This song is from the album The State. It is about the Holocaust, and no, I don't think they mean anything bad about it. In fact, they're trying to convey how horrible it was. A history lesson through songwriting. Interesting. I have been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., and there is a sign that they put at the entrance to the concentration camps, and yes, it did say "Hard work will set you free". I walked under one of the actual signs. Kinda creepy. Also, the stars upon the chest, as MattG3169 mentioned, is in fact the Stars of David the Jews were required to wear. "Hold out your hand and ask for some" seems like a confusing lyric. Should these people who were murdered should have held out their hands and ask for something? But what? I think it was freedom. "Small child receives light through the crack" I think is a child hiding from the Nazis as they are being sent to the death chambers. "A human mile, ain't never coming back". Actually, and this is absolutely horrible, the Nazis would have holes with glass or something over them on top of the death/gas chambers where they could watch these innocent people die. The Holocaust museum was amazing; if you ever get the chance you should visit it. I used to be a Jehovah's Witness, and they were also persecuted during the Holocaust because their religion states that they can't go to war. It wasn't just them...people were also killed just because of their sexual status, or just because they didn't have "the look". If you don't believe me, look it up. Also, I read somewhere, and this may not be correct, that the Jehovah's Witnesses could be set free if they denounced their faith, and not one did. Anyway, I didn't write this to give you a history lesson, but I don't think my interpretation of the song was very accurate. Oh well...I hope someday someone will come to this page besides me and translate some of the more confusing lyrics.
This song is from the album The State. It is about the Holocaust, and no, I don't think they mean anything bad about it. In fact, they're trying to convey how horrible it was. A history lesson through songwriting. Interesting. I have been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., and there is a sign that they put at the entrance to the concentration camps, and yes, it did say "Hard work will set you free". I walked under one of the actual signs. Kinda creepy. Also, the stars upon the chest, as MattG3169 mentioned, is in fact the Stars of David the Jews were required to wear. "Hold out your hand and ask for some" seems like a confusing lyric. Should these people who were murdered should have held out their hands and ask for something? But what? I think it was freedom. "Small child receives light through the crack" I think is a child hiding from the Nazis as they are being sent to the death chambers. "A human mile, ain't never coming back". Actually, and this is absolutely horrible, the Nazis would have holes with glass or something over them on top of the death/gas chambers where they could watch these innocent people die. The Holocaust museum was amazing; if you ever get the chance you should visit it. I used to be a Jehovah's Witness, and they were also persecuted during the Holocaust because their religion states that they can't go to war. It wasn't just them...people were also killed just because of their sexual status, or just because they didn't have "the look". If you don't believe me, look it up. Also, I read somewhere, and this may not be correct, that the Jehovah's Witnesses could be set free if they denounced their faith, and not one did. Anyway, I didn't write this to give you a history lesson, but I don't think my interpretation of the song was very accurate. Oh well...I hope someday someone will come to this page besides me and translate some of the more confusing lyrics.