Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
You gotta keep 'em separated
Like the latest fashion
Like a spreading disease
The kids are strappin' on their way to the classroom
Getting weapons with the greatest of ease
The gangs stake out their own campus locale
And if they catch you slippin' then it's all over pal
If one guys colors and the others don't mix
They're gonna bash it up
Bash it up, bash it up, bash it up
Hey, man you talkin' back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, man you disrespecting me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, don't pay no mind
If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
By the time you hear the siren
It's already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other to jail
One guy's wasted and the other's a waste
It goes down the same as the thousand before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope
Tie your own rope
Tie your own
Hey, man you disrespecting to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, man you talking back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, don't pay no mind
If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
It goes down the same as the thousand before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope
Tie your own rope
Tie your own
Hey, man you talkin' back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, man you disrespecting me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, don't pay no mind
If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
Like the latest fashion
Like a spreading disease
The kids are strappin' on their way to the classroom
Getting weapons with the greatest of ease
The gangs stake out their own campus locale
And if they catch you slippin' then it's all over pal
If one guys colors and the others don't mix
They're gonna bash it up
Bash it up, bash it up, bash it up
Hey, man you talkin' back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, man you disrespecting me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, don't pay no mind
If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
By the time you hear the siren
It's already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other to jail
One guy's wasted and the other's a waste
It goes down the same as the thousand before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope
Tie your own rope
Tie your own
Hey, man you disrespecting to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, man you talking back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, don't pay no mind
If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
It goes down the same as the thousand before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope
Tie your own rope
Tie your own
Hey, man you talkin' back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, man you disrespecting me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey, don't pay no mind
If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Come Out And Play (Keep 'Em Seperated) Lyrics as written by Bryan Holland
Lyrics © ROUND HILL CARLIN, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Spirit Within
Bertoldi Brothers
Bertoldi Brothers
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Battle Royale
Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.