That is my ideals
That box wrapped in that flag
What is in that box?
Nobody has ever seen

The flag is dyed red with blood
So the victor loves red most
And what's in the box becomes unimportant
What's important is the victor's pride

The proud victor has the most power
His ass sits on that box
The blood on that flag again gets wet
And dyes the victor's pants all red

Hey! My ideal is that
That box wrapped in that red flag
But my body is here
Blocked by that bloodied flag and legs

My ideals are there
My body is here

The body without ideals is shrinking
More and more like a fucking mouse
I secretly chew a hole in that flag
I want to let my ideals see I'm still alive

But my ideals are too big
How is it possible to get out through that little hole?
I apply a bit of force, kick my legs, and dive into it
Only to realize that these boxes are wrapped inside another one

There's no way for that idiot on top to know
That there are so many boxes inside
Where on earth are my ideals?
I search through all the boxes from one to the other

Finally I get to the last box
But I still don't find what I'm looking for
Suddenly I realize I've been cheated
And stamp my feet anxiously

My ideals are there
My body is here

Suddenly I misstep into thin air
Fuck! It's a hole and it's fucking deep!
I keep falling down through the hole
And the deeper I go the more spacious it gets

I do not know how long and how far I've walked
And I've forgotten why I even came here
Suddenly a beam of light blinds me
I keep walking ahead but can't open my eyes at all

To adapt to the light I must stand still
And only then finally realize how weak my body is
Suddenly my ideals start calling me
Not from in front of me but from behind

I am going to go back and crush all those boxes
I am going to go back and tear up that worn-out flag
And tell that victor that he was mistaken
That things had started changing long ago

Cui Jian: vocals, guitar
Eddie Randriamampionona: guitar, bass
Liu Yuan: saxophone
Quan You: drums
Ba Te: backing vocals, Chinese percussion