floatingeye's interpretation is correct, for the most part. The Fertile Crescent is the name given to a part of the world containing modern day Iraq, and the song was written in '91-'92, so it is an obvious reference to the Gulf War.
However, like many BR songs, I think there is a larger meaning to it, as well. The Fertile Crescent was were the earliest known human civilizations (city-states) emerged. The emergence of civilization irrevocably changed human existence: before, humans lived in small tribal groups where people were relatively free to live their lives free of control or restrictions by others; civilization brought about divisions of labor, class systems, systems of social control, slavery, war, et cetera; thus the line "the cradle of humanity has led us all astray" (the cradle of humanity being another name for given to the fertile crescent region).
Also, I think they are pointing out that despite the thousands of years since the birth of civilization, little if any of it's negative aspects have changed ("the fertile crescent is haunting us today").
floatingeye's interpretation is correct, for the most part. The Fertile Crescent is the name given to a part of the world containing modern day Iraq, and the song was written in '91-'92, so it is an obvious reference to the Gulf War.
However, like many BR songs, I think there is a larger meaning to it, as well. The Fertile Crescent was were the earliest known human civilizations (city-states) emerged. The emergence of civilization irrevocably changed human existence: before, humans lived in small tribal groups where people were relatively free to live their lives free of control or restrictions by others; civilization brought about divisions of labor, class systems, systems of social control, slavery, war, et cetera; thus the line "the cradle of humanity has led us all astray" (the cradle of humanity being another name for given to the fertile crescent region).
Also, I think they are pointing out that despite the thousands of years since the birth of civilization, little if any of it's negative aspects have changed ("the fertile crescent is haunting us today").