No more iron rice bowl, just like my father,
I don't want everyone fussing over me, like all the kids today.
We haven't had it rough, and haven't had it good,
So people just say we're a generation of uneducated slackers.

If I had to endure hardship, I'm sure I would cry.
I could go find a job but I can't bring myself down to that level.
If I talk about anything serious I always talk around the point.
But when I do anything serious I have to first think of saving face.

What can I do besides deal with what's in front of me?
What can I think about besides eat, drink, sleep, shit, and piss?
Hey, if you ask me what I think the next generation will be like,
Then I'll tell you straight out: What's that got to do with me?

Make more money, make more money,
If I make enough things will change by themselves.
But how much is enough, how much is enough?
Without knowing it, I just keep making money and forget everything else.

Don't talk to me about anything serious; don't get deep with me.
These days, money is worth more than any education.
Whoever says life is hard is an idiot.
If you just think a little and grease the gears a little, you can get it done.

I can curse myself, but nobody else is welcome to.
Even though I have no education I'm still better than those slackers.
Don't look down on me, that's all I'm afraid of.
Because there's a great person deep inside my heart.

I want to believe in myself, and I want to complete myself.
But the worst feeling is being hesitant.
Hey, let's be straightforward; stop wasting time.
But today the most straightforward thing to say is "Whatever".

Anyway I don't need to worry about what I eat or what I wear.
If I really have nowhere to go I'll just live with my parents.
During the day I work and at night I just walk around
When I see someone I know I say "How's it going?" - "Hey, I'm all right"

I love the people here, I love the ground here.
But that has nothing to do with the patriotism I was taught to have.
I hate this atmosphere, I hate this feeling.
I hate my life and besides being "all right" I have no other goals.

I want to make myself better, I want to improve my surroundings.
But you ask me to take a good hard look at myself.
You say don't ask too much of yourself, don't ask too much of yourself.
You say these days you can see clearly, think clearly, but you can't say it.

Look at you, your fucking expression, how did you get like that?
A couple years ago when you were poor you still had a lot of ideals.
But now that you have money,
You're either changing faster than the world or else your true face is finally showing.

You're good at joking around, people like you.
The ideals you used to have are now your tools.
You say this is life, this is what's interesting.
You say straight out that you're willing to keep smiling even though you're lost.

Hey! Hey! - Smile!
Hey! Hey! - Smile!
Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. - Smile!
You say that's the style.
You say that's cool.
You say that's the popular smile of the young.

The new age is here, no one is making trouble anymore.
You say everyone's ideals have been washed away by the times.
Watch TV, listen to the radio, read the paper.
You say the conflict of ideals is no more.

Don't make life so horrible, don't be so stubborn.
Because if you're stubborn for long, the world will change and then you will be gone.
Don't think crazy things; hurry up and learn something.
Because if you have knowledge and have money then you can buy ideals.

Just keep on going, man, don't look back.
You talk about problems down the road; well, we'll figure that out later.
I look around the world; you should relax yourself.
You say you've been slacking off for all these years,
You should have learned something.

I love the people here, I love the ground here.
But that has nothing to do with the patriotism I was taught to have.
I hate this atmosphere, I hate this feeling.
I hate my life and besides being "all right" I have no other goals.

Cui Jian: vocals, rhythm guitar, programming
Eddie Randriamampionona: lead guitar
Liu Yuan: saxophone
Zhang Ling: bass
Quan You: drums
Dou Peng: keyboard
Qiu Ye: backing vocals