The song, produced around a time when there was a media frenzy over racism, fascism and neo-Nazism on the rise in rock music fandoms while British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley attempted to deny his 1930s activities on live television, is about how no one, especially delinquents and older family members, detects or even suspects authoritarian movements like fascism, when said fascism is wrapped up in comforting, intimate memories and patriotic rhetoric meant to endear. This is especially apparent in the second verse, when the narrator mentions that “Oswald [Mosley] and his sister” are presenting their own home memories over and over on the media, as if to get the media to thoroughly humanize them.
In particular, fascist appeals to delinquents are implied by the first verse, when we hear the narrator sarcastically suggest to us the listeners that we parrot fascist rhetoric to motivate a vandal, a stereotypical would-be skinhead, and give him direction.
As for the chorus, the narrator mentions that senior citizens like our parents may not be able to detect or even know that underneath the tempting appeal of fascism is a treacherous, racist, disciplinarian ideology, comparing their condoning of fascist youth appeal to ignoring a secret teenage love affair. He bitterly observes that many elders, including our hypothetical parents, would disregard him for pointing this out, before nihilistically declaring that his efforts are all for naught, and fascism is taking over in an increasingly surreal world.
The song, produced around a time when there was a media frenzy over racism, fascism and neo-Nazism on the rise in rock music fandoms while British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley attempted to deny his 1930s activities on live television, is about how no one, especially delinquents and older family members, detects or even suspects authoritarian movements like fascism, when said fascism is wrapped up in comforting, intimate memories and patriotic rhetoric meant to endear. This is especially apparent in the second verse, when the narrator mentions that “Oswald [Mosley] and his sister” are presenting their own home memories over and over on the media, as if to get the media to thoroughly humanize them. In particular, fascist appeals to delinquents are implied by the first verse, when we hear the narrator sarcastically suggest to us the listeners that we parrot fascist rhetoric to motivate a vandal, a stereotypical would-be skinhead, and give him direction. As for the chorus, the narrator mentions that senior citizens like our parents may not be able to detect or even know that underneath the tempting appeal of fascism is a treacherous, racist, disciplinarian ideology, comparing their condoning of fascist youth appeal to ignoring a secret teenage love affair. He bitterly observes that many elders, including our hypothetical parents, would disregard him for pointing this out, before nihilistically declaring that his efforts are all for naught, and fascism is taking over in an increasingly surreal world.