The Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life - Lyrics Meaning

This song is about the British welfare system but it can be associated with this system in any country in the world.

The line in the song 'We don't talk about love, we only want to get drunk' is a view held by many people and is a stereotypical view of this section of society.

A Design For Life is not criticising the welfare system in any way but if it is criticising anything it is the way this section of society is perceived..

At the same time it does not glamorise the drinking, gambling etc that is often associated with this way of life.

The Manic Street Preachers guitarist, Richard Edwards, disappeared in 1995 and his body has never been discovered, it is thought he may have committed suicide but nobody knows. The band continued without him and this song was the first one written by Nicky Wire.

There is a line in the song about libraries gave us power and this was actually inspired by Nicky's wife who worked in the library in Pill, Newport, Wales where there is a sign above the door that says, 'Knowledge is Power'

It is thought that the song was originally inspired by by the Joy Division song entitled, 'An Ideal For Living'