Standing on the beach
With a gun in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring down the barrel
At the Arab on the ground
I can see his open mouth
But I hear no sound
I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab
I can turn
And walk away
Or I can fire the gun
Staring at the sky
Staring at the sun
Whichever I chose
It amounts to the same
Absolutely nothing
I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab
I feel the steel butt jump
Smooth in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring at myself
Reflected in the eyes
Of the dead man on the beach
The dead man on the beach
I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab
With a gun in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring down the barrel
At the Arab on the ground
I can see his open mouth
But I hear no sound
I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab
I can turn
And walk away
Or I can fire the gun
Staring at the sky
Staring at the sun
Whichever I chose
It amounts to the same
Absolutely nothing
I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab
I feel the steel butt jump
Smooth in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring at myself
Reflected in the eyes
Of the dead man on the beach
The dead man on the beach
I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by Mellow_Harsher, NilNas
Killing an Arab Lyrics as written by Michael Stephen Dempsey Laurence Andrew Tolhurst
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Broma 16
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!
"mandc" is correct. The entire book revolves around absurdism, an existentialist philosophy about how you cannot find true meaning in most things. The character doesn't care about who he killed, really. During parts he tries to justify the killing by saying the sun was in his eyes (staring at the sun). In the end, he lives for truth and justice, no matter how odd that is... He tells the absolute truth, knowing that he might even be executed for it.
Also, to the character, nothing matters (absurdism argues whether or not life is worth living, since there is no meaning), it's right in the song: "Whichever I choose, it amounts to the same... Absolutely nothing."