This Joke Sport Severed

Manic Street Preachers

Loose and guilty and whipped
Sterility persecutes and I have plenty
Bruised and nailed and quit
Merciful and mourned and meek

Jealousy sows rejection with a kiss
In silken palms that tear bone from skin

This joke sport severed
I endeavored
To find a place where
I became untethered

This joke sport severed
I endeavored
To find a place where
I became untethered

Jealousy sows rejection with a kiss
In silken palms that tear bone from skin

This joke sport severed
I endeavored
To find a place where
I became untethered


Lyrics submitted by ecureuil

This Joke Sport Severed Lyrics as written by Nicholas Jones James Bradfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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This Joke Sport Severed song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +3
    My InterpretationI think this is about failure in relationships and failure socially. an admission of defeat, deciding that that area of one's life is just a lost cause, because all attempts end in hurt. Nicky said in a recent interview that in Richey's later lyrics, he seemed to have come to a lot of conclusions, and this is one of them. it's a side of Richey that you probably could have assumed was there, but he didn't dwell on it in his lyrics, so it's saddening to hear this and realise he was more affected by it than he had let on.
    ElleVeeElleon June 03, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General CommentI love the disgust with which JDB spits out the first 'rejection'. Lot of feeling in this one. God this album grows on me more and more with each listening.
    queenoftartanon August 24, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI think ElleVeeElle is correct. Also there’s a ton of references relating attempts at relationships to torture, which really shows you where Richey’s head was at. If The Holy Bible was a hellish view of the outside world, then Journal For Plague Lovers does the same for your own little world in a lot of lyrics. Leaders lie, lovers lie. And when you come to the conclusion that there’s no such thing as true perfection attainable whether in society or romance, it’s not an easy thought to take for idealists.
    MBlackon June 11, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General CommentA lot of richey's later conclusions seem very pessimistic. I also think his idea that he didn't quite fit anywhere or couldn't reach perfection- as referenced in DitS (I can't seem to stay a fixed ideal - childhood pictures redeem- clean and so serene) is shown clearly in this. He seems to look at life as torture, but relationships, which could soothe him, instead only make him more aware of the things he dislikes about himself and about humanity.
    thisnameplson April 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAnyone know how the title is supposed to be read? I can't make heads or tails of it.
    archgalloon June 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentNoun = this joke sport (this sport, which is a joke -- referring to romance?)
    Verb = severed (cut, ending a romance?)
    umbrillianton August 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentKind of reminds me of 'Revol' a bit with the whole idea of failed relationships. It seems to be one of those ideas that Richey just couldn't seem to leave behind. Even though this song is short, it has a lot of true emotions to it - definitely one of my faves from the album.

    I do think, personally, that the demo version was better.
    xpwoppaon August 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Commentgood song, getting more into JFTPL today than when it first came out
    kexpseattleon October 10, 2016   Link
  • -1
    General CommentIt's jealousy "sows" rejection (according to lyrics book):P

    But otherwise, just a beautiful insight into Richie's twisted but wonderful mind to me...
    Owen999on May 31, 2009   Link

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