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Here are the young men, the weight on their shoulders
Here are the young men, well where have they been?
We knocked on the doors of Hell's darker chamber
Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in
Watched from the wings as the scenes were replaying
We saw ourselves now as we never had seen
Portrayal of the trauma and degeneration
The sorrows we suffered and never were free
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Weary inside, now our heart's lost forever
Can't replace the fear, or the thrill of the chase
Each ritual showed up the door for our wanderings
Open then shut, then slammed in our face
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Here are the young men, well where have they been?
We knocked on the doors of Hell's darker chamber
Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in
Watched from the wings as the scenes were replaying
We saw ourselves now as we never had seen
Portrayal of the trauma and degeneration
The sorrows we suffered and never were free
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Weary inside, now our heart's lost forever
Can't replace the fear, or the thrill of the chase
Each ritual showed up the door for our wanderings
Open then shut, then slammed in our face
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Where have they been?
Lyrics submitted by typo, edited by BlumpkinLord, v00n
Decades [2020 Digital Master] Lyrics as written by Ian Kevin Curtis Bernard Sumner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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This song is not about war although they're using that as a metaphor. It's about looking back at a life that was not fulfilled for some reason. I think they wanted to transmit the way many people feel when reaching a certain point in life.
@patmo85 <br /> <br /> I think he's singing about himself ('the young men') and his experiences with depression and epilepsy.<br /> <br /> The most harrowing line "these rituals showed up the door for our wanderings" - I have been trying to work out the meaning for 40 years. <br /> <br /> Rituals of coming of age? Pubs? Girlfriends? Maybe they seemed like rituals to him, and he found real satisfaction in none of them.<br /> <br />