The Libertines - Time For Heroes
Did you see the stylish kids in the riot We were shovelled up like muck Set the night on fire Wombles bleed truncheons and shields You know I cherish you my love It appears that today Peter Doherty saw...
Did you see the stylish kids in the riot
We were shovelled up like muck
Set the night on fire
Wombles bleed truncheons and shields
You know I cherish you my love
It appears that today Peter Doherty saw some stylish kids involved in a riot – which would imply that he was either in the riot himself (which I feel would make a far more interesting topic for a song than some trendies involved in a riot, a riot which they are only involved in because it’s a trendy cause (so probably global warming or something like that)), or that he was an innocent bystander. But then again (if the tabloids are to be believed anyway) there is little that is innocent about Mr. Doherty, but I suppose that’s just by the by. It does however appear that he may well have been involved in the aforementioned riot, but that the riot police involved decided to use some altogether interesting tactics to deal with the protestors – insofar as they appear to have used a giant spade, one akin to that dealing with manure and the such like. This would have to be one absolutely massive spade in order to deal with a riot, unless of course it was more a rowdy gathering than a riot in which case a slightly smaller spade would be required. It also appears that the riot police involved decided to dress up as Wombles – whether or not this was in order to distract (or indeed threaten – it isn’t uncommon for people to experience a fear of the Wombles) the protestors or it was just dress down Friday remains to be seen, but Peter makes no mention of what day of the week it is.
Ultimately though, this song appears to be an apology to a subject – one presumes a certain Kate Moss. He cherishes his love – a blatant apology for his conduct in the Womble-related riot.
But there's a rumour spread nasty disease around town
Caught round the houses with your trousers down
A headrush in the bush
You know I cherish you my love
Oh how I cherish you my love
It appears that not only is there a riot, but there’s a nasty bug going around! Or that’s the rumour anyway (its hard to believe that it would be a rumour, either a lot of people are ill or not – a lot of people aren’t about to be ill (well maybe they are but rumours aren’t generally concerned with such matters), or being ill in secret. Well maybe they are. But then again surely some people would be taking days off due to their newfound sickness?). Meanwhile, in a totally unrelated issue, it appears that The Subject (surely not Kate Moss this time? I mean this is a bit of a backhanded apology) has been caught with their trousers down around the back of the houses, where presumably a small green is placed with the design of encouraging the kids to embark on such sporting activities as jumpers-for-goalposts football and bulldog, or maybe even a spot of badminton on a clear sunny day. The subject is clearly fancyable however, as whoever caught them appears to be lurking in the bush and experienced a head rush – presumably because The Subject is an attractive male/female. The statement however seems to go back to an apology, albeit with a strong love letter feel to it. Interesting.
Tell me what can you want now you've got it all
The whole scene is obscene
Time will strip it away
A year and a day
And Bill Bones
Bill Bones knows what I mean
He knows it's eating, it's chewing me up
It's not right for young lungs to be coughing up blood
Oh it's all
It's all in my hands
And its all up the walls
Well! Peter’s little letter now asks what the subject wants now that they have it all. Bit cheeky really as no-one has it all. Does the subject have a golden elephant statue? Do they have a priceless collection of Cuban cigars? Without any basic fact checking such silly and churlish statements just come across as childish; for all we know he could have performed some research so without citations his letter just comes across as poorly researched. It appears that the whole “scene” is obscene – like a previous article, there is little reference to which “scene” he is referring to – but whatever the scene is, it is clear that Peter is not at all impressed with it. Indeed, it is a scene that has no chance of lasting much more than a year, according to one William Bones anyway (as per normal with Doherty, there is no indication as to whom this “Bill Bones” actually is, but we’ll let that one slide for now). Peter then believes its not proper for young children to be coughing up blood (but what if they have a little hole in their lung, as happened to me in year 9? It’s not very nice, I can assure you, but quite soon after I managed to get better and I was better off for the experience – so I don’t really think there’s all that much wrong with it. I mean obviously at the time it isn’t exactly amazing, but it does get better I assure you).
Well the stale chips are up and the hopes stakes are down
Its these ignorant faces that bring this town down
Yeah I sighed and sunken with pride
I passed myself down on my knees
Yes I passed myself down on my knees
It appears that numbers of stale chips on the up, whilst hopes are down – whether or not this is a direct correlation is unclear, but with the manner in which Peter mentions them, it would seem that this is what he believes to be the case. Clearly however he doesn’t feel that his message is getting across, as he feels that certain ignorant people are not helping the situation – one assumes he feels this because they aren’t listening to him, or apparently aren’t. In despair he collapses to his knees, trying to comprehend what to do next.
There are fewer more distressing sights than that
Of an Englishman in a baseball cap
Yeah we'll die in the class we were born
That's a class of our own my love
A class of our own my love
Peter makes a very valid point in this last little segment, that there is no more distressing a sight than that of an English chap donning a baseball cap (a more traditionally American garment) – nothing is specified as to the nature of this baseball cap, whether it’s for the popular NHL Hockey franchise Philadelphia Flyers, or if its an amusing statement regarding life being a beach, but either way it just isn’t cricket. Peter then finishes with his belief that we will die in the same class that we were born in – something that would be more than a result for me, but might be a source of despair for the lower classes who may feel that the opportunity to work their way up in society has been lost. If they choose to believe the “innocent” Mr. Doherty, that is.
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