Bye Bye Badman

the song is about a french student singing to the riot police, hence i'm throwing stones at you etc.. this topic is resounded on the album cover it's self as the french student protesters squeezed lemons to neutralise the effects of the tear gas fired at them shown on the lemon on the album cover

The centrepiece of the Stone Roses debut album Bye Bye Badman ignites the rebellioussness of a Britain in the midst of the conservative government led by Margarat Thatcher. This song [thanks for the explanations of the lemons paul coyle] spoke to a generation of British youths who had long grown up in conservative Britain and gave them a sense of rebellion and self confidence as it kickstarted a generation from the Smiths to Oasis and Conservatives to New Labour as the resurgence of Cool Britania commenced.

The song is not about fascists because the conservative govt of the time in the UK were not fascist. The govts in the west we have not are fascists. The song is definitely in regards to the French riots as reference to the album cover. Unlíke a lot of bands I also love. The Roses actually have very intelligent lyrics. Likely because they are United supporters and not City.......

Wow.. good insight. Brilliant song

Cool, never knew that, but it makes sense. Brilliant song though, one of my favourites. The chorus is full of the sensation of pending victory over a long-time oppressor.

This reminds me of the times when I was an active anti-fascist running about doing all kinds of silly things. Although it wasn't that long ago.

"Got no question got no love I'm throwing stones at you man I want you black and blue and I'm gonna make you bleed"

Just sums it up, not willing to accept something that you perceive being wrong, and then being willing to use violence to change it.

I totally agree that this song is about rioting however; the lyric "Oh these french kisses" is wrong.....it should be "Oh lethal kisses"!

its ironic - french kisses, he probably means the kisses of the police truncheons

or the kisses of the stones hitting the police

Not sure what it's about, could be the French riots, but the line 'your dark star holy shine' should be 'your dock's not a holy shrine'