Wasted Life

Stiff Little Fingers

I could be a soldier
Go out there and fight to save this land
Be a people's soldier
Paramilitary gun in hand
I won't be a soldier
I won't take no orders from no-one
Stuff their fucking armies
Killing isn't my idea of fun

And they want to waste my life
They want to waste my time
They want to waste my life
And they've stolen it away

I could be a hero
Live and die for their important cause
A united nation
Or an independent state with laws
And rules and regulations
That merely cause disturbances and wars
And that's what I have got now
All thanks to the freedom-seeking hordes

And they want to waste my life
They want to waste my time
They want to waste my life
And they've stolen it away

I'm not gonna be taken in
They said if I don't join, I just can't win
I've heard that story many times before
And every time I threw it out the door

Still they come up to me
With a different name but the same old face
I can see the connection
With another time and a different place
Now, they ain't blonde-haired or blue-eyed
But they think that they're a master race
They're nothing but blind fascists
Brought up to hate and given lives to waste

And they want to waste my life
They want to waste my time
They want to waste my life
And they've stolen it away

What they wanna do, they want to waste my life
They want to waste my time
They want to waste my life
And they've stolen it away


Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death

Wasted Life Lyrics as written by Jake Burns

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Wasted Life song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentWasted Life is basically an anti-paramilitary, but also an anti-establishment song (Stiff were and are politically aware) that basically threw up two fingers to the situation in Northern Ireland known as the troubles. Stiff focused this song, however, largely on paramilitaries and argued that they were nothing more than opportunists, egoistical and utopian. Note the sarcastic singing in lines such as "be a PEOPLE'S SOLDIER" and "IMPORTANT CAUSE". They specifically refer to the paramilitaries as fascist, which was an argument made against the IRA and Loyalist groups in general throughout that period (and to some extent today). Although the song blames paramilitaries for the unbareable situation its generally clear in parts of the song that they are anti-establishment ("And rules and regulations...That merely cause disturbances and wars...That is what I've got now") The title of the song not only is about how paramilitaries have "wasted" their lives but also how they waste the lives of others.
    Dickfornoseon July 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commentcant belive im the first to comment on this song, one of slf's best and just as relevent now as it was when written.
    iamtheowlon March 03, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI'm sorry to disappoint you my friend, but the 'armies' they are speaking out against is the IRA and other paramilitary organizations that were active in Northern Ireland at that time.
    kinginkon May 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI'm sorry to disappoint you my friend, but the 'armies' they are speaking out against is the IRA and other paramilitary organizations that were active in Northern Ireland at that time.
    kinginkon May 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment'feelin da rithim' - yeah wikid m8. Hopefully, when you get older you’ll eventually learn not to talk like a spasticated mong.
    billynomateson December 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI didn't know what this song was about until I joined the Army.
    MattieCampon January 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis song is about spitting in tha face of th ira, uff,uvf, etc...
    andrewhohaon March 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI always thought this was just an anti-war song like Tin Soldier, but now that I think about it it's more like not wanting to be caught up in the whole uvf ira thing. I feel that, I get really pissed off when kids in my class write UVF or IRA all over their books... I mean come on, they're kids, they barely remeber the troubles. I wish they'd get the fuck over it.
    wednesdayaddamson August 02, 2008   Link
  • -1
    General Commenti think its kinda obvious da meanin of this song but woa ma mum dad preti much evri one of aunti n uncles wer in da armi n ma grandad tryin to convince me to join da navi but thers chance of dat hapnin n dis song just completi baks it al up n its wot i sai to dem
    *peace out*
    feelin da rithimon March 28, 2005   Link
  • -1
    General Commentiv had anutha thought i think it meens dat thru da violence and wars theiv realised dat it dont mata whos in charge or who wins da war they al hav tha same efect on you n its the same wid religion
    feelin da rithimon March 29, 2005   Link

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