Defending the Truth

Politcs tends to spill over into other segments of my life. I'm sure most of us listen to political music, or music with a message. This thread is for posting favorite political songs.

Jerusalem - Matisyahu
[Chorus]
Jerusalem, if I forget you,
fire not gonna come from me tongue.
Jerusalem, if I forget you,
let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.

In the ancient days, we will return with no delay
Picking up the bounty and the spoils on our way
We’ve been traveling from state to state
And them don’t understand what they say
3,000 years with no place to be
And they want me to give up my milk and honey
Don’t you see, it’s not about the land or the sea
Not the country but the dwelling of his majesty

[chorus]

Rebuild the temple and the crown of glory
Years gone by, about sixty
Burn in the oven in this century
And the gas tried to choke, but it couldn’t choke me
I will not lie down, I will not fall asleep
They come overseas, yes they’re trying to be free
Erase the demons out of our memory
Change your name and your identity
Afraid of the truth and our dark history
Why is everybody always chasing we
Cut off the roots of your family tree
Don't you know that's not the way to be

[chorus]

Caught up in these ways, and the worlds gone craze
Don’t you know it’s just a phase
Case of the Simon says
If I forget the truth then my words won’t penetrate
Babylon burning in the place, can’t see through the haze
Chop down all of them dirty ways,
That’s the price that you pay for selling lies to the youth
No way, not ok, oh no way, not ok, hey
Aint no one gonna break my stride
Aint no one gonna pull me down
Oh no, I got to keep on moving
Stay alive

[chorus]

An important note: There are two different concepts in Judaism. The first is Zionism, and the second is spiritual Zionism. They can be quite separate concepts. Not a lot of people outside the Jewish community know this.

Matisyahu is expressing spiritual Zionism. This line sums it up best. "Don’t you see, it’s not about the land or the sea
Not the country but the dwelling of his majesty"

This is my favorite line. I may not believe in a god, but this is something that I feel strongly about.

"Change your name and your identity
Afraid of the truth and our dark history
Why is everybody always chasing we
Cut off the roots of your family tree
Don't you know that's not the way to be"

My favorite doesn't have any catchy funny rimes, or much lyrics at that. But its quite possibly the most repeated political song. Indeed, the fraze "Give Peace A Chance" isn't just a name of a song, but has became granted for a popular fraze in American culture. Its probably the most echoed song in the grassroots marches for peace. Its a classic, and has a quite catchy toon also. Not to mention it was by one of the greatest musicians to ever live, John Lennon.

I have a crazy, surreal story about the song "give peace a chance”.


It happened in the late 90’s when I was working for Tower Records. We had Lennon’s Legend album playing in store and give peace a chance starts playing as I work the register.

I was at the main register and had about 4 people waiting in line. A black lady was getting some assistance from a co-worker at the register about 15 feet behind me.

So a gay white guy comes to my co-workers counter, interrupting the lady in mid sentence, and starts complaining about the music playing.

White dude: “Please turn off this music, it is offensive”

Co-worker: “But it is give peace a chance, what is the problem?”

White dude: “It is disrespectful because it says fagot, please turn it off”

The black lady says in an irritated voice “Excuse me; I’m trying to get some help here”.

White dude: “How would you like it if they were playing a song that said “nigger” in it?”

Black lady: “What did you say fagot?”


At this point everyone in the store had stopped what they were doing, including me, to watch what was unfolding.


White dude says a little louder: “How would you like it if they were playing a song that said nigger, nigger, nigger in the store?”

Black lady screaming: “Fagot, fagot, fagot!”

White dude screams: “Nigger, nigger, nigger!”

And they keep going back and forth like this many times. Remember while this is all going on the chorus “all we are saying, is to give peace a chance” is repeating over and over. Completely nuts!

The manager is called and eventually the police come and take the white dude away. All I could think to say to my customers in line was “Did you enjoy the show? Please tip your waitress.”

It was sooo surreal.

Haha, wow. Despite the fact that in no where in the entire song does it actually say faggot.

It does actually.

"Everybody's talking bout fagots"

It might not be in the official lyrics but it is definitely in the song.

Considering that John Lennon was British, he could have been talking about cigarettes.

Those are fags.

I dunno. It was a crazy happening, that is for sure.

Actually no.

Although it might sound like "fagot", it's actually:

"Everybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism,
Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, That-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m"

In response to the original question...

No Shelter
by Rage Against the Machine

The main attraction - distraction
got ya number than number than numb
Empty ya pockets son; they got you thinkin that
What ya need is what they sellin
Make you think that buyin is rebellin
From the theaters to malls on every shore
Tha thin line between entertainment and war
The frontline is everywhere, there be no shelter here
Speilberg the nightmare works so push it far
Amistad was a whip, the truth was feathered and tarred
Memory erased, burned and scarred
Trade in ya history for a VCR

Cinema, simulated life, ill drama
Fourth Reich culture - Americana
Chained to the dream they got ya searchin for
Tha thin line between entertainment and war

There be no shelter here
Tha frontline is everywhere

Hospitals not profit full
Yet market bulls got pockets full
To advertise some hip disguise
View tha world from American eyes
Tha poor adore keep fiendin for more
Tha thin line between entertainment and war
They fix the need, develop the taste
Buy their products or get laid to waste
Coca-Cola is back in the veins of Saigon
And Rambo too, he got a dope pair of Nikes on
And Godzilla pure muthafuckin filler
To keep ya eyes off the real killer

Cinema, simulated life, ill drama
Fourth Reich culture - Americana
Chained to the dream they got ya searchin for
Tha thin line between entertainment and war

American eyes, American eyes....
View the world from American eyes
Bury the past, rob us blind
And leave nothin behind

Just stare
Relive the nightmare.

from www.azlyrics.com

That is crazy if that is the case. That guy made a fuss about nothing.