Vicious Traditions

General CommentGreat song! Although I'm pretty sure some of these lyrics are wrong. I think it says "here lies our son Joseph" not "awesome Joseph" I'd submit correctrions, but I'm not sure of the rest of the mistakes so I'll give you that and let you run with it. Anyways, love the anti-war pro-peace message.

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General CommentI'm with willwhiskey and kmacloud62 that if it's a historical figure, it's most likely Joseph Stalin rather than Jesus or George Bush. The number nine million likely refers to red arm casualties in WWII.

Of course, songs often have multiple meanings and broad themes. Ambiguity is often a literary goal. The front man for The Veils has a tattoo "Res Ipsa Loquitor" (Latin for, "The thing speaks for itself").

The idea of "innocent soldier" is an oxymoron that evokes the maxim that history is written by the victors. The line about waiting in line for the "lasting confession" could mean Joseph is damned to hell but the public message on his grave is that he's innocent. There have been efforts to restore Stalin's "honor" in Russia, as the "Generalissimo" who defeated Hitler.

The song reminds me of Mr. Kurtz in Joseph Conrad's story of the Belgian Congo (estimated one million dead) as the basis for Heart of Darkness, where mercenary crimes by Europeans are glossed over. But the reference to nine million is likely the red army casualties in WWII.

Born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, Stalin joins the Bolsheviks in 1903 and becomes a specialist in organising robberies and extortion rackets to help fund the revolutionaries. 1913 he changed his name to Stalin which translates to "man of steel".

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General CommentI think this song is about joseph stalin.thats what comes to me when I read the lyrics.wierd I know.

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General Commentkmacloud62 is right. It's about Stalin... how can everyone else not see? "He grew a blood red vision for all their good intentions" - obviously about communism's orginal good intentions.
He once said "one death is a tragedy, a million is a statisic." He sent millions and millions of his own people to death during WWII. Despite this, is he was hero worshiped up until his death. They had to start de-stalinisation when he died to de-brainwash people.

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General CommentYou're all wrong... The song is about Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790. Ranked one of the greatest Enlightened Monarchs in world history. He is known as the great reformer.

"By 1790 rebellions had broken out in protest against Joseph's reforms in Belgium and Hungary which had a population of about 9 million people, and his other dominions were restive under the burdens of his war with Turkey. His empire was threatened with dissolution, and he was forced to sacrifice some of his reform projects. His health shattered by disease, alone, and unpopular in all his lands, the bitter emperor died 20 February 1790. He was not yet forty-nine. Joseph II rode roughshod over age-old aristocratic privileges, liberties, and prejudices, thereby creating for himself many enemies, and they triumphed in the end. Joseph's attempt to reform the Hungarian lands illustrates the weakness of absolutism in the face of well-defended feudal liberties"

At last, Joseph, worn out and broken-hearted, recognized that his servants could not, or would not, carry out his plans. On 30 January 1790, he formally withdrew almost all his reforms in Hungary, and he died on 20 February 1790. He asked that his epitaph read: "Here lies Joseph II, who failed in all he undertook."

Its all in wikipedia. It will answer your question about the parts of the song
"He grew a blood red vision for all their good intentions
He made an easy million from a foreign investment
He danced with the devils in beautiful buildings
Affirmative action for a useful reunion"

That has something to do with the House of Lorraine.

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General Commenthave you ever felt so bitter and angry and you want something evil to happen to somebody, even though you know its wrong but you can't help the feelings pouring out... well, this song like, feeds those feelings. 'grew blood-red vision for all their good intentions'. the whole song just builds up anger to a boil and it builds up into this amazing explosion towards the end. if you listen to it in a certain mood it just blows you away.

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General CommentAbsolutely great song. But it's clearly an anti-war song, and perhaps the best anti-war song, at that - due to the fact that it veers from being an insipid protest song and, instead, keeps it personal - personal regarding those affected by the war and the person who started the war. Just in case it didn't dawn on you yet, it's clearly about G..W. Bush and the Iraq war. Fight your way out of this one, W.

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General CommentOh yeah- this song is used in the new movie "Mr. Brooks" with Kevin Costner, Dane Cook, and Demi Moore. I love the music video montage they created with it, very dramatic. Check it out on Dane's website in the video section danecook.com/

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General Commentthis song is amazing
the Mr. Brooks put in of this song was amazing
i love this song with all my heart

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General CommentThis song was used perfectly in the movie "Mr. brooks" totally fit the movie...anyway, i think this song has some religious meaning to it. Possibly mocking Christianity. I'm not to sure. I just get that feeling when i hear it. I still love the song and his voice none the less. Good music is GOOD music no matter its lyrical content.

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