Since the beginning of time music and politics and social issues have gone together. All three provoke so much passion that they entice so many feelings that any artist with any sense of the world has used political and/or social issues at some time or another in their lyrics, to express how they feel on a variety of topics. As I started looking at lyrics for this article, and the messages that heavy metal bands where sending out I was amazed by these bands passion, integrity, and power they used to get their point across. As I read the lyrics I found that the bands where reaching out on topics from war to the horrors of rape. This article will mainly focus on heavy metal and politics, and the social issues they believe in. What happens when an artist takes their own political beliefs and past experiences and turns their songs into social message with underlying political tones, and how quickly the landscape of politics can change, and possibly how you can tell an artist political beliefs just by their song lyrics.

As we entered more modern time in the twentieth century, music throughout much of the free world would become more political depending on what the feel of the country happened to be at any given time. In countries where they lived in a closed society or a communist society, what music they played was pretty much governed by the governments, and used as propaganda.

During WW1 and WW2 when the United States was all for both of these wars, and we were clearly victorious, the propaganda music was positive, and supportive of both wars and the solders all got ticker tape parades, and songs about how we where victorious and beat the bad guys wanting to kill our democratic freedoms. For Americans life seemed to sail rather smooth until several issues and tragedies that began in the early sixties, which seemed to set our country on a path of loss, discontent, and a path that led artist of all mediums, but especially musicians smack dab in very fruitful feeding ground to use their art to make some very heart pounding statements, about the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, and other hot topics of the era.

As these two political hot bed topics grew, musicians turned these causes into their own little cottage industries. Artists like Pete Seeger’s song “I Will Overcome” soon became “We Will Overcome“, and was one of the most widely used songs throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Joan Biaz had a few songs to help those fighting for civil rights including the songs; “Oh Freedom” and “Blowin in the Wind”. Joining them was perhaps the greatest folk singer of all time, Bob Dylan who contributed “Only a Pawn in Their Game”, after Civil Rights leader Medgar Evans was assassinated. Following hot on the heels of the Civil Rights movement was the disastrous Vietnam War. Our leaders thought like in every other war we had fought in before that we where going in for our freedoms and that as the most powerful country in the world the United States would quickly walk away liberating South Vietnam. Sadly for the US, our soldiers, and South Vietnam, no other war had been fought in jungles, and from 1959-1975 58,000 Americans where killed trying to liberate South Vietnam, and another 304, 000 where wounded. In those years, especially from the mid 1960’s until the war ended in 1975, musicians used their music to create a movement that caused protest and much of the country to become disenfranchised and fed up with our government. Many already famous musicians used this upheaval to express how they felt about the Vietnam War, and sang about their dreams for peace. In 1963 Bob Dylan wrote and sang Masters of War, 1865 saw Donovan come out with The War Drags on, 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival had Fortunate Son on the Music store racks and in people mind. By the time John Lennon got Give Peace a Chance in 1969 out to the masses, it was more of a social commentary of what he wanted the world to look like that a direct hit, saying this war must be done now, though I am sure that was also part of the message.

As the war died down and finally ended in 1975, and life started going back to a somewhat normal routine, music turned into an all out party blitz for several years. Much of what we heard on popular music stations where catchy disco songs without much social content or political meaning. During the glorious fat times of the 1980’s where money was flowing around, and the economy was doing great, the US mostly stayed out of the worlds business for the most part, except for the Cold War with the USSR, and Music pretty much did the same, with a few exceptions. We did have several bands that always had a social or political slant like U2, Bruce Springsteen, some of Pat Benatar’s Material, Depech Mode, and several other bands sis have their writing and feel on social, and political issues of the day, from the working class man’s plight, to the world of child abuse. There where also a few occasions where many musicians would get together for a single cause and have a concert, a series of concerts, or make a single to help a cause. Their was Farm Aid concerts when farming conditions where poor, and the government was not helping, so Willie Nelson and a bunch of his buddies did several concerts to raise money for them. There was also the song “We are the World” a single” cut by approximately 50 artist to help feed Ethiopians during their droughts in the 1980’s, where people where dying from malnutrition on an almost daily basis. Other than those large efforts of collaboration, there where really no singular bands consistently making political statements or social statements with their music.

It Would not be until the late 1990’s that a new social and political landscape would begin to appear when President Bill Clinton found himself in a heap of trouble for having had played some hanky panky with a White House intern in the Oval Office. More trouble would come when the present President George W. Bush Jr. found himself and our country under attack by terrorist soon after he had entered his first term in office. At first he did seem to have Americans support to go after those who terrorized us on 9/11/2001. However, it is six years later, he has still not captured the terrorist group that initially attacked us, and we entered into a war that seems to have been under false pretenses. He has also either had to fire key members of his staff, or they have had to step down, in shame. The country is divided on political issues and social issues, and as the most powerful country seems to be falling to pieces, our own country divided on policy and social issues, and much of the world dislike us to varying degrees, many musicians are wasting no time in getting their anger, fears, and opinions on paper, set to music, and bringing it to their fans and hopefully to the masses.

Usually in the arts as a rule, musicians, actors, painters and most writers tend to be on the liberal side, but that is not always the case. Musicians such as Ted Nugent, Johnny Ramone, and Kid Rock along with a long list of country artist have been supporting the GOP’s for quite awhile, with Ted Nugent quoted as saying “a strong war on terrorism” is a major issue for him according to an article from CNN.com. He also has said that during the past election while Senator John Kerry was running that Kerry was an insult to hard-

working people that he would want to “redistribute wealth”. While what Kerry said may be going a bit far, I do not think many Americans feel any safer today from terrorist threats than they did four years ago, or when they first happened in 2001.

