Sixteen Military Wives Lyrics
The song isn't exactly anti war inasmuch as it is a commentary on how events and messages get muffled and distorted through the filters of the media.
It seems to be anti-liberal as much as it is anti-war.
As for the video, it seems to me that it is a very literal interperation of a certain aspect of the video.
BTW, the phenomenon described by the song are not unique to America.
The tail wags the dog the world over.
Agreed 100%
Agreed 100%
The cannibal kings are the consumeres of U.S. cable "news" broadcasts and the "la-di-da" dishes of misery their anchorpersons serve out to entertain higher ratings. Thsi is the modern version of the Beatles classic "A Day in the Life" whose narrator "loves to turn (you) on" the news to get a laugh about "rather sad" events.
This song is not really about the war in Iraq or the academy awards. There could just have easily been verses about Terry Schiavo, the death of the Pope, or having to count four thousand rather small holes in Blackburn, Lancashire.
Updating my own comments.. it's not just a dish of misery that is best for the diet of the cannibals, but a balanced meal of vapidness and misery, as the line below makes clear:
"wondering blithely what the dinner bell will bring fifteen celebrity minds served in a leafy bed of sixteen military wives"
the song is not anti-liberal at all.
When he talks about the actors and their "pristine moderate liberal minds", hes basically make fun of all the celebrities who are just liberal enough to get attention in the media. For example, Paris Hilton, a lead spokesperson for VOTE OR DIE and come time to voting, she wasnt even registered, and she "forgot". thats a big part of what the song is about.
So its not anti-liberal
But it is definitely anti-war and anti-imperialism
AND I LOVE IT
Wow, you guys all really seem to know the meaning of this song.
I believe the song is called "16 Military Wives" . . . the iTunes release has it labeled as 16 by 32, and I'm not sure why.
Although the song can be applied to many events, if you've seen the music video (an excellent video!) it seens to clearly be about the iraq war.
If you see the video, it becomes even clearer that this song isn't anti-war so much as commentary, or even satire, on America's fuck-what-they-think attitude.
@Louie: You said "I'm proud to live in a country that does what it thinks is best, instead of kneeling to other countries agendas." I suppose that would make everybody else pussies right? Perhaps standing up for what you believe in doesn't involve forcing everybody else to agree.
Actually, the music video--as opposed to the song--is commenting more on those who are "chosen" to represent America, not on America itself. All the kids in that school are probably citizens of the same nation (which let's assume is America), so all are representative in their own way of people from the US. Henry, the boy who is "chosen" to represent the US, is a jerk, and uses his position to bully others. Gee, now doesn't that sound similar to SOMEONE ELSE who was "chosen" to represent America? The problem, which both the song and video hint at,...
Actually, the music video--as opposed to the song--is commenting more on those who are "chosen" to represent America, not on America itself. All the kids in that school are probably citizens of the same nation (which let's assume is America), so all are representative in their own way of people from the US. Henry, the boy who is "chosen" to represent the US, is a jerk, and uses his position to bully others. Gee, now doesn't that sound similar to SOMEONE ELSE who was "chosen" to represent America? The problem, which both the song and video hint at, is that these "representatives" do not actually represent America, but all of America gets stigmatized. It's really about those who make the big decisions for this country and see themselves AS America.
The video does make it clear. The US representative is the leader and most people blindly followed his word. Toward the end, they realize that the US is actually wrong to do whatever they say, especially because they like to go to war for no reason (in the video they go to war against Luxembourg with no stated reason).
The song is pretty much about how we (the people of the US) tend to listen to whatever the media says and some of the other countries in the world follow us as well. But in the end they will probably realize how stupod they were to follow. It also seems like they touch on how anyone who doesn't listen to us will be made fun of and alienated.
This song is clearly about the Iraq war, the Elite's repsonse to it, the media's coverage and the American public's reaction.
Fairly topical commentary, really.
I can't help but interpret the music video as a sort of parody of a parody. The "Bully USA" is so over the top that they can't possibly think this is what the US actually does.
The song itself I didn't think was about politics at all but more about the news. Academy awards, soldiers dying in combat, cannibals eating people, and the public watches it with the same reaction: La-di-da-di-da. "I don't care as long as I'm entertained," that's what I got as the message.
I do admit that the chorus kind of suggests it's about American foreign policy but I took it to refer alternatingly to the media then the public:
America (media) can America (public) can't say no America (public) does America (media) says it's so (says to do it)