I hope this song doesn't get criticized too much for possibly being one of their most politically driven/straightforward songs. It's a great song though, definitely a great album closer.
I liked what Seahighster said, about looking to people, expecting them to have answers, them leading you astray and just breeding "pure ambivalence towards our country." I'm not a big American spirit kind of person, so, needless to say, I agree with the last verse immensely.
The switching of names that the narrator refers to each verse allows for the idea that no one has the real answers to shine through: not the teachers, the army sergeants, or the preachers. I love the fact that the preachers don't have the answers either, since the church these days is so corrupt. Ironically, the people designated to lead us in battle, to serve "God's country" have no idea why they're even there.
What baffles me most if what gave the USA the right to think that WE are God's country, when there are over 120 countries throughout the world. I'm not looking to get into any heated debates, though. Just wanted to make that little point and move on.
The line "We have violent games on pause at home" is perhaps one of the most striking in the whole song, filled with double meaning as well. Children/the rest of the world can learn about violence through their mass-produced, mind-driveling video games at home and less people would have to be killed in the process of that learning. But at the same time, should we be learning of violence in any kind of way like that, especially being given "guns for toys". That's how the USA really runs things: make the enemies scared by making them think we're really strong and ready - put this gun in your hand and stand up straight. Not the way to go about things, really.
I like how you can read the line "If they're both the same god, then the battle's over/details" in two ways. The first is reading "Details" as the narrator's dismissal of the battle, plagued by nonchalance and disregard, or as the end of the sentence before it, that the battle itself is over nothing but trivial details, not larger matters that were supposedly what brought us into battle in the first place.
Then in the name of peace we make war. The USA's real motive: make war when it needn't be made, or isn't expected. That'll show 'em. Yeah...sure.
I hope this song doesn't get criticized too much for possibly being one of their most politically driven/straightforward songs. It's a great song though, definitely a great album closer.
I liked what Seahighster said, about looking to people, expecting them to have answers, them leading you astray and just breeding "pure ambivalence towards our country." I'm not a big American spirit kind of person, so, needless to say, I agree with the last verse immensely.
The switching of names that the narrator refers to each verse allows for the idea that no one has the real answers to shine through: not the teachers, the army sergeants, or the preachers. I love the fact that the preachers don't have the answers either, since the church these days is so corrupt. Ironically, the people designated to lead us in battle, to serve "God's country" have no idea why they're even there.
What baffles me most if what gave the USA the right to think that WE are God's country, when there are over 120 countries throughout the world. I'm not looking to get into any heated debates, though. Just wanted to make that little point and move on.
The line "We have violent games on pause at home" is perhaps one of the most striking in the whole song, filled with double meaning as well. Children/the rest of the world can learn about violence through their mass-produced, mind-driveling video games at home and less people would have to be killed in the process of that learning. But at the same time, should we be learning of violence in any kind of way like that, especially being given "guns for toys". That's how the USA really runs things: make the enemies scared by making them think we're really strong and ready - put this gun in your hand and stand up straight. Not the way to go about things, really.
I like how you can read the line "If they're both the same god, then the battle's over/details" in two ways. The first is reading "Details" as the narrator's dismissal of the battle, plagued by nonchalance and disregard, or as the end of the sentence before it, that the battle itself is over nothing but trivial details, not larger matters that were supposedly what brought us into battle in the first place.
Then in the name of peace we make war. The USA's real motive: make war when it needn't be made, or isn't expected. That'll show 'em. Yeah...sure.