Songfacts®:
Elbow frontman Guy Garvey was one of the few musicians to oppose the American invasion of Iraq before it started. However after speaking openly about his own feelings, he felt other musicians were concerned about appearing anti-American as it might affect them when they came to tour the US. Garvey told Q magazine April 2009, that this was the background to this song. He explained: "I decided that outrage hadn't worked. The idea behind 'Leaders' was: I'm not terrified of you, I'm not angered by you, I'm going to ridicule you. I'm not sure if it worked. It felt very guttural and spontaneous at the time. The five of us write every song together but it all needed careful discussion. It was an odd one."
I'm sick of working for a living
I'm just ticking off the days 'til I die
Oh, I miss you, Louise, yeah
And the sickest little pleasures
Keep me going in between pulling teeth
Oh, periscope up, I've been looking for a ladder
I need to see the commander in chief
And remind him what was passed onto me
Your mum don't sleep and the friends you keep
I didn't raise a thief, I didn't raise a thief
But the leaders of the
free world
Are just little boys throwing stones
And it's easy to ignore
Till they're walking on the door of your homes
My thinking isn't driven
But the music always gives me a lift
I'm so easy to please, yeah
But I think we dropped the baton
Like the 60's didn't happen, oh no
Oh, periscope up should be looking for a ladder
I need to see the commander in chief
And remind him what was passed onto you and me
Your mum don't sleep and the
friends you keep
I didn't raise a thief, I didn't raise a thief
But the leaders of the free world
Are just little boys throwing stones
And it's easy to ignore
Till they're knocking on the door of your homes
But the leaders of the free world
Are just little boys throwing stones
And it's easy to ignore
Till they're knocking on the door of your homes
P-p-passing the gun from father to feckless son
We're climbing a landslide where only the good
die young
Passing the gun from father to feckless son
We're climbing a landslide where only the good die young
Passing the gun from father to feckless son
We're climbing a landslide where only the good die young
Passing the gun from father to feckless son
Climbing a landslide where only the good die young
Passing the gun from father to feckless son
Climbing a landslide where only the good die young
Passing the gun from father to feckless son
Clean Lyric
Paragraph Lyric
606
I’m sick of working for a living
I’m just ticking off the days till I die
I miss you Louise
And the sickest little pleasures keep me going in between pulling teeth
Periscope up
I’ve been looking for a ladder
I need to see THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF
And remind him what was passed onto me
Your mum don’t sleep!
The friends you keep!
I didn’t raise a thief!
But the LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD
Are just little boys throwing stones
And its easy to ignore ‘til they’re knocking on the door of your homes
My thinking isn’t driven
But the
music always gives me a lift
I’m so easy to please
But I think we dropped the baton like the 60’s didn’t happen. Oh no.
Periscope up
Should be looking for a ladder
I need to se THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF
And remind him what was passed onto me
Your mum don’t sleep!
The friends you keep!
I didn’t raise a thief!
Passing the gun from Father to FECKLESS son
We’re climbing a landslide where only the good die young
An Imagined Affair
A sky as
black as regret
is rolling aside for the blue
Impossible face to forget
These feelings belong in a zoo
She brings the morning
She brings the morning sun
So lost in the sound of her voice
I don,t even hear the words
When she says come on get out
The past will find us out
Come on get out please
And don’t breathe a word
She brings the morning
She brings the morning sun
But all this an imagined affair
While sitting in a bar
spilling in a bar
I drink until the doorman is a Christmas tree
And my speech is just a gas leak
606
I’m sick of working for a living I’m just ticking off the days till I die I miss you Louise And the sickest little pleasures keep me going in between pulling teeth Periscope up I’ve been looking for a ladder I need to see THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF And remind him what was passed onto me Your mum don’t sleep! The friends you keep! I didn’t raise a thief! But the LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD Are just little boys throwing stones And its easy to ignore ‘til they’re knocking on the door of your homes My thinking isn’t driven But the music always gives me a lift I’m so easy to please But I think we dropped the baton like the 60’s didn’t happen. Oh no. Periscope up Should be looking for a ladder I need to se THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF And remind him what was passed onto me Your mum don’t sleep! The friends you keep! I didn’t raise a thief! Passing the gun from Father to FECKLESS son We’re climbing a landslide where only the good die young An Imagined Affair A sky as black as regret is rolling aside for the blue Impossible face to forget These feelings belong in a zoo She brings the morning She brings the morning sun So lost in the sound of her voice I don,t even hear the words When she says come on get out The past will find us out Come on get out please And don’t breathe a word She brings the morning She brings the morning sun But all this an imagined affair While sitting in a bar spilling in a bar I drink until the doorman is a Christmas tree And my speech is just a gas leak
RELATED SONGS
RELATED ARTICLES
- Rockin' In The Free World by Bon Jovi, Bo5
- Keep On Rotting In The Free World by Carcass, Ca8
- Free (To Change The World) by Di-Rect, Di1
- Rockin' in The Free World by Billy Joel, Bi5
- Rockin' in The Free World by Indigo Girls, In1
- World Be Free by Keith Murray, Ke1
- Free World by Kirsty Maccoll, Ki4
- Free World by Maccoll Kirsty, Ma1
- Rockin' In The Free World by Neil Young, Ne2
- Keep On Rockin' In The Free World by Neil Young, Ne2