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  #1  
Old 20-09-2013, 10:14
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"Take the GIs, I will have the spies" - Tsunami

Have the band ever given an explicit explanation of this lyric at the end of Tsunami? I mean I know what GIs are, but this seems a little out of context... always gave me the impression of kids playing with toy soldiers or something.
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Old 20-09-2013, 12:25
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I will be pondering this all day now!
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Old 20-09-2013, 12:26
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I feel like I should know more about this with how much I love the song.

No doubt it's something specific which will make it obvious if we knew, but I guess I'd just point out that in addition to whatever it might be specifying, in a poetic sense GIs is a contraction of Gibbons (the surname of the silent twins the song is about), which might be coincidental, but it's a pretty serendipitous coincidence if so, I think.
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Old 20-09-2013, 14:12
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it could mean the outfit karatekas uses? other than the one tzb gave on the first post...

But that wouldnt make any sense either.
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Old 20-09-2013, 14:28
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It's definitely GI ("government issue"/general infantry) rather than Gi, which would be pronounced "Gee"... just curious as to the resonance of it. Sometimes with Manics lyrics it's a reference I'm unfamiliar with, but at least with this one others seem unfamiliar with it as well.
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Old 20-09-2013, 15:51
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This might be a super long shot but...

June and Jennifer were obsessed with the US and 'American stuff'. They always talked about their relationship as a love-hate one, saying they were always in war with the each other. Maybe this is a metaphor of their was strategies. Jennifer was possessive and the hard one, while June was the most calmed and observant. Maybe has nothing to do with that, just thought about it.

Found this article about their 'war' relationship:

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Old 20-09-2013, 15:55
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Interesting idea! Thanks
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Old 20-09-2013, 18:15
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They were fascinated with America and there was a US naval base near where they lived and they became a little obsessed over some American brothers and got mixed up with one of them who wasn't the best of influences

I imagine that's tied with the GI reference but I will have the spies....not sure....the whole song I can see the links with the twins story but apart from the America/naval base....but....they got spied on in the hospital?? Overthunking it.
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Old 20-09-2013, 18:21
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Originally Posted by raven View Post
They were fascinated with America and there was a US naval base near where they lived and they became a little obsessed over some American brothers and got mixed up with one of them who wasn't the best of influences

I imagine that's tied with the GI reference but I will have the spies....not sure....the whole song I can see the links with the twins story but apart from the America/naval base....but....they got spied on in the hospital?? Overthunking it.
They used to spy those boys, they were sons of a soldier.
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Old 20-09-2013, 18:30
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Totally been mishearing the lyrics all these years. I thought he was singing something about the GI Diet.

And that's all I have to add.
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  #11  
Old 20-09-2013, 18:33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mar View Post
They used to spy those boys, they were sons of a soldier.
they did didn't they....initially too shy to make direct contact, drove the boys parents bonkers
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There is society, where none intrudes,
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'I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.' (from Sea Fever - John Masefield)


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  #12  
Old 20-09-2013, 18:35
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they did didn't they....initially too shy to make direct contact, drove the boys parents bonkers
Yes, they spied them for some time and then I think both lost their virginity to the same one? And started drinking and doing drugs with them.
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Old 20-09-2013, 18:36
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Totally been mishearing the lyrics all these years. I thought he was singing something about the GI Diet.

And that's all I have to add.
What's the GI diet?
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  #14  
Old 20-09-2013, 18:37
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It's where you only eat martial arts clothing.
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Old 20-09-2013, 18:38
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It's where you only eat martial arts clothing.
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