It Makes My Heart Stop Speaking

Latin Quarter - Swimming Against The Stream

Lyrics

Another day, another day with the excluded
Under pressure, under-paid, the ‘underclass’
In all the words there’s only this to be concluded
There is no mystery, there’s no unholy ghost
Just those who have the least must always give the most

It makes my heart stop speaking

The chosen course was writing anthems for the people
But no-one whistled, no-one noticed, no-one asked!
And set against the scale, the sentiments are feeble
You can’t wear melodies, you cannot eat metaphors
What good are feather-weights for breaking down the doors?

But don’t wring your hands and ask for guidance
For guidance from above
Choose not between the love of power
And the power of love

‘Three little words’ today means always ‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘Mine’
Higher incomes, high and mighty, highwaymen
For me a route is still much more than just its signs
I learned it, round by round, in fairground boxing booths
There are no easy fights and, yes, no simple truths

Song Description

A skeptical song about Latin Quarter themselves. With ‘anthems for the people’, the band wanted to contribute towards a fairer world. But their songs were ineffective. You can’t buy food or clothes with a song. Instead, society seems to have moved in the opposite direction; selfishness and greed are more and more in first place, even at the cost of others. The underprivileged, on the other hand, are as badly off as before. Ideals and utopias are no longer called for. Reality is more complicated than the lyrics of a political song portray. But one shouldn’t despair, but decide between the love of power and the power of love.

Underclass: Sociological term for that part of the population that has been locked out of the process of production and who don’t represent an attractive target market of consumers: The long-term unemployed, people on social assistance and slum dwellers. Three little words: Play on “three little words means I love you”.

Versions

  • AStudio Version (3:50)
  • BStudio Version (4:04)

Appears On