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Be a Rebel Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I feel the need for harmony
And I look around, but it's not what I see
I see angry faces looking at me
And I want to know what makes them so
For this world can be a dangerous place
But it’s all we got and it's quite a lot
[Chorus]
Take a look at yourself
You may not be the same as everyone else
You're just different, that’s okay
We all follow our own way
And if you find that they won't listen
Then they've got nothing to say
So don't get mad and don't feel sad
Be a rebel, not a devil (Be a rebel, not a devil)
[Verse 2]
There will come a day
When your fear and self-doubt fades away
Because you have achieved what you need
There's no doubt in your heart, not a care
It's a family affair
[Chorus]
Take a look at yourself
You may not be the same as everyone else
You're just different, that’s okay
We all follow our own way
And if you find that they won’t listen
Then they've got nothing to say
So don’t get mad and don't feel sad
Be a rebel, not a devil
I feel the need for harmony
And I look around, but it's not what I see
I see angry faces looking at me
And I want to know what makes them so
For this world can be a dangerous place
But it’s all we got and it's quite a lot
Take a look at yourself
You may not be the same as everyone else
You're just different, that’s okay
We all follow our own way
And if you find that they won't listen
Then they've got nothing to say
So don't get mad and don't feel sad
Be a rebel, not a devil (Be a rebel, not a devil)
There will come a day
When your fear and self-doubt fades away
Because you have achieved what you need
There's no doubt in your heart, not a care
It's a family affair
Take a look at yourself
You may not be the same as everyone else
You're just different, that’s okay
We all follow our own way
And if you find that they won’t listen
Then they've got nothing to say
So don’t get mad and don't feel sad
Be a rebel, not a devil
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I actually thought this song might be about the alienation felt by people with autism and a lot of the words do fit that idea.
But viewing the lyrics as a whole, it's not about autism. Its the BernardDoesPreacherModeNewOrderByNumbers that most of the later albums are blighted with.
The music is nice. It doesn't inspire but it doesn't need to. It is uplifting musically. It could be from the first Electronic album (that's a compliment) and overall I enjoyed it.
Just irritated by the hang on in there, everythings gonna be OK in the end ness meaningless platitudes.
"There will come a day When your fear and self-doubt fades away Because you have achieved what you need There's no doubt in your heart, not a care It's a family affair"
Really?
Don't Worry Be Happy?
Or has he turned to religion?
It's New Order though, so I should be more grateful. I wish there was another album too. Even with the odd nursery rhyme platitude.
@JLoDaMofo I agree that his lyrics were always hit and miss, as the music of New Order generally was always the element given more focus. By their 2005 album, Waiting for the Sirens' Call, they produced so many backing tracks (several held onto for the following Lost Sirens collection), he was clearly struggling to come up with decent lyrics for everything.
@JLoDaMofo I agree that his lyrics were always hit and miss, as the music of New Order generally was always the element given more focus. By their 2005 album, Waiting for the Sirens' Call, they produced so many backing tracks (several held onto for the following Lost Sirens collection), he was clearly struggling to come up with decent lyrics for everything.
However, the bar was raised when they returned with Music Complete in 2015. Several tracks on the album sport some of his best lyrics (Restless, Singularity, Academic and Nothing but a Fool are standouts). Be a Rebel dates...
However, the bar was raised when they returned with Music Complete in 2015. Several tracks on the album sport some of his best lyrics (Restless, Singularity, Academic and Nothing but a Fool are standouts). Be a Rebel dates from those sessions, and was put together as the band returned to working together as COVID was abating. The lyrics are about the struggles his son was experiencing in school. Bernard was gifted in the arts, but was treated like a failure when not able to perform well in traditional academic subjects. He saw his son's experience mirroring his own, hence "It's a family affair".
The music is very light and the first impression is that the lyrics are also. It wasn't until my friend, who is a primary school teacher, pointed out the subject matter that I grew to appreciate the song more. She said this is more common than people realize, but there's no simple solution to tailor education to kid's specific needs. Unfortunately, students will continue to fall through the cracks.