Fall

Pretending that the way's through the door
I wanna see you falling
A thousand reasons why I lose my hair
I'm not your darling, darling
I wanna see you falling

You tell me that your back's to the wall
I wanna see you falling
The Saviour comes and the thief takes a walk
Take a walk
The feedback is on the wall
Your feedback don't taste good at all

You help yourself but it's at my expense
I wanna see you falling
And don't touch my fair love for no-one
I'm not your darling, darling
I wanna see you fall

??????
I'm not your darling, darling
A thousand reasons ??????
We're not your darlings, darling
The Saviour comes and the thief takes a walk
Take a walk

Lyrics by:
Brown

Music by:
Squire / Brown

Written:
1984

Personnel:
John Squire (lead guitar)
Ian Brown (vocals)
Andy Couzens (rhythm guitar)
Pete Garner (bass)
Alan Wren (drums)

Produced by:
Martin Hannett

Available on:
Garage Flower (2.46)

First live performance:
In 1985.

Pseudonyms:
'I Wanna See You Fall', 'The Saviour'

Details:
Ian was the major lyrical influence in The Stone Roses' earliest work, before the classic Squire/Brown partnership that would yield the 1989 eponymous debut LP. While John brought the artistic element to the band, Ian brought the religious aspect to their work. "The Saviour comes and the thief takes a walk" makes reference to one of two incidents surrounding Jesus's Passion. It is either the promise of Jesus to the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in Paradise, or the freeing of Barabbas. The Passover custom in Jerusalem allowed Pilate, the governor of Judaea, to commute one prisoner's death sentence by popular acclaim; the crowd were offered a choice of whether to have Barabbas ('the thief') or Christ ('the Saviour') released from Roman custody and chose the former:

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."

With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man ! Release Barabbas to us !" (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, "Crucify him ! Crucify him !"

For the third time he spoke to them: "Why ? What crime has this man committed ? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."

But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
(Luke 23: 13 - 25)

From the four Gospel accounts, we learn that the crimes of Barabbas were murder and insurrection, and not thievery. (Matthew 27: 16) refers to Barabbas only as a "notorious prisoner". The alternative interpretation of this lyric relates to Jesus being brought to the cross, and the "thief" at His side taking "a walk", in the sense of symbolically walking free after a life of sin. (Matthew 27: 38) and (Mark 15: 27) describe the men on each side of Jesus as "robbers". Jesus' disciples had fled or were lingering disillusioned at the margins of the crowd, their hopelessness echoed by the men on the road to Emmaus, "...they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." (Luke 24: 20 - 21). Yet here on the cross to one side, a fellow condemned man, life ebbing out of him, looks across and sees not another dying man, but the Messiah himself. Somehow, he understands that Jesus is not an impostor, and that he will still receive the Kingdom that belongs to the Messiah.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals - one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ ? Save yourself and us !"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence ? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
(Luke 23: 32 - 43)

Top: 'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man !) by Antonio Ciseri (1821 - 1891). Pontius Pilate presents a scourged Jesus of Nazareth to the crowd.
Bottom: 'Calvary' by Paolo Veronese (1528 - 1588).

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