Silent Running by Mike & the Mechanics
Take the children and yourself
And hide out in the cellar
By now the fighting will be close at hand
Don't believe the church and state
And everything they tell you
Believe in me, I'm with the high command
[chorus]
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
There's a gun and ammunition
Just inside the doorway
Use it only in emergency
Better you should pray to God
The Father and the Spirit
Will guide you and protect from up here
[repeat chorus]
Swear allegiance to the flag
Whatever flag they offer
Never hint at what you really feel
Teach the children quietly
For some day sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still
[repeat chorus]
What it sounds like is a father rebelling against the establishment, who left a dying message to his family for their protection. But I could never tell who he is fighting against. You'd think it was against organized religion & the government. Yet, he says he is w/the "high command" & tells his family to pray. But then in turn he says to make a show of swearing to the flag, even though they hate the rulers.
Maybe religion & politics are symbols for something else, but what?
This song has confused me for years, I guess decades by now. I decided on a whim to google it, & it appears to confuse others as well as to its meaning. The song says its part of a soundtrack to a movie, but its nowhere in the film's credits. The movie had a different title in the US, which causes more puzzlement. And the music video, which looks like clips from a movie, actually doesn't have clips from the movie it was originally composed for. The movie (Choke Canyon - USA; On Dangerous Ground - UK) is about a scientist fighting ecologically against a corporation. So the lyrics don't fit the movie.
Anyone w/thoughts or a link that explains it?
Take the children and yourself
And hide out in the cellar
By now the fighting will be close at hand
Don't believe the church and state
And everything they tell you
Believe in me, I'm with the high command
[chorus]
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
There's a gun and ammunition
Just inside the doorway
Use it only in emergency
Better you should pray to God
The Father and the Spirit
Will guide you and protect from up here
[repeat chorus]
Swear allegiance to the flag
Whatever flag they offer
Never hint at what you really feel
Teach the children quietly
For some day sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still
[repeat chorus]
What it sounds like is a father rebelling against the establishment, who left a dying message to his family for their protection. But I could never tell who he is fighting against. You'd think it was against organized religion & the government. Yet, he says he is w/the "high command" & tells his family to pray. But then in turn he says to make a show of swearing to the flag, even though they hate the rulers.
Maybe religion & politics are symbols for something else, but what?
This song has confused me for years, I guess decades by now. I decided on a whim to google it, & it appears to confuse others as well as to its meaning. The song says its part of a soundtrack to a movie, but its nowhere in the film's credits. The movie had a different title in the US, which causes more puzzlement. And the music video, which looks like clips from a movie, actually doesn't have clips from the movie it was originally composed for. The movie (Choke Canyon - USA; On Dangerous Ground - UK) is about a scientist fighting ecologically against a corporation. So the lyrics don't fit the movie.
Anyone w/thoughts or a link that explains it?
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