Not sure my interpretation is at all right... my own Leninist-Communist leanings mean most my views are biased.
It seems to be about how the evils of today's society make war inevitable. The first verse does well at speaking of how we're ruining our world, as the "oil burns in thick black columns, the buzz saws echo through the forest floor", destroying it, with people being treated unjustly, starving at times, unable to get their "fair share"... leading finally to war, as there's no other option.
Justin proceeds to go on about how young men "hardly know their sacred mother tongue but they know their duty to defend the flag hanging limp and bloody above the village church", basically commenting on how patriotism like that is pointless; they know little about their homeland, probably don't really know why they're been sent off to defend it, but dying anyway. The flag hangs "limp and bloody", because it's tarnished; there's no honour in fighting for capital, as war is really about.
The hypocrisy of this is shown as "Young money men play paintball games"... those with money, those with power, those in charge of us, to them it's a game.
"We've had three hot nights in succession - the riot season is here again" again showing how the social and political climate is deteriorating.
"a whirling dervish"... how war destroys everything.
"until the centre cannot hold"... I have my own sort of view on what this means... with war destroying today's society, the centre parties "cannot hold", and revolution, or a shift to the extreme left or right, is inevitable. Heh, probably not what Justin intended though.
Not sure my interpretation is at all right... my own Leninist-Communist leanings mean most my views are biased.
It seems to be about how the evils of today's society make war inevitable. The first verse does well at speaking of how we're ruining our world, as the "oil burns in thick black columns, the buzz saws echo through the forest floor", destroying it, with people being treated unjustly, starving at times, unable to get their "fair share"... leading finally to war, as there's no other option. Justin proceeds to go on about how young men "hardly know their sacred mother tongue but they know their duty to defend the flag hanging limp and bloody above the village church", basically commenting on how patriotism like that is pointless; they know little about their homeland, probably don't really know why they're been sent off to defend it, but dying anyway. The flag hangs "limp and bloody", because it's tarnished; there's no honour in fighting for capital, as war is really about. The hypocrisy of this is shown as "Young money men play paintball games"... those with money, those with power, those in charge of us, to them it's a game. "We've had three hot nights in succession - the riot season is here again" again showing how the social and political climate is deteriorating. "a whirling dervish"... how war destroys everything. "until the centre cannot hold"... I have my own sort of view on what this means... with war destroying today's society, the centre parties "cannot hold", and revolution, or a shift to the extreme left or right, is inevitable. Heh, probably not what Justin intended though.