This is - as many other Chumbawamba texts - about not doing as society orders you to, but do what YOU think is right. About how socially appraised lifestyles are not always right. It's also a bash towards the people just doing what their surrounding people or societies do. I don't see it to be about bashing mainstream society as such, but more about trying to get people to act according to their own believes.
The teller is "the captain of his ship", "without a crew" and are "repelling all boarders". He's doing what he think is right even though society is trying to steer him away from it (board his ship and force him to change course).
This quote, which King Nothing 2 posted from the cover texts needs a comment as well:
"In our fear to make an effort to tear ourselves away from the conditions which ruin us, only because the future is not quite certain to us, we resemble the passengers of a sinking ship, who, for fear of stepping into a boat which is to take them to the shore, retreat to their cabins and refuse to come out from them..."
--Leo Tolstoy
This is such an important quote in today's society; especially in Europe where fear of change and hatred towards foreiners are growing rapidly. The majority does not dare to do what's right and instead they lock themselves in their houses with their flat screen TVs. Instead of taking political responsability, people vote for parties (BNP? I'm from Denmark, where we have an equivelant to BNP in Danish folk Party - those pricks) who tries to fight the globalization and ignore the global responsabilties we all have. The latest law is the new Bill in UK posing that the government have the right to disconnect households from the internet if they are accused (accused, not sentenced) to be breaking copyright laws.
This damned course towards the edge of the world will only change, if people dare to do what they think is right instead of living with their heads up their ... and ignore global problems; be it hunger, environment, war, religous conlicts etc. It will only change, if we elect ourselves as captains.
This is - as many other Chumbawamba texts - about not doing as society orders you to, but do what YOU think is right. About how socially appraised lifestyles are not always right. It's also a bash towards the people just doing what their surrounding people or societies do. I don't see it to be about bashing mainstream society as such, but more about trying to get people to act according to their own believes.
The teller is "the captain of his ship", "without a crew" and are "repelling all boarders". He's doing what he think is right even though society is trying to steer him away from it (board his ship and force him to change course).
This quote, which King Nothing 2 posted from the cover texts needs a comment as well:
"In our fear to make an effort to tear ourselves away from the conditions which ruin us, only because the future is not quite certain to us, we resemble the passengers of a sinking ship, who, for fear of stepping into a boat which is to take them to the shore, retreat to their cabins and refuse to come out from them..." --Leo Tolstoy
This is such an important quote in today's society; especially in Europe where fear of change and hatred towards foreiners are growing rapidly. The majority does not dare to do what's right and instead they lock themselves in their houses with their flat screen TVs. Instead of taking political responsability, people vote for parties (BNP? I'm from Denmark, where we have an equivelant to BNP in Danish folk Party - those pricks) who tries to fight the globalization and ignore the global responsabilties we all have. The latest law is the new Bill in UK posing that the government have the right to disconnect households from the internet if they are accused (accused, not sentenced) to be breaking copyright laws.
This damned course towards the edge of the world will only change, if people dare to do what they think is right instead of living with their heads up their ... and ignore global problems; be it hunger, environment, war, religous conlicts etc. It will only change, if we elect ourselves as captains.