The lyrics "well life is short/we spend all our time/just fucking and fighting my friend" bear a resemblance to 'We Can Work It Out' by The Beatles ("life is very short and there's no time/for fussing and fighting my friend").
General Jan Smuts (1870-1950) was a south African soldier and politician. There's a pub called The General Smuts in Bloemfontein Road, London, W12.
| Time For Heroes [Single] (Demo) |  The Libertines | Single | 2003-01-13 |
| Nomis Sessions | The Libertines | Session | 2002-02 |
| Horrorshow in London Town (Demo) | The Libertines | Session | Unknown |
Well life is short
We spend all our time
Just fucking fighting my friend
Well a soul can't be bought
Not with a cheap rhyme
And I know that when I die
I'm gonna go down with the general
Up with the general smuts
Well I've been stuck in a hole
And it's dark down here
Every time I've thought I've seen the light
Well it just fades and disappears
Just fades and disappears
Just fades and disappears
Just fades and disappears
I've seen a face in the shadows
And I've said "how do you do?"
And I've been living in this horror show
Which just never ends
I'm gonna go down with the general
Back to the general smuts
I'm going down with the general
Up with the general smuts
Fades and disappears
I've seen a face in the shadows
And I've said "how do you do?"
And I've been living in this horror show
For much too long
I'm going down with the general
Back to the general
Down with the general
Up with the general smuts
