Supertramp: Fools Overture Meaning

Fools Overture Lyrics

{If you wander the end
We will fight on the sea and the earth
We will shall defend our own
Whatever they come, maybe
We will never surrender}

History recalls how great the fall can be
While everybody's sleeping, the boats put out to...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Mar 4th 2013 !⃝

   The most beautiful song ever ,, he's calling us out of our sleep, to take us all home, I think is about the resurrection day, the music in this song, is close to supernatural, much of Supertramps songs are deeply moving, there must be inspiration from a heart of sincere conviction,

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Nov 28th 2018 !⃝

   Fool's Overture is wonderful and in depth composition dealing with society in general and alerting ourselves to dangerous warning signs that tear down it's fabric. It attempts to teach us to not be complacent as individuals and as a society. History has shown us that complacency leads to horrible consequences. Freedom, humanity and rights for all does not come without conscious awareness and most importantly without working hard at maintaining it.
   The historical lesson used in the backdrop of the song to give historical context is that of World War II when society was complacent and allowed Hitlerbto rise to power. But for one man alone, who tried to convince the world not to be complacent in the face of the rising Nazi attempt to destroy civilization and create a totalitarist world, we would have lost all that we love and charish, in particular, compassion, love and basic human desency. That man was Winston Churchill. He warned to no end what the Nazis were intending. But no one believed him. They branded Churchill as overreacting and a fool. Finally, we woke up when it was too late to discover, in actuality, he was right. Britain then took to the skies to fight Nazism. Failure to heed Churchill's warnings early on cost the lives of 45,000,000 people, including the slaughter of 6,000,000 innocent Jews.
   The lesson is to not be complacent or all will be lost.
3. anonymous

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   Mar 24th 2021 !⃝

   One of my favorite songs, and I was lucky enough to hear it and see it live in a concert in Hamburg, Germany (Open Air) in 1982. The closing scenes of the song with the bombing, Hitler, and Churchill's words still resonates in my memories. It was a time when the German youth were still dealing with the aftermath of the war and being considered the losers. After many years though, I found a different meaning in the song. It was not so much about 'just' Churchill and fighting the Germans (or that matter the Royal Family), it was more about the general futility of war, politics, and power structures.
   
   I worry that those who see this as a great historical bravo for Churchill might miss the message, or even be what this song is about. History is written by the winners, one needs to remember that Churchill went to the USA before the Blitz started, and asked the US Congress (in a very passionate speech) to act outside the Monroe doctrine. The USA congress listened and provided a financial backing to get the British war-effort going. If I am not mistaken, Great Britain had to pay back the loan, which was concluded by Tony Blair in the early 2000s. War was always on the cards for Great Britain and the USA, but internal structures, such as the Royal Family in GB or industrial machinery in USA (i.e. Ford and other industrialists provided Hitler with vast number of products - including vehicles, trucks, machines etc.) prevented an open acknowledgement of support. Pearl Harbor changed this, and now it was possible to fully enter the war, with the added bonus to prevent communism (Hitler was already not able to reach Moscow and the Soviets would eventually be coming to Europe) from coming to USA and GB (hence the support of the industry to enter the war).
4. anonymous

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   Jul 29th 2020 !⃝

   No, I think it is about the folly of nationalism and what it leads to, always. It could be the folly of Brexit, the horfos of nuclear wars to come. Tribalism is bad news.
5. anonymous

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   Jan 26th 2019 !⃝

   For the poor soul who totally messed up the wording in Churchill's speech (above) it should read:
   "We shall go on to the end. We shall fight them on the seas and oceans. We will defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall NEVER surrender."
   This is only a small part of his list of places we will fight. The speech contains many more, and is well worth a listen.
   My parents used to say that the day after a Churchill speech had been played on the BBC evening news (radio - no tv at that time as it was suspended 'for the duration') everyone seemed more light-hearted and confident of beating Hitler. Who knows what would have happened without his iron-willed leadership.
   I think the song is about Churchill. He was reviled before the war, and was apparently an economic disaster. People laughed at him and did indeed call him a fool, but this overture shows that being called a fool should not hold anyone back; in fact you are in the company of the greatest British man ever to have lived.
6. kooljohn176

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   Dec 28th 2013 !⃝

   we should always be awake and stand on guard from the fool's wrath that can be any mortal being that thinks he has the power to use foolishly. in a sad and srange way this song reminds me of a fool on a hill who heard the echo from the nowhere man to come down to party, live and let die in new York until the lord would take him home.

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