This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
The only good policeman is a dead one
The only good laws aren't enforced
I've never hung a darkie, even a big one
I've never seen an Indian on a horse
And I live like this 'cause I like it
And seen too much to pretend
You can't ignore the beauty in the things that you love
Like you can't stand the hatred and the lies
Have you always hunted with your hands?
Can you show me what you've done?
Have you always hunted with your hands?
If you catch it, can you kill it?
You don't understand, see you don't understand
See, I'm like a murderer, see, I'm like a murderer
And I could rip you limb from limb
And I could rip you limb from limb
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
See, I'm like a murderer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm like a, I'm a hunter-gatherer, see, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat
See, I'm, I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a, I'm a murderer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a, I'm a hunter-gatherer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat
I'm a, I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat
Great big thing crawling all over me
Great big thing crawling all over me
Great big thing crawling all over me
Have you always hunted with your hands?
Can you show me what you've done?
Have you always hunted with your hands?
If you catch it, can you kill it?
I live like this 'cause I like it
And I've seen too much to pretend
You can't ignore the beauty in the things that you love
Like you can't stand the hatred and the lies
See, see, see I'm a murderer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm, I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat
It's a great big thing crawlin' all over me
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
The only good laws aren't enforced
I've never hung a darkie, even a big one
I've never seen an Indian on a horse
And I live like this 'cause I like it
And seen too much to pretend
You can't ignore the beauty in the things that you love
Like you can't stand the hatred and the lies
Have you always hunted with your hands?
Can you show me what you've done?
Have you always hunted with your hands?
If you catch it, can you kill it?
You don't understand, see you don't understand
See, I'm like a murderer, see, I'm like a murderer
And I could rip you limb from limb
And I could rip you limb from limb
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
See, I'm like a murderer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm like a, I'm a hunter-gatherer, see, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat
See, I'm, I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a, I'm a murderer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a, I'm a hunter-gatherer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat
I'm a, I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat
Great big thing crawling all over me
Great big thing crawling all over me
Great big thing crawling all over me
Have you always hunted with your hands?
Can you show me what you've done?
Have you always hunted with your hands?
If you catch it, can you kill it?
I live like this 'cause I like it
And I've seen too much to pretend
You can't ignore the beauty in the things that you love
Like you can't stand the hatred and the lies
See, see, see I'm a murderer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm, I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat
See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat
It's a great big thing crawlin' all over me
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
Great big thing crawlin' all over me
Lyrics submitted by infotainment_lad, edited by zhimbo
Steelworker Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
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I know I'm probably way off, but here's my crazy interpretation. On a whole, I think the song is about dumb people being proud of things they did not do, and enjoying the rewards of things they did not earn.
'The only good policeman is a dead one, the only good laws aren't enforced' - Dunno. Yay, anarchy?
'I've never hung a darkie, never seen an Indian'- This person was not actually there to participate in making his country what it was, be it good or bad (but mostly bad), and I think this is a statement against extreme patriotism.
'And I live like this 'cause I like it, and seen too much to pretend' - Some people like to make excuses for their shitty behavior, but the singer is admitting to hedonism, plain and simple. He does what he does because he enjoys it, and he isn't going to dress it up with pretty lies like other people.
'You can't ignore the beauty in the things that you love, like you can't stand the hatred and the lies' - I don't really know. Maybe defending the beautiful things (whatever you fight for) from the hatred and lies (shitty people, shitty ideals)? That's all I've got.
'Have you always hunted with your hands? Can you show me what you've done? Have you always hunted with your hands? If you catch it, can you kill it?' - Most important bit of the song, I think. People are prepared to eat the flesh, but many are not prepared to make the kill. On a bigger scale, people are happy to reap the benefits (consume, consume, consume), but are not prepared to actually do any work.
'You don't understand' - Self-fulfilling prophecy. >.>
'And I could rip you limb from limb, great big thing crawlin' all over me' - No idea, but it sounds cool, no?
'See, I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat etc.' - People who actually lay the foundation for his country, people who actually contribute and build, who do the dirty work (again, be it good or bad). People who hunt with their hands and kill what they eat.
That's what I always think, anyway. It's absolutely my favorite Big Black jam. It's just too cool for school. >.>
@andromeda1 This is a freaking awesome interpretation of the song and I'm convinced.<br /> I'm a vegan and I like to see the "Can you kill it?" line as literal, not a metaphor for reaping benefits without doing the work. I like its literal viscerality. The image of killing and eating.
@andromeda1 This is a freaking awesome interpretation of the song and I'm convinced.<br /> I'm a vegan and I like to see the "Can you kill it?" line as literal, not a metaphor for reaping benefits without doing the work. I like its literal viscerality. The image of killing and eating.<br /> <br /> And I'm aware Steve Albini was not fond of vegetarianism back in the day, and this song is not intentionally aligned to veganism - but as a vegan, I really appreciate the way it draws attention to the ugliness of killing animals, whether Steve is proud of it or not.