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I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts Lyrics
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
When is this world coming to?
Both sides are right but both sides are murdered
I give up, why can't they?
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
And an American too, a north American that is
Not a south or a central or a native American
Oh, I must not think bad thoughts
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
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, flesheaters, DOA, big boys, and the black flag
Will the last American bands to get played on the radio
Please bring the flag, please bring the flag
Glitter disco synthesizer, night school
All the 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 place
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
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
Both sides are right but both sides are murdered
I give up, why can't they?
I must not think bad thoughts
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
And an American too, a north American that is
Not a south or a central or a native American
Oh, I must not think bad thoughts
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
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, flesheaters, DOA, big boys, and the black flag
Will the last American bands to get played on the radio
Please bring the flag, please bring the flag
Glitter disco synthesizer, night school
All the 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 place
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
The facts we hate
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I hear it as "both sides are right but both sides murder".
When I first heard this, I thought it was a reference to the civil wars in Central America in the 1980's (read Salvador by Joan Didion if you'd like a well observed and detailed account of one of these conflicts).
However, this can really refer to any two sides of a violent conflict who claim to have moral authority. The example that jumps to my mind is the abortion debate. Both sides make good points, but both sides' arguments also have devolved into violence against the other side at one time or another (ironically, the pro-lifers seem to do more of the killing, but that is my own commentary and that has nothing to do with this excellent song).
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"
In the Woody Gutherie song 'Pastures of Plenty'...there's a line about digging up beets from the ground. So he sang as about the food beets and not beats as in music.
In the Woody Gutherie song 'Pastures of Plenty'...there's a line about digging up beets from the ground. So he sang as about the food beets and not beats as in music.
@jsaul This song came out long before the US went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, but is certainly applicable to those wars. At the time this song came out, the US was very much involved in civil wars in Central America.
@jsaul This song came out long before the US went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, but is certainly applicable to those wars. At the time this song came out, the US was very much involved in civil wars in Central America.
One of the best songs ever written and recorded.