homosexual artists who sing about people of their same sex, and those are some of my favorite artists). People just jump to the conclusion that conservatives hate homosexuality because they think that if we don't want to see people make-out, make love, or anything of the likes in public(of ANY sexuality)(Conservatives simply prefer that EVERYONE despite their sexuality would keep their sex-life in their own bed, not flaunted around like a new pair of shoes?hat/whatever), it MUST mean that they hate homosexuals. And plenty of liberals have called Tea-partiers "T-baggers", which is actually a demeaning homosexual slang term. But Conservatives do not want homosexuals "to die" or to not have anything to do with them. And I have to say, sure, conservatives are trying to do their best, but isn't everyone convinced their way of handling things is better than someone else's? And yes, Conservatives are wrong about some things, but so are Liberals. And no offense, but aren't Liberals more two-faced than Conservatives? What about all these promises we've received from Liberal politicians that have never been fulfilled(Such as free healthcare, but everyone who pays taxes has to pay more while bureaucrats and politicians are exempt from these taxes, waiting lists, and instead receive special medical treatment within the Obamacare bill)? And to finish this, Conservatives do not hate people just because they are liberal either and do not wish them death. Much of my own family, my best friends, teachers, and love interests have been Liberal, but someone's political view does not decide how a friendship/relationship will be.<br /> <br /> So I can see how this song may sound political, but that does not that this song is written to specifically bash Conservatives and their supposed "hatred" for Liberals and Homosexuals. Now, I don't mean to offend you at all, I just find it a tad unnerving to be "hated on" so blindly by someone's translation of an excellent, excellent song.
A quote from Amanda about the song:
"Leeds United was actually one of those hodge podge brain clearing songs. I was writing about a bunch of things that were going on all at the same time. I had just been dating Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs. And he's from Leeds and I had been up to visit him, there's a little bit of that in there. There's a little bit of my band drama in there. There's a little bit of how funny I thought it was that soccer teams were united but yet they were beating the crap out of each other at the end of matches."
So, this is about European Football, Amanda Palmer, Her band and her boyfriend
I can't make out a lot of the lyrics, but one thing I'm rather certain of (Because it's clever and Amanda Palmer is a genius) is that the lyric listed above as:
"you're unallowed, you're un - can't you protect us? protect us"
is in fact:
"You're unallowed, YOUR HONOR, can't you protect us? Protect us?"
Also, the reference is "Bugsy Malone" not Bugzy My Lone. It's a play/musical. Never seen it though, so I can't comment on where that comes into it.
Is there anyway that this song is about Tresor Kandol? Or at least partly? I've been thinking that because of the "double x's" part. XX is twenty in roman numerals, and number twenty on Leeds United is Tresor Kandol. I don't know much about football though.
Also, on the shadow box, some one PM'd Amanda and she gave the lyrics, and they are in fact "Bugzy My Lone", not anything else.