Ink Stains (All the Holocaust Deniers) Lyrics
To a bathhouse warm and quiet
Complimentary soap, complimentary haircut
And gas them up until they know that
And God is the almighty witness
I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors
Of the disease which makes them haters
You can't tell fake from honest crying
Argentina steakhouse Swiss Bank gold card
Aren't going to help you were you're going at
Drenched in blood up to your blue Jew eyeballs
And God and his almighty wisdom
May somehow grant an open season
In a bathhouse warm and quiet
Complimentary soap, complimentary haircut
And gas them up until they know that
And God is the almighty witness
I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors
Of the disease which makes them haters
I believe its "Argentina steakhouse, Swiss Bank gold card" and "God and his almighty wisdom"
Powerful song, the meaning is obvious.
Ah haha I completely thought it was 'whistle'! After re-listening I believe you are correct on both points. Thanks. I will edit prompt as prompt can be.
Ah haha I completely thought it was 'whistle'! After re-listening I believe you are correct on both points. Thanks. I will edit prompt as prompt can be.
I wonder if Regina wrote this in response to the shooting of the security guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. All the frustration at deniers coming out from learning about the incident. Deniers who have comfortable lives while spewing conspiracy theories about Jews making everything up.
As for the references:
The bathhouse is a gas chamber. The soap is probably made from human fat. The haircuts happened in concentration camps. The ink stains refer to the tattoos prisoners received that were their prisoner numbers. Argentina Steakhouse and Swiss Bank gold card are signs of wealth.
"I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors Of the disease which makes them haters"
Regina has probably encountered other people who appear agreeable, except when examined closer on their opinions of "people who are different". Nice people, but they hold hidden prejudices. Think of coming out of the closet as a homosexual in a small town (homosexuals were targeted in the Holocaust as well, remember). "American-Owned" motels.
"Argentina Steakhouse": Argentina was a haven for Nazi war criminals. A secret network was established to rescue Collaborators and Nazis from post war Europe to Argentina. Once in Argentina dictator Juan Perón's government protected them and they settled in the southern regions of the country. (See Wikipedia article "Pursuit of Nazi collaborators" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pursuit_of_Nazi_collaborators ).
"Argentina Steakhouse": Argentina was a haven for Nazi war criminals. A secret network was established to rescue Collaborators and Nazis from post war Europe to Argentina. Once in Argentina dictator Juan Perón's government protected them and they settled in the southern regions of the country. (See Wikipedia article "Pursuit of Nazi collaborators" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pursuit_of_Nazi_collaborators ).
"Swiss Bank Gold": During the war, the Nazis stole gold, jewelry, and other valuables from the millions of Jews they murdered. The Germans needed a way to place these commodities in the international market...
"Swiss Bank Gold": During the war, the Nazis stole gold, jewelry, and other valuables from the millions of Jews they murdered. The Germans needed a way to place these commodities in the international market so that they could use the money they received in exchange for their war effort. The Swiss helped facilitate the exchange in addition to holding Nazi accounts. Many speculate that some of the gold that the Swiss accepted were the dental gold and wedding rings taken from Jews at the camps. (Read more in "Nazi Gold, Jewish Accounts, and Swiss Banks" http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/aa072397.htm)
Argentina steakhouses and Swiss gold card are much more significant than simply signs of wealth:
Argentina steakhouses and Swiss gold card are much more significant than simply signs of wealth:
Argentina remained neutral during WWII until early 1945, with much more government sympathy for Italy and Germany, than the side of the allies. Many Nazis, including Mengele and Eichmann fled to Argentina and sought refuge there while being pursued for war crimes, following the war.
Argentina remained neutral during WWII until early 1945, with much more government sympathy for Italy and Germany, than the side of the allies. Many Nazis, including Mengele and Eichmann fled to Argentina and sought refuge there while being pursued for war crimes, following the war.
Swiss Gold refers to the millions that were looted from Nazi victims and then invested overseas, including in the Swiss National Bank. An estimated 440 million dollars in gold was invested by the Nazis with the Swiss National Bank, of...
Swiss Gold refers to the millions that were looted from Nazi victims and then invested overseas, including in the Swiss National Bank. An estimated 440 million dollars in gold was invested by the Nazis with the Swiss National Bank, of which 316 million is estimated to have been looted. Furthermore, many Swiss banks refused to honor investments opened by holocaust victims, due to their next of kin being unable to produce death certificates.
