Ballad of the Times
Struggles of Promise: Reflecting Societal Hardships in 'Ballad of the Times'
Lyrics
Narrow streets breed narrow minds and
Narrow streets foster close-mindedness, and
Care for king but not for kind
People show concern for authority figures but not for their fellow human beings
It's a short hop to a long weekend
It's easy to transition from a regular workweek to a prolonged weekend
When every move you apprehend
Constant scrutiny and control of every action
You'll never find room to find your feet
No space to discover one's true self
To walk out of this avenue
A metaphorical desire to escape the current situation
Your pockets are lined with promises
False assurances and unfulfilled promises
When did you promise ever pay for shoes?
A sarcastic question about when promises were made to cover basic needs like shoes
Counting coal trucks by the line and
Counting industrial vehicles as a monotonous occupation
Raise your glasses one more time
Raising a glass in a toast, possibly to cope with hardships
Cause Billy has gone off to war
A character named Billy going off to war
And God knows what he's fighting for
An uncertain purpose for Billy's involvement in war
But wartime will make him a man
The belief that wartime experiences will transform Billy into a man
Work that no one see, if you can
Undervalued, unnoticed work that contributes to heroism
A hero's grave is six feet deep not
Contrasting the depth of a hero's grave with unfulfilled aspirations
Room enough for all his plans.
Limited space for realizing one's plans and dreams
She can scrub the step but if he'll never gleam
A woman's futile effort to clean a step that won't shine
If he did she'd smash the dream
If the step gleams, it would shatter her illusion or dream
And they've held the world too long
A reflection on how certain individuals have dominated the world for too long
But dreams are what you wake up from
Recognition that dreams are meant to be transcended
Father was a fighter too
Reference to the father being a fighter as well
The only way to jump the queue
Fighting was the only way for the father to progress in society
Boxing clever, times were tough
Being strategic and resourceful during tough times
But will that ever be enough?
Doubt about whether being clever is ever sufficient
You'd never find room to find his feet
Similar to line 5, emphasizing the lack of space to find oneself
To walk out of these avenues
A metaphorical desire to escape from current circumstances
Their pockets are lined with promises
Similar to line 7, false assurances and unfulfilled promises
When did they promise ever pay for shoes?
A repetition of the sarcastic question about promises for basic needs
When did they promise ever pay for shoes?
A repeated inquiry about promises, highlighting the persistent lack of fulfillment
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