Manic Street Preachers

Spectators Of Suicide

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Spectators Of Suicide Lyrics

Obedience to the law is free desire
Under curfew from neon barbed wire
Wasting away this country, wearing like a born dead
Free heroin shots for those who never beg

Spectators of suicide
Exploding in society's eye
Democracy is an empty lie
Dead like our yesterdays tonight

The only free choice is refusal to pay
Life reduced to suicidal pain
Cigarettes a life-line, it's safety in death
Choking on the billboards, advertised and fed

Spectators of suicide
Exploding in society's eye
Democracy is an empty lie
Dead like our yesterdays tonight

You're gonna shoot us dead with decadence
You're gonna shoot us dead with decadence

Submitted by

shiverforme On Apr 25, 2002

Archives of Pain

A Design For Life

Faster

If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

Yes

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ShiverForMe

Submitter

2002-04-25 21:45:16

3 Meanings

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by richeye

21y ago

The concept of suicide here is 'death in life' to me. In our existing culture of consumerism, the only freedom we have is the choice not to participate, which is hardly an attractive option. 'You're gonna shoot us dead with decadence' I interpret as a snipe at the bourgoies middle-class: they create ways of making our lives more convenient, but this in no way improves our quality of life - it just makes us lazy and docile, cannon fodder. 'Cigarettes a life-line' reminds me of a line in 'What She Said' by The Smiths - 'I smoke because I'm hoping for an early death'

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by Ad_Nauseam

19y ago

A lot of the lyrics in this song are taken from/inspired by the situationists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situationist), who wanted people to actively shape and create their world, rather than be passive consumers (or 'spectators').

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by sugarbabydoll

17y ago

Is it Nicky singing this version?

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