A lot of the lyrics to this song are based on the song 'Making Plans for Nigel' by XTC (http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858522266/). That song was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at parents who try to dominate their children's futures, planning Nigel's future without his input or opinion, saying 'Nigel just needs this helping hand'.
The Enemy's song seems like a modern take on the same Nigel. In the 80's, Nigel "has his future in British steel"; now he's found out "there ain't no future in British steel", and instead he got a job in a department store. Nigel "thought his future was as good as sorted" (paraphrasing XTC's "Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed") but none of it came true (quite plausible that he didn't want it to come through).
Really, the song is about the shift in attitudes as people grow up. When Nigel was young and XTC wrote about him, he didn't really know what he wanted and he was dominated by his parents. Any grand ambitions he may have held didn't come through for him. Now he's older, all he's really looking for is 'a local girl' who won't mind that he's lost his ambitions and has no money.
After all, "the older you get the more you compromise".
A lot of the lyrics to this song are based on the song 'Making Plans for Nigel' by XTC (http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858522266/). That song was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at parents who try to dominate their children's futures, planning Nigel's future without his input or opinion, saying 'Nigel just needs this helping hand'.
The Enemy's song seems like a modern take on the same Nigel. In the 80's, Nigel "has his future in British steel"; now he's found out "there ain't no future in British steel", and instead he got a job in a department store. Nigel "thought his future was as good as sorted" (paraphrasing XTC's "Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed") but none of it came true (quite plausible that he didn't want it to come through).
Really, the song is about the shift in attitudes as people grow up. When Nigel was young and XTC wrote about him, he didn't really know what he wanted and he was dominated by his parents. Any grand ambitions he may have held didn't come through for him. Now he's older, all he's really looking for is 'a local girl' who won't mind that he's lost his ambitions and has no money.
After all, "the older you get the more you compromise".