Amnesia Lyrics

Lyric discussion by PatrickToronto 

Cover art for Amnesia lyrics by Mekons, The

Both of the previous comments are relevant. Buried in the layered metaphors I also think there is an idea that the development of rock and roll is a kind of "triangular trade" recapitulated: derived ultimately from the musical traditions of enslaved Africans, exported from America to the British Isles and then re-exported by others including the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and, yes, the Mekons. The punk-inflected sound of the Mekons may seem far removed from African roots, but perhaps they are momentarily "forgetting to forget to remember" its ultimate origins. Possibly with some uncomfortable intimation that the entertainment industry of rock might participating in a form of continuing colonialism. Overall, I think the meaning is deliberately ambiguous and suggestive of multiple possibilities.

My Interpretation