This song is extremely emotional for me. After hearing Regina preform this live at the Beacon Theater I became obsessed and have listened to it repettively. As I prepare for my trip in a few days to Poland to visit the concentration camps and learn more about the autrocities of the Holocaust, I know that this song will be playing in the back of my mind. The idea that there are people in our modern culture who deny the Holocaust is absurd, and I love the way Regina explores this issue in this song. It's an extremely emotional subject and only Regina can present this new angle in such a poetic manner.
I was electrified when I heard this at the Beacon Theatre, too, evebs34. Through the whole thing I was freaked out, near tears, & also very appreciative of the beauty of its sound. This is one of the most unsettling things I've heard in quite some time.
The most disturbing element of this song is the theme of retribution; that those who deny that agony & cruelty exist have that same agony & cruelty directed at them. Can't they be made to understand by any other means?
on the other listing for these lyrics (why are there two?) sheela_l mentioned the possibility that this song was written in reaction to the shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I don't think that it was, only because not enough time has passed since then: it's improbable Regina could have completed the song so quickly. It sounds (at least, to me) polished & not like an initial draft. Whether it was or wasn't, it's sadly a pertinent song. We need to recognise hatred before we can work on eliminating it. It's so important that we are all educated about the genocides that have taken place (not only the Holocaust) & CONTINUE TO TAKE PLACE TO-DAY.
evebs34, I wish you a safe trip to Poland. You'll be seeing upsetting things, but we should all follow your example, even by doing some thing as simple as reading some articles on-line. Pretending it didn't happen only makes it worse.
Peace <3
w.o.w. spectacular.
this is probably the best song about the Holocaust ever. everytime i hear it, it makes me want to cry. the end gives me chills. also, the whole 'Holocaust deniers' bit... that could go two ways. it could be directed at people who deny that the Holocaust was wrong, or it could be for the Jews towards the beginning of the Holocaust who thought that concentration camps were just rumors and didn't believe it could happen to them.....
I wonder what she means by "And God and his almighty wisdom, May somehow grant an open season" ?
I think it may be about the delusion that because Jews weren't Christian that this warranted genocide. Jews don't believe that Jesus was the messiah and the holy trinity say that God,the spirit and the son are one. Jesus is considered the son so maybe rejecting him as the messiah was rejecting God. Many people have killed in the name of God and I think that this is a reference to the delusion that God is giving permission to murder the people who don't believe in what the murderers believe to be God's word.
I think it may be about the delusion that because Jews weren't Christian that this warranted genocide. Jews don't believe that Jesus was the messiah and the holy trinity say that God,the spirit and the son are one. Jesus is considered the son so maybe rejecting him as the messiah was rejecting God. Many people have killed in the name of God and I think that this is a reference to the delusion that God is giving permission to murder the people who don't believe in what the murderers believe to be God's word.
If I had heard this live I am positive I would've bawled my eyes out. I almost cry every time I hear it anyway. It is a very moving song about a very moving/awful subject. :( Belt also makes me cry every time I hear it, if any of you have heard that one (although it makes me cry for a little different reason).
She played it again at Radio City & I began to cry. Such a powerful song.
I think '& God and his almighty wisdom/ may somehow grant an open season' may be a sardonic way of asking why her god would allow these atrocities to happen.
I love Regina's phrasing.
wow. just heard this and it's well..powerfull to say the least. I wonder how she has the courage to write songs like this? well good on her I say, sheela_I, the soap isn't made of human fat, it's a reference to the soap that the jews got at the extermination camps, they'd give them a haircut no.1. and then strip them and tell them to take a shower.thus the soap. g-d it's horribly thinking about this...but again good on regina for getting it talked about again. we should never stop caring about the holocaust.
This song and "Aquarius" are ones where you can feel the emotion reverberating from her voice. And why not? It's such a touchy and painful subject that frankly isn't brought up enough. Here's my concern to the lyrics:
This song and "Aquarius" are ones where you can feel the emotion reverberating from her voice. And why not? It's such a touchy and painful subject that frankly isn't brought up enough. Here's my concern to the lyrics:
"So who'll be the Jew to make the papers Drenched in blood up to your blue Jew eyeballs."
"So who'll be the Jew to make the papers Drenched in blood up to your blue Jew eyeballs."
I'm not 100% sure what this means, but I think "blue" is a hint. The Nazi's (who sometimes called the superior race Aryans) thought the perfect person was blonde hair, blue eyes, etc. I'm wondering if "blue Jew eyeballs" is...
I'm not 100% sure what this means, but I think "blue" is a hint. The Nazi's (who sometimes called the superior race Aryans) thought the perfect person was blonde hair, blue eyes, etc. I'm wondering if "blue Jew eyeballs" is saying that Jews are just as equal as everyone else. That stupid things like eye color don't matter.
Tell me what you think.