This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Have a go
When the pubs all close
And have a go when they open
Then have a go by the traffic lights
Cut up or shut up, you're alright
And as always I'm here right behind you
And as always there's time
So have another go
Oh a small baby girl cradled in your arms
Your one big contribution
We'll never know, we'll never know
We'll never know, we'll never know
Ah, yes, ah, yes
Oh
Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha
Oh, oh, ha ha
A small girl runs crying, through the park
So freely her daddy berates her
Right now, so for the rest of her life
She is convinced that her daddy hates her
Oh
Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha
Oh, oh, ha ha
When the pubs all close
And have a go when they open
Then have a go by the traffic lights
Cut up or shut up, you're alright
And as always I'm here right behind you
And as always there's time
So have another go
Oh a small baby girl cradled in your arms
Your one big contribution
We'll never know, we'll never know
We'll never know, we'll never know
Ah, yes, ah, yes
Oh
Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha
Oh, oh, ha ha
A small girl runs crying, through the park
So freely her daddy berates her
Right now, so for the rest of her life
She is convinced that her daddy hates her
Oh
Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha
Oh, oh, ha ha
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Have a Go Merchant Lyrics as written by Whyte Morrissey
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Yeah, I've heard this song is a dig at Natalie Merchant as well. I wonder if this song was released around the time Merchant started her solo career, which would make sense of "have a go" as in have a go at going solo. The irony of the song is that he appears to parody her social commentary style lyrics, while at the same time expressing support for her career "and always I'm her right beside you." Could it be that Morrissey sees parallels between his and Merchants carreers- they were both of popular bands, bands which disbanded around the height of their fame, and he wants Merchant to be successful as he has been successful. Though his lyrics are almost patronizing in the same manner of "The Girl Least Likely To." I wonder if Morrissey was somewhat jealous that the 10,000 Maniacs scored a hit with 'his' song- "Everyday is Like Sunday" or perhaps he did not deem them worthy enough to cover it and maybe that's why he takes swipes at Merchant's songwriting. His line about 'a small baby girl cradeled in your arms, your only contribution' appears to a reference to a particular Merchant or 10,000 Maniac's song and denigrating Merchant's songwriting to having written only one good song. I don't remember any hits referencing a baby girl, but I am not familiar enough with either of their catalogs to know. Seems similar to the swipe Lennon took at McCartney in "How Do You Sleep" - "the only thing you done was 'Yesterday'.
The lines about the pubs opening and closing and traffic lights I interpret to be when and where her songs are likely to be played.
The "we'll never know" line puzzles me. Surely he would know if she had any other hits. But again, this could just be a backhand swipe saying that he is not going to bother to pay attention to her career to know if she has any other successful or notable songs- or maybe he just expected her career to fall flat after her first album.
Seems to be a pretty biting song overall.