Bourgeois

Album: Bankrupt! (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song tells the story of a middle class girl. "Bourgeois, why would you care for more?," sings Thomas Mars. "They give you almost everything, you believed almost anything." The vocalist told Spin magazine this is one of a couple of songs on Bankrupt! that examine "the beauty of the fake."
  • The song title references the French word 'Bourgeoisie,' which originally denoted the wealthy stratum of the middle class that originated during the latter part of the Middle Ages. In time, the French term came to encompass both the upper and middles classes, whilst Socialists apply the word to the whole propertied class, as distinct from the proletariat. In English, however, 'Bourgeoisie' (and bourgeois) means the social class above the workers and peasants, and below the nobility. The term has also acquired a contemptuous sense, implying commonplace, philistine respectability.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.