I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts

X

The facts we hate
We'll never meet
Walking down the road
Everybody yelling, "hurry up, hurry up"
But I'm waiting for you
I must go slow
I must not think bad thoughts
What is this world coming to?
Both sides are right
But both sides murder
I give up
Why can't they?

I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts

The civil wars
And the uncivilized wars
Conflagrations leap out of every poor furnace
The food cooks poorly
And everyone goes hungry
From then on, it's dog eat dog
Dog eat body and body eat dog
I can't go down there
I can't understand it
I'm a no-good coward
An American, too
(A North American, that is)

And I must not think bad thoughts (not a South or a Central)
And I must not think bad thoughts (or a Native American)
And I must not think bad thoughts
Oh, I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts

I'm guilty of murder
Of innocent men
Innocent women, innocent children
Thousands of 'em
My planes, my guns
My money, my soldiers
My blood on my hands
It's all my fault

I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts

The facts we hate
You'll never hear us
"I hear the radio is finally gonna play new music
You know, the British invasion"
But what about the Minutemen
Flesh Eaters, DOA
Big Boys and the Black Flag?
Will the last American band to get played on the radio
Please bring the flag?
Please bring the flag
Glitter disco synthesizer night school
All this noble savage drum, drum, drum
Astronauts go back in time to hang out with the cave people
It's about time
It's about space
It's about some people in the strangest places
Woody Guthrie sang about
B-E-E-T-S, not B-E-A-T-S

I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts

The facts we hate
We'll never meet
Walking down the road
Everybody yelling, "hurry up, hurry up, hurry up"
But I'm waiting for you
I must go slow
I must not think bad thoughts
What is this world coming to?
Both sides are right
But both sides murder
I give up
Why can't they?

I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts
I must not think bad thoughts


Lyrics submitted by plaidcheerios, edited by pleasepeople, e8ghtmileshigh, royksprekk, mttwls

I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts Lyrics as written by John Doe Excene Cervenka

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts song meanings
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3 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Anyone have any insight into the "woody guthrie sang about b-e-e-t-s, not b-e-a-t-s" line?

    My read is that in the past music was about social issues (people going hungry), but now the music has narcissistically become about music itself.

    One more thing and then I promise I'm done with this song (for today anyway):

    Any other Americans like me feel like this about our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

    "I'm guilty of murder of innocent men, innocent women, innocent children thousands of them my planes, my guns, my money, my soul my blood on my hands it's all my fault I must not think bad thoughts"

    jsaulon September 19, 2009   Link

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