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Be Somebody Lyrics
You know there's no such thing as a free meal, and they're aint no future in British steel
know the only thing which really makes us smile, is a joke and a laugh and a night on the tiles
no one ever gives you anything for free, unless you start sleeping with the bbc
Nigel got a job in the city, works in the department store
slogging his guts out all through the week
looking forward to the weekend score
but tonight he's gonna be somebody, dancing his heart out with a local girl
she doesn't care whether he's got no money
there's more to life then they teach you at school
and tonight's he's gonna reach somebody, falling in love with a local girl
she doesn't care whether he's got no money
she knows he's got a heart of solid gold, solid gold, solid gold
you know there's no such thing as a ticket to ride or satisfaction without a sacrifice
the only thing which is only true about life, is that the older you get the more you compromise
no ones gonna hand it to you on a plate, you gotta give give give before you take take take
Nigel got a job in the city, works in the department store
thought his future was as good as sorted but he's happy in his little world
but tonight he's gonna be somebody
dancing his heart out with a local girl, she doesn't care whether he's got no money
there's more to life then they teach you at school
and tonight's he's gonna reach somebody, falling in love with a local girl
she doesn't care whether he's got no money
she know he's got a heart of solid gold, solid gold, solid gold
Be somebody, be somebody, be somebody, be somebody
be somebody, be somebody, be somebody, be somebody
Solid gold, solid gold, solid gold
know the only thing which really makes us smile, is a joke and a laugh and a night on the tiles
no one ever gives you anything for free, unless you start sleeping with the bbc
slogging his guts out all through the week
looking forward to the weekend score
but tonight he's gonna be somebody, dancing his heart out with a local girl
she doesn't care whether he's got no money
there's more to life then they teach you at school
and tonight's he's gonna reach somebody, falling in love with a local girl
she doesn't care whether he's got no money
she knows he's got a heart of solid gold, solid gold, solid gold
the only thing which is only true about life, is that the older you get the more you compromise
no ones gonna hand it to you on a plate, you gotta give give give before you take take take
thought his future was as good as sorted but he's happy in his little world
but tonight he's gonna be somebody
dancing his heart out with a local girl, she doesn't care whether he's got no money
there's more to life then they teach you at school
and tonight's he's gonna reach somebody, falling in love with a local girl
she doesn't care whether he's got no money
she know he's got a heart of solid gold, solid gold, solid gold
be somebody, be somebody, be somebody, be somebody
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No comments? This songs brilliant.
Pretty obvious what it's about. You work all week, your a nobody just doing your job and you go out at the weekend and find that special someone that you think you could be with and finally your someone.
Also another thing it says is that you can't expect everything to be given to you straight away - if you want something, you have to give something in return
I agree, brilliant song. And I also agree with the meaning. It's about feeling like you're a no one because you didn't get where you thought you would in life, but then you meet someone that loves you despite that and realize that it doesn't matter what job you have or how much money you have. So basically there is so much more to life rather than your job and money or "things they teach you at school".
A lot of the lyrics to this song are based on the song 'Making Plans for Nigel' by XTC (http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858522266/). That song was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at parents who try to dominate their children's futures, planning Nigel's future without his input or opinion, saying 'Nigel just needs this helping hand'.
The Enemy's song seems like a modern take on the same Nigel. In the 80's, Nigel "has his future in British steel"; now he's found out "there ain't no future in British steel", and instead he got a job in a department store. Nigel "thought his future was as good as sorted" (paraphrasing XTC's "Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed") but none of it came true (quite plausible that he didn't want it to come through).
Really, the song is about the shift in attitudes as people grow up. When Nigel was young and XTC wrote about him, he didn't really know what he wanted and he was dominated by his parents. Any grand ambitions he may have held didn't come through for him. Now he's older, all he's really looking for is 'a local girl' who won't mind that he's lost his ambitions and has no money.
After all, "the older you get the more you compromise".