what do you wanna be?
would you fight for your country?
why don't you pick up a gun
and shoot at somebody
but they're only gonna protect you
if that dollar sign is right
there's a war in every nation
but we turn our heads tonight
human rights went on vacation
money took over a long time ago
cry for this racial war
in all rwanda's glory
there ain't glory in a war
a black man or a white man
or an asian or a mexican
or an african or a south african
or a serbian or a libyian
you're all one race, the human race
a different smile for a different face



Lyrics submitted by oofus


In All Rwanda's Glory song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:To the above poster, the answer is China. But that's a differnt story.
    Flag Davis4888on January 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:mostly white people live in south africe as aresult of the british colonization of the country...
    i really like this song and i think the message is pretty straightforward, which is good, because when it comes to these kinds of subjects, you can't mince words. he is so dead on with the line 'human rights went on vacation, money took over a long time ago'.

    the united states has a long history of ignoring the suffering of people in other countries, while "regime change" is somehow warranted in oil rich nations. we perpetuate a sickening cycle of propping up murderous dictators with weapons of mass destuction and then turn our backs when they slaughter thousands of innocent people. only when they disobey their "masters"(i.e. the c.i.a.) do we do anything about it, and usually it results in us propping up another monster who will do the same things. helping people is no longer a virtue, it's a service that can be provided upon payment or indefinite servitude. so fucking sad, who will rescue us when it happens here in the U.S.?...
    Flag fateworksbothwayson July 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i've met him too and he doesnt look african in any way....in my opinion, i guess.
    Flag DrLoveon August 08, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I dunno, matt embree isn't really an african name.
    Flag silent eulogyon December 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:saw them live and i think the singer might be of some kind of south african origin, which would account for such a reference i guess
    Flag ripscaron November 23, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The thing I love about this band is that, they don't subscribe to just one style of music or one topic. They can be fun, or they can be political. They can do weezeresque alternapop or they can do reggae-ska songs, great band!
    Flag silent eulogyon November 19, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Wow...3rd entry...i was forgetful.
    "or an asian or a mexican
    or an african or a south african "
    These lines....there were possible asian genocides...maybe he's talking about the cambodian genocide?, and as you can assume, a possible Mexican genocide and a South African Genocide? I think he's not just talking about Rwanda...he's jsut using Rwanda as the main example because its the most commonly thought of genocide to happen only a decade ago. I think he's talking about the U.S.'s hands off to foreign countries in trouble unless it has something that America will gain by helping them, hence the "human rights went on vacation
    money took over a long time ago " lines.
    Flag opivy7898on June 02, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh yeah, a point i forgot to add that nobody else seems to have put on there.
    In refrence to the line:
    "or a serbian or a libyian"
    some people consider there to have been a serbian genocide in Kosovo, and the libyan genocide refers to the genocide of the Armenians. Just a little side note.
    Flag opivy7898on June 02, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Definitely about the Rwandan Genocide of '94 during those 3 months in which millions were killed. This song is about the U.S.'s "hands-off" approach to the situation, and how they knew what was going on but they didn't give it much coverage or pretend it was happening. Only later did the UN Intervene and then they left shortly afterwards too.
    Flag opivy7898on June 02, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the genocide was horrible yes, but its not getting better. Rwanada is still a country without little electricity, and the force that had caused the massacre and fled rwanda into surrounding countries are being kicked out of the surrounding countries, has plans of coming back.
    Flag tuneinXtuneouton May 19, 2004   Link

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