The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Help me
You want me to help you?
Man is evil
Capable of nothing but destruction
Once upon a time
There was a very serious situation growing
There was a farmer and a farmyard filled with animals
And this is the story of their times
Old man Sammy had a farm
Walked the land with the rifle
Most of the time shit was calm
His whole life was maintained off the everyday labor
From the mules in the field to the cattle in the stable
This is how we kept food on this table (maxing)
You would have he was disabled by the way he be relaxing
Acting like Mr. Magnificent
But the animals was thinking something different
The sentiment was tension in the barnyard
Throughout the years they had been through mad drama
With the farmer, word is bond
And they all came to one conclusion
They argued there was no way they'd ever be free
If it was up to humans
Therefore the only course left was revolution
Which was understandable
And since the pigs promised to lead in the interest of all the animals
They planned a full attack under the leadership of Hannibal
The fattest pig in the pack
The next morning on the farm, everything was calm
Just before dawn but before long
The sun got so hot it made the farm seem electric
Now check, it this is when that shit got hectic
Directed by Hannibal, the animals attacked
Old Sam was in a state of shock and fell up on his back
And dropped his rifle reaching in vain
Each and every creature from the field at his throat
Screaming, "Kill, feel the pain"
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in you)
Coming true, true (true)
After they ran the farmer off the farm
The pigs went around and called a meeting in the barn
Hannibal spoke for several hours
But when talks about his plans for power
That's when the conversation turned sour
He issued an official ordinance to set
If you not a pig from this day forth then you insubordinate
That's when the horses went buck wild
One of them shouted out
"You fraudulent pigs, we know your fucking style"
Hannibal's face was flushed and pale
All the animals eyes full of disgust and betrayal
He felt the same way Sam felt
They took his tongue out of his mouth
And cut his body up for sale, for real
You better listen while you can
It's a very thin line between animal and man
When Hannibal crossed the line they all took a stand
What would have done? Shook his hand?
This is the animal in man
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
Remember
You want me to help you?
Man is evil
Capable of nothing but destruction
Once upon a time
There was a very serious situation growing
There was a farmer and a farmyard filled with animals
And this is the story of their times
Old man Sammy had a farm
Walked the land with the rifle
Most of the time shit was calm
His whole life was maintained off the everyday labor
From the mules in the field to the cattle in the stable
This is how we kept food on this table (maxing)
You would have he was disabled by the way he be relaxing
Acting like Mr. Magnificent
But the animals was thinking something different
The sentiment was tension in the barnyard
Throughout the years they had been through mad drama
With the farmer, word is bond
And they all came to one conclusion
They argued there was no way they'd ever be free
If it was up to humans
Therefore the only course left was revolution
Which was understandable
And since the pigs promised to lead in the interest of all the animals
They planned a full attack under the leadership of Hannibal
The fattest pig in the pack
The next morning on the farm, everything was calm
Just before dawn but before long
The sun got so hot it made the farm seem electric
Now check, it this is when that shit got hectic
Directed by Hannibal, the animals attacked
Old Sam was in a state of shock and fell up on his back
And dropped his rifle reaching in vain
Each and every creature from the field at his throat
Screaming, "Kill, feel the pain"
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in you)
Coming true, true (true)
After they ran the farmer off the farm
The pigs went around and called a meeting in the barn
Hannibal spoke for several hours
But when talks about his plans for power
That's when the conversation turned sour
He issued an official ordinance to set
If you not a pig from this day forth then you insubordinate
That's when the horses went buck wild
One of them shouted out
"You fraudulent pigs, we know your fucking style"
Hannibal's face was flushed and pale
All the animals eyes full of disgust and betrayal
He felt the same way Sam felt
They took his tongue out of his mouth
And cut his body up for sale, for real
You better listen while you can
It's a very thin line between animal and man
When Hannibal crossed the line they all took a stand
What would have done? Shook his hand?
This is the animal in man
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
This is the animal in you (this is the animal in you)
This is the animal in man (this is the animal in man)
Coming true
Remember
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Retelling the Orwell classic allegory, "Animal Farm" about a betrayed revolution.
Animal Farm is a thinly veiled critique and satire of Soviet totalitarianism. Lots of events in the book are based on events from the Soviet Union during the Stalin era. Orwell, a leftist — for many years a member of the Independent Labour Party — was a critic of Stalin and suspicious of Moscow-directed communism after his experiences in the Spanish Civil War.
Or maybe this is about the Slaves in America
uhh have you read Animal Farm?
greed greed greed. people wanting to control everything. governemts not working. communism. nothing works. thats my view
It's definitely based on Orwell's "Animal Farm." The names are changed: Mr. Jones becomes Old Man Sammy (both are common names), Napoleon becomes Hannibal (both great historical conquerors). I think while the song doesn't echo the anti-communist tones of the book, it highlights the fact that those in power will try to attain more and more power. It's the animal inside of us that wants dominance.
I don't think this has anything to with American slavery. The oppressed (animals) eventually become the oppressors, the same as their previous masters. I don't think Dead Prez would want to liken themselves to slave owners.
It's not about slavery, I don't think. I'm pretty sure it's just about revolution. dead prez's main concern has always been revolution and this song is a way of exploring the dangers of revolution through allegorical comparision to the Russian revolution.
This song is genius. When I heard it, it reminded me of the good ol' US of A's revolution. We turned out to be worst than what we were against. Those is power are oppressors, much like Hannibal the pig.
I wouldn't say that the book is anti-communist, but more a cynical observation of how things went terribly wrong in Soviet. In this song they have added the animals rising up against the pigs after they take control. With the last four lines of verse two and the narrator saying "Remember" in the end I believe that they wish to point out the problems that would come with a revolution and their stance on what to do if this would happen (again)
agreed, Orwell was a committed socialist. He fought for the anarchist/socialist side of the Spanish Civil War. It always makes me laugh to see these Tea Party nutcakes draw from Orwell, saying he warned us of socialism. He "warned" us of totalitarianism and the importance of democracy and freedom. Not that i think its at all valid to guess what the dead would think, but id guess he would have the same feelings on the american healthcare system i do, its stupid and we need to go with the rest of the world and socialize.
This song is definitely about the legacy of American slavery, and more generally about the oppression of minorities in current-day America; Dead Prez uses the allegory of George Orwell's Animal Farm to explain how they see themselves as carrying on the cause of self-styled leftist revolution against.......whatever it is they're against...
They re-interpret the farmer as the European colonial powers and the pigs as the continental revolutionaries who defeated the imperial powers. America started out with some humanistic ideals, but really fell short and ended up being just as imperious, so says Dead Prez.
Dead Prez are asserting that they are the animals that are now trying to exact violence on the those whom they perceive as the pigs (read: people who wear suits, police men and women, anyone who is not vegan, people of faith, etc.).
Interestingly enough that plot twist (the animals rising up against the pigs) never happened in Animal Farm. So what I'm guessing is that Dead Prez is saying that that's what needs to happen within the context of American society today.
Funny though, the whole point of animal farm is that peace cannot come about through a bloody insurrection (that's where the pigs in Animal Farm went wrong, so said George Orwell). Yet, Dead Prez seems to think that a just and peaceful society can be brought about by militantism and violence. This is a classic example of a skewed and naïve reading of history that most serious Marxists and leftists abandoned a long ago.