We have been in war mode or at war since the twin towers were hit, as well as the Pentagon, and the flight 63 was high jacked, but the terrorist where outsmarted on September 11, 2001, that there is an entire generation being raised right now that has not known what it is like to not have much of an idea not to know anything about peace-time. They see it on the news every night, hear that their towns or cities nearby are next to be attacked, if you have children close to my daughters age, which is 13, she watched the towers fall over and over, not really knowing if it was happening again and again. We have a generation of war babies. We also have a generation of artists who are able to take this fucked up situation and make some really powerful lyrics and music. We won’t be hearing any of these great lyrics from bubble gum pop artist.

Right now there are so many songs written about the war as your favorite heavy metal bands see it. Though I can not dig all the lyrics up, I have some. We will also look at a few songs that seem to have a social message, I’ll let you decide if they are social messages or political when you send me you oh so entertaining comments.

Megadeath-Amerikhastan

Recruiting the ill-fated for "The War"
A legion of uneducated, bankrupt souls
With a lust for revenge, answering the call
From New Yorqatar to Cali Arabia (1^st verse)

No rules of engagement, this enemy hides
Amongst women and children

And to beat violence, you must ignore the focus groups
You must send in the Mossad, turn of the BBC, CNN
And don't look back
Rest assured there'll be no more Middle Eastern crisis, hell!
There'll be no more Middle East!
These are your people Liberty
Pull up your dress today
And tattooed is "property of The USA
A subsidiary of Halliburton"
Surprise?!
But a roaring lion is about to be on earth
Hey, Jihad Joe? Guess what? We're coming to get you! (part of 3^rd 4^th verse)

That Megadeath song is the perfect illustration of exactly what is going on right now, and what most Americans are feeling, and thinking. I do not know about you, but President Bush, “YOU FUCKED UP, MAN” That’s what I got to say.

Here are the lyrics to a Metallica song done in 1988, however they reverb just as well now, if not even better than they ever have.

Metallica/ And Justice for All 1988

I Can't Remember Anything
Can't Tell If this Is True or Dream
Deep down Inside I Feel to Scream
this Terrible Silence Stops Me
Now That the War Is Through with Me
I'm Waking up I Can Not See
That There's Not Much Left of Me
Nothing Is Real but Pain Now

Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death
Oh Please God, wake Me

Back in the Womb its Much Too Real
in Pumps Life That I must Feel
but Can't Look Forward to Reveal
Look to the Time When I'll Live
Fed Through the Tube That Sticks in Me
Just like a Wartime Novelty
Tied to Machines That Make Me Be
Cut this Life off from Me

Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death
Oh Please God, wake Me

Now the World Is Gone I'm Just One
Oh God, help Me Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death
Oh Please God Help Me

Darkness

Imprisoning Me
All That I See
Absolute Horror
I Cannot Live
I Cannot Die
Trapped in Myself
Body My Holding Cell

Landmine

Has Taken My Sight
Taken My Speech
Taken My Hearing
Taken My Arms
Taken My Legs
Taken My Soul
Left Me with Life in Hell

Gwar/War is All We Know (just two middle verses)

Hatred of all things alive
War is all we know

They say war is a last resort
For me it's the only way
I have tried reading their poetry
It suits me better to slay
All that I touch seems to break in my hands
Then it just bursts into flames
The piteous pleadings as innocents die
Only an odor remains
So burn the bitter butter
Prepare the murder machines
Bring me my scabbard, my halberd, my hauberk
Fetch me my enchanted grieves
My walls they are melting
The drugs they aren't helping
Is it time for the old gods to die?
To arms is the only cry

Though there are many songs written about wars these two reverb really well with what is going on right now. One song I did want to get the Lyrics to but was unable to get was Final Riot’s War is Your Religion. Not all political songs written and released are about war or civil rights. They just seemed fitting for this article

There where also several songs I found when I was researching this article. That sends a very strong social message. Then again, if you take the time to really read the lyrics, think about what they are about and the fallout any of the issues, you will see there is political relevance to the songs and what place they have in politics. One is about The Catholic Churches, and how many priests molested young boys. The Church did get away with it for decades, some priest went to jail, and in many cases restitution has had to be paid. On the other hand, why has there been no laws passed that still allow priest’s to be allowed around children alone. Why are there still Catholic Schools, they say they are working to clean their act up. The problem with that is no government agency is really keeping an eagle’s eye on them. Decide for yourself if this song by BrainGell Friend Immolation is a social message or political message. Either way Immolation made a good fucking song.

Immolation/Father Not My Father

Bless me father
For you've sinned against me
It's been one week
since you've raped me
holy Father, your spirit inside me
Holy Father, robbed my virtue
Holy Mary, mother of Christ
The fruit of thy womb has poisoned me
Father, you're not a father
Rapist, selfish taker of youth
The fires you cast out
I promise you for eternity
Our father who aren't in heaven
Inside of me, my soul is lost
My manhood, so miniscule, was stolen
The Rosary has gripped tight around my neck
I hailed Mary...Over and over again
You've failed Mary
You've raped Mary...Over and over again
You've walked beside me, but I was alone
You've walked on top of me, crushing me
My innocence and my emotions
Were wiped away and you didn't care
You just hid behind your collar
The hardest time, I was helpless
And it was too late, much too late
Touch me I'm warm, but not alive
Feel my hot breath, but I'm not living
Dead inside, Alone forever
Father why...Father why
Father, you're not a father
Rapist, selfish taker of youth
The fires you cast out
I promise you for eternity

As usual I ran long, I had one more song in mind but wanted all the lyrics of the Immolation song to be read. Music is an art where in this country we have the First Amendment that allows all artists to express themselves freely. I had so many songs to choose from. So as usual, let me hear your opinions. Christi