in my opinion, this song is a big critic of modern society and money's perversions.
the line "It's six o'clock on the dot and I'm half way home" is a reference to people getting overwoked for low income. these people are lured by the illusion of a dream (going on holiday in that case).
you get tired of your work : "You need a holiday somewhere in the sun", people tell you to get holiday, you think about it, but you never do it.
"I need something to remind me that there's something else" the worker needs the illusion to keep going, and this is where the advert steps in.
"You need a holiday somewhere in the sun, With all the people who are waiting" basically this is like a dream where every worker wants to go, i think we can compare it to heaven being the place every christians want to go. so obviously it is very idolised and romanticized. we can consider it the hope that keeps the worker going, that "reminds him that there is something else" than work until 6 oclock. nietzsche said this about hope : "Hope is the worst of evils, because it prolongs man's torment."
the reality is that nobody's going to holiday : "There never seems to be one" i dont really have an explaination for this one. but at the end of the day, you can see(read?) that the only thing the worker needs is something that keeps him going. so why take a break if you can keep going on?
the advert isnt perfect because "If you stare too long you lose your appetite". you get tired of it. you need something else to entertain your mind. so you change you mind and start thinking about this other advert you saw today, etc... you still lose yourself in the illusion, you cannot see the reality. but illusion makes you feel better about yourself, about your useless work, "You need fast relief from aches and stomach pains". so you just fall for the next advert, etc... its easy to fall for it because its "rapid perusation", your overworked mind doesnt need to think but only to see what appears to your mind, you are too tired to really reflect on it anyway... dreaming about it is enough to you, it keeps you going
in conclusion, by selling dream, the advert makes people escape reality and live in a daydream all their life, not valuing their work, thinking they are living the dream when they are only dreaming about the dream. if you think about it, you could say that the worker is "coping" about his poor workchoice and the society that forces it into him lol
like the other songs by blur, the music sounds happy but the lyrics are very deep. this is why i enjoy listening to blur, you can enjoy it both ways and it makes it sooo special
im sorry if my expression is poor, english isnt my first language, and also this is only my interpretation of the lyrics, i could be totally wrong
in my opinion, this song is a big critic of modern society and money's perversions. the line "It's six o'clock on the dot and I'm half way home" is a reference to people getting overwoked for low income. these people are lured by the illusion of a dream (going on holiday in that case). you get tired of your work : "You need a holiday somewhere in the sun", people tell you to get holiday, you think about it, but you never do it. "I need something to remind me that there's something else" the worker needs the illusion to keep going, and this is where the advert steps in. "You need a holiday somewhere in the sun, With all the people who are waiting" basically this is like a dream where every worker wants to go, i think we can compare it to heaven being the place every christians want to go. so obviously it is very idolised and romanticized. we can consider it the hope that keeps the worker going, that "reminds him that there is something else" than work until 6 oclock. nietzsche said this about hope : "Hope is the worst of evils, because it prolongs man's torment." the reality is that nobody's going to holiday : "There never seems to be one" i dont really have an explaination for this one. but at the end of the day, you can see(read?) that the only thing the worker needs is something that keeps him going. so why take a break if you can keep going on? the advert isnt perfect because "If you stare too long you lose your appetite". you get tired of it. you need something else to entertain your mind. so you change you mind and start thinking about this other advert you saw today, etc... you still lose yourself in the illusion, you cannot see the reality. but illusion makes you feel better about yourself, about your useless work, "You need fast relief from aches and stomach pains". so you just fall for the next advert, etc... its easy to fall for it because its "rapid perusation", your overworked mind doesnt need to think but only to see what appears to your mind, you are too tired to really reflect on it anyway... dreaming about it is enough to you, it keeps you going
in conclusion, by selling dream, the advert makes people escape reality and live in a daydream all their life, not valuing their work, thinking they are living the dream when they are only dreaming about the dream. if you think about it, you could say that the worker is "coping" about his poor workchoice and the society that forces it into him lol
like the other songs by blur, the music sounds happy but the lyrics are very deep. this is why i enjoy listening to blur, you can enjoy it both ways and it makes it sooo special
im sorry if my expression is poor, english isnt my first language, and also this is only my interpretation of the lyrics, i could be totally wrong