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Sitting On a Fence Lyrics
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees no sense in fighting
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees no sense at all
Sitting on a fence is a man who strokes his twenty beards
Sitting on a fence is a man who drink real ale
But the real problem with this man
Is he says he can't when he can
He'd rather not get his hands dirty
He'll still be there when he's thirty
I told myself to keep my mouth shut
But I still end up saying if and but
I lied to myself right from the start
And I've just worked out that I'm falling apart
Sitting on a fence
Sitting on a fence is a man who looks up to his guardian
Sitting on a fence is a man who swings from poll to poll
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees both sides of both sides
Sitting on a fence is a man who looks down on opinion
But the real problem with this man
Is he says he can't when he can
He's rather not get his hands dirty
He'll still be there when he is thirty
I told myself to keep my mouth shut
But I still end up saying if and but
I lied to myself right from the start
And I've just worked out that I'm falling apart
Sitting on a fence
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees no sense at all
Sitting on a fence is a man who strokes his twenty beards
Sitting on a fence is a man who drink real ale
But the real problem with this man
Is he says he can't when he can
He'd rather not get his hands dirty
He'll still be there when he's thirty
But I still end up saying if and but
I lied to myself right from the start
And I've just worked out that I'm falling apart
Sitting on a fence
Sitting on a fence is a man who swings from poll to poll
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees both sides of both sides
Sitting on a fence is a man who looks down on opinion
Is he says he can't when he can
He's rather not get his hands dirty
He'll still be there when he is thirty
But I still end up saying if and but
I lied to myself right from the start
And I've just worked out that I'm falling apart
Sitting on a fence
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It's essentially a harsh attack on people who would rather sit out the game than engage in action. It criticizes wishy-washy cowards who are more concerned with comfort and fitting in than in sticking to and expressing their beliefs through action. The object of the songwriter's ire is also someone who looks down on people who dare express their opinions as being uncouth and uncivilized. Note: this sentiment is also expressed in the song "Have You Ever Been Away?" by The Beautiful South, the band that grew out of the ashes of The Housemartins.
Even though The Housemartins/The Beautiful South are proud socialists, it's not so much about being socialist as it is about standing up for what you believe in, even at the risk of ridicule. It could easily be sung by someone on the opposite end of the political spectrum.