I Want to Conquer the World Lyrics
Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying
Hey sister bleeding heart with all of your compassion
Your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage temptation
Can you improve this place with the data that you gather
Hey mother mercy can your loins bear fruit forever?
Is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure?
Give all the idiots a brand new religion
Put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil
Promote equality in all of my decisions
With a quick wink of the eye and a "god you must be joking!"
Did you see your children cry when you left them at the station?
Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations
Expose the culprits and feed them to the children
I'll do away with air pollution
And then I'll save the whales
We'll have peace on earth
And global communion
This song is what, 22 years old now? More? How old are you people who can't write a single literate sentence to discuss it? Can't you find some newer music to prattle on about?
Cultural history lesson: "Saving the whales" is a term applied to the foolish pursuits of bleeding-heart do-gooders who think they can "conquer the world," "improve this place," etc. It is a clue that at least some of the content of the song is ironic. (Simple definition of irony: when you say something but mean the opposite.)
More irony: "give all the idiots a brand-new religion." Do you think Bad Religion the band would consider a new religion of any stripe to be a good thing?
So is B.R. saying they don't care what happens? Not at all. They're criticizing the messianic complexes held by a) Christians, b) liberal do-gooders (Sister Bleeding Heart could also apply to a nun or Catholic charity worker, i.e., Mother Teresa type,) c) rationalists who have faith in science and technology, d)not sure who exactly "Mother Mercy" with her fecund loins represents, e) diplomats and government types, f) probably right-wing "moral soldiers." That is, the song addresses a wide gamut, including non-religious people.
The basic meaning is that no matter who you are or what you believe or how smart you think you are, you're and idiot and an asshole if you think you have the answers to all the world's problems.
ps - my insults were more aimed at earlier posters than the ones right above mine. Those guys can spell!
ps - my insults were more aimed at earlier posters than the ones right above mine. Those guys can spell!
Mother mercy I always thought to be a reference to evangelicals, especially since since he says "will your loins bear fruit forever" and talks about her "fecundity" Also, I don't know if you noticed how ironic it is that he criticizes just about everybody. I think the main point of the song is not that all of these people are wrong, just that no one is always right. The fact that he says he wants to do away with air pollution and save the whales, I interpreted to mean, is his awareness that ideals and reality rarely reflect one another....
Mother mercy I always thought to be a reference to evangelicals, especially since since he says "will your loins bear fruit forever" and talks about her "fecundity" Also, I don't know if you noticed how ironic it is that he criticizes just about everybody. I think the main point of the song is not that all of these people are wrong, just that no one is always right. The fact that he says he wants to do away with air pollution and save the whales, I interpreted to mean, is his awareness that ideals and reality rarely reflect one another.
@Spinxis This is an incredibly late response, but I always took when he talks of Mother Mercy's loins bearing fruit forever are people who give to charity; can they actually spare the resources or are they giving away something they need just to look good?
@Spinxis This is an incredibly late response, but I always took when he talks of Mother Mercy's loins bearing fruit forever are people who give to charity; can they actually spare the resources or are they giving away something they need just to look good?
Essentially, if you don't have the means, don't give it away just to seem polite.
Essentially, if you don't have the means, don't give it away just to seem polite.
I love this song. It really says alot to me about what's wrong with politics and religion in the world.
yeah...they aren't some little morons who have a problem with everyone for no reason. These guys are brilliant and , franky, fucking right.
the glowing? has bad religion ever said that that is what this song is about?
it seems pretty clear that it is not about that to me.
i think he is using sarcasim....from governments point of view....like what the presidents "say" they will do for our "great" nation but just want complete control....just giving the idiots a brand new religion....hes mimicing them.....being what he despises....but also saying what he truly feels....but he is aware that the human instinct of GREED will kick in once they obtain.....
I believe the quote by Lord Acton is a great way to describe this song: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Basically, the song is sung from some one who is not in power, therefore, he has the best of intentions if he were given that authority - he'd save the wales, and create peace on earth.
Unfortunately, when someone DOES have that power, they don't waste their time helping the greater good or doing those things they promise.
I believe the song is quite a satire on Political races. The canidates will say what everone wants to hear, but never actually do those things, had they the power.
Bad Religion simply kicks ass, very intelligent lyrics that make you think about the world we live in.
This song is so awesome! It's one of my fav. Bad Religoin songs. These guys kick ass!
As others have said, thought-provoking lyrics. Also, makes me want to get up and DO something about all the problems, since the simple solutions sometimes are lost in red tape, I think..
yeah this song kicks ass and damn do they use words that are so damn descriptive soo intelligent and all those things said in that song are true which is important needless to say