also just to add

Fuck the Brady bill
Fuck the Brady bill


refers to the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt

the bill (which became the hand gum violence prevention act, saw to it that Americans needed a background check to purchase firearms) was named after a man who was shot during the assassination attempt.

I think this song is predominantly talking about the US Government particularly during the Kennedy assassination (the line about Zapruder being the most obvious connection) Abraham Zapruder was the man who caught on film the shooting of JFK on Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.
The title itself I believe refers to the CIA cover up of the assassination, evidence has refuted the lone gunman (Oswald) theory and it's practically a known fact that the Mafia was involved in the hit. The CIA had consorted with the Mafia in their numerous attempts to kill Castro and its thought the men who killed the President were in collaboration with the CIA if not acting on their authority. Some elite members of the Government even had these suspicions but it was widely thought amopngst them that the truth would cause chaos in America a nation that was mourning its beloved President. If the public found out that foul play within the administration was accountable the consensus among the government was that America would collapse into turmoil with its International image of the 'Democratic land of the free' torn to shreds and its citizens turning against its own leadership (especially Lyndon Johnson who was to replace Kennedy and known to have his issues with the fallen President and his brother.)
hence

if white america told the truth (referring to its men in Government and the CIA regarding the Kennedy assassination) its world would fall apart.

Other supports to this thinking is the opening lines

Images of perfection, suntan and napalm

'Images of perfection' could refer to the President and the first lady who were always described as a youthful, glamourous, Hollywood couple, the epitome of a perfect husband wife partnership.

Grenada - Haiti - Poland - Nicaragua

Kennedy visited the first 3 countries and his administration and governments before and after his were embroiled in Nicaragua

Who shall we choose for our morality

Possibly referring to Kennedy being the symbol of martyrdom for Americans, a man who died for the country and what he believed in, going against the will of the CIA and Pentagon and trying to broker peace with the Soviets and avert Nuclear war, a man who was the first president who tried to ratify Civil Rights legislation and who was an advocate of Civil Rights and integration (another policy where he made enemies.)

I'm thinking right now of Hollywood tragedy

Hollywood tragedy being the destruction of the glamorous and good looking movie star like JFK and the Kennedy 'New Frontier' administration.

Cuba, Mexico can't cauterize our discipline

Cuba was a burning issue at the forefront of Kennedy's entire Presidency and he never let the unscrupulous Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CIA bully him into a US invasion of the 'Soviet outpost'
hence the 'can't cauterize our discipline' meaning we the Kennedy's have morals and scruples and won't be forced to act on Cuba.
the mention of Mexico may be because of the fear that Castro wanted to insight other Communist insurrections in South America, (also as a side note its said that Oswald traveled to Mexico to try and get a visa to enter Cuba.)

Your idols speak so much of the abyss

Kennedy loyalists who were distraught after the murder (including RFK) who feared the truth who plunge the nation into chaos. RFK himself at first even though he knew it to not be true, endorsed the Warren Reports 'lone gunman theory' at the urging of some govt officials like J. Edgar Hoover (who was anti Kennedy and was undoubtedly involved in the cover up) whom said any mumblings of a conspiracy now would create a public furore.


Yet your morals only run as deep as the surface

May refer to the rumours of Kennedys contradicting policies on Cuba, although he was totally against any military action in Cuba (which disgruntled anti Castro Cuban Exiles adding them to the list of possible suspects into the Kennedy death) there was some evidence that suggested Kennedy did want to overthrow the Castro regime. Some people also come up with the ridiculous notion that Kennedy was only active in the Civil Rights crisis to secure the black vote and his political future.

and thus the possible origin of the 'morals running deep as the surface' line

Zapruder the first to masturbate

Already commented on above. Zapruder was the man who caught the assassination footage on his own camera

The world's first taste of crucified grace

Kennedy being the crucified grace a slight comparison to Jesus may be in that he was slain for doing his duty for his country and citizens in keeping them out of Nuclear destruction and wanting to achieve detente with the Soviets and equal rights for African Americans.
Jesus died for ours sins.....

its a rough interpretation I'm typing quickly without much articulation but I think there's at least some truth in it

The song title means what it says. It is based on the idea that if "white America", i.e. the political elite could just be honest and own up to it's own citizen's that it corrupt and looking after it's own interests then it would implode.

The reality is that a lack of gun control and available drugs in the poverty ridden areas of America means that the white elite don't have to watch their own backs - the poor can just appear to dwell in a cesspit of their own making.

The song wants to illustrate that America isn't the land of the free it claims to be - it wants to show that has developed into an apparent land of make-believe, fantasy, Hollywood and mass produced shite. Big Macs and the "American Dream".

At the begining the lyrics show that some people are prepared to pay $1000 for plates of food in celebration of people who did nothing to develop the country and litterally looked after their own endeavours and didn't give a toss for anything else. After all why should they? These elitists have got everything to loose by helping anybody else out, their world would just fall apart if they did, it would destroy their own personal "American Dream".

Just think about it...

On inspection the American Dream appears to be a highly self destructive philosophy that billions of people buy into through fear and fabrication.

The last stanza is intentional. The Manics are saying that there shouldn't be gun control, hence "Fuck the Brady Bill" and "If God made man they say, Sam Colt made him equal". Fuck the Brady Bill because it was signed in the first place, making guns harder to get. They are saying Sam Colt's style of justice - shooting another man - makes man equal and man should have every right to get a gun and shoot anybody. In essence, guns become righteous vessels of justice for man.

the last lines bother me; are they being sarcastic or do they really dislike gun control?

Reminds me of the 9/11 conspiricies ..
Loose Change.
The more you watch
the MORE it makes sense.

"She has a look only a mother could give a child."
- Bush to the Queen.
ROFL. :)

Big mac: smack: phoenix r: please smile y'all
Cuba, Mexico can't cauterize our discipline
Your idols speak so much of the abyss
Yet your morals only run as deep as the surface

a simple reference to river phoenix's overdose and what that does and doesn't mean to society in general. it speaks of a lack of understanding and empathy, and i would assume big mac refers to the disposable nature of pop-culture icons

Brady wasn't the guy who shot Reagan, he was a Reagan staffer who got hit and is now paralyzed because of his wounds. The Brady Bill is gun control legislation, but I'm not sure of the specifics of it. The guy who shot Reagan was John Hinckley Jr.

I think this song is about the way America (especially Republicans) use their "morality to justify their actions. The line "Who shall we choose for our morality" expresses the notion of America forcing its will upon others because they think they hold the moral high ground. However, the Manics expose this hypocracy with the line "Your idols speak so much of the abyss/
Yet your morals only run as deep as the surface" which shows that while the idols (leaders) are preaching about the end of the world and how they do what they do to prevent the world from slipping into chaos, the real reason behind it is their own personal agendas, ie the moralaity is just surface ie superficial.

It is also interesting to look at how America has gotten involved in other countries mentioned in the song, and the song points out that America has its own problems (racial) that it choses to ignore. Perhaps a criticism on the instead of trying to fix everyone elses problem, try to fix your problems first.

REFERENCES.

The title is a quote from Lenny Bruce and is most likely shortned to fit on the album cover. But that IS how it's spelt and it's NOT a potshot at American linguistics.

Grenada-Haiti-Poland-Nicaragua = all places where the US military have fought

Tipper Gore = For my fellow brits, she's Al Gore's wife and, long story short, she's the reason for those bloody 'Parental advisory' stickers on CDs.

Union Jack = UK's flag, in case you didn't know.

Moral Majority = movement of rich conservative christians that