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The The — Heartland
Album: 45 RPM
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 145









Released: 1998
Length: 4:34
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Beneath the old iron bridges, across the Victorian parks,
& all the frightened people running home before dark,
Past the Saturday morning cinema--
that lies crumbling to the ground,
& the piss stinking shopping centre in the new side of town.
I've come to smell the seasons change, & watch the city,
as the sun goes down again.

CHORUS
Here comes another winter, of long shadows & high hopes,
Here comes another winter, waitin for utopia,
waitin for hell to freeze over.

This is the land, where nothing changes,
the land of red buses & blue blooded babies,
This is the place, where pensioners are raped,

& the hearts are being cut, from the welfare state,
Let the poor drink the milk, while the rich eat the honey,
Let the bums count their blessings, while they count the money.

So many people, can't express what's on their minds,
Nobody knows them & nobody ever will,
Until their backs are broken & their dreams are stolen,
& they can't get what they want, then they're gonna get angry!
Well it ain't written in the papers, but its written on the walls
The way this country is divided to fall,
So the cranes are moving on the skyline--
Trying to knock down--this town
But the stains on the heartland, can never be removed,
from this country, that's sick, sad, and confused.

CHORUS

The ammunition's being passed, and the lords been praised,
But the wars on the televisions will never be explained,
All the bankers gettin sweaty, beneath their white collars,
As the pound in our pocket, turns into a dollar.

This is the 51st state--of the U. S. A.
(Repeat and fade.)
Comments (28)add comment
 Waybo wrote:

LOVE older TheThe and this is one of my favorite songs by Matt Johnson.


The The = Matt Johnson, so when you love older The The, you're loving the older Matt Johnson which means you really love his most recent music. Right?
The The?
Yes.
Yes?
No, The The.
Who?
No, not The Who, The The.
The what now?
I said The The.
Who?
Screw it, Its frikkin Robbie Robertson.
Wasn't he in The Band?
Which band?
THE Band.
Yes.
No, not Yes, The Band.
Do they sing August and September?
They sing all year round.
Isn't that a book by Ann Druit?
Yes.
Crypes, nevermind.
Nirvanna?
Whats on the radio?
TV.
Amazing!!!
go matt go
One of my all-time favourite bands, never tire of hearing this.
Nothing makes a song quite so bad as repeating the insipid hook for 5 minutes straight.
LOVE older TheThe and this is one of my favorite songs by Matt Johnson.
First year university, 1984, unhappy relationships, navel-gazing, and The The playing constantly on the cassette player. How I made it out alive, I'll never know.
FAY wrote:
Best THE THE song is Uncertain Smile. I love them.
Absolutely
Best THE THE song is Uncertain Smile. I love them.
Still as relevant now as then...
shayde wrote:
Okay, someone help me out. These guys sound just like Shriekback (and by inference, Happyhead)... but I also heard somewhere they're not related at all. Can someone clear up the confusion?
There's no confusion, it's just new wave from the 80's that sounds a bit similar because of the singers... Could name more that's in the same vain.
Okay, someone help me out. These guys sound just like Shriekback (and by inference, Happyhead)... but I also heard somewhere they're not related at all. Can someone clear up the confusion?
Egrey wrote:
If you like The The, check out the song, "Armageddon Days are Here (Again)," from Mind Bomb. An interesting song and, sadly, very topical.
Agreed. The song is from '89, but it might as well have been written after 9-11. Islam is rising The Christians mobilising The world is on its elbows and knees It's forgotten the message and worships the creeds Excellent lyrics. Very dark, though, but, unfortunately, very true. But God didn't build himself that throne God doesn't live in Israel or Rome God doesn't belong to the yankee dollar God doesn't plant the bombs for Hezbollah God doesn't even go to church And God won't send us down to Allah to burn God will remind us what we already know That the human race is about to reap what it's sown I see this track is also on this compilation CD.
If you like The The, check out the song, "Armageddon Days are Here (Again)," from Mind Bomb. An interesting song and, sadly, very topical.
At the risk of sounding like an old fart, this is a perfect summing up of the UK in the 1980's. I used to listen to this a lot as I caught the bus to work in East London... " This is the land where nothing changes The land of red buses and blue blooded babies"
Opus_two wrote:
Good Good Song Song
Absolutely agree! Don't know this band well, but love it anyway
Good Good Song Song
This brings back memories.
Great. I'm a longtime fan but have never heard this tune. Saw him open up for Depeche Mode years ago. Favorite The The... Jealous of Youth, This Is The Day, True Happiness This Way Lies, Gravitate to Me, much more. I really need to check out his new CD.
Hearing The The gives me an uncertain smile...
And the lyrics are as appropriate today as when they were written. Some things never change. Fabulous song, glad to hear it on RP
Schmackdown wrote:
Never heard of the album before, but the track is great. This copy sounds a little raspier than I'm used to from Infected. Oooh, and it's a bit truncated towards the end, too- the refrain starts again a bit sooner than the other version. Hm.
hmm. I uploaded this from a "best of" collection...I must admit I've never heard the Infected version. Is it better? This is probably my favorite The The tune. :)
Rock on Bill!!!!! Haven't heard this in ages and ages. What a great tune.
Never heard of the album before, but the track is great. This copy sounds a little raspier than I'm used to from Infected. Oooh, and it's a bit truncated towards the end, too- the refrain starts again a bit sooner than the other version. Hm.
First The The song I heard...and still one of the best.
lyrics, originally released on the Infected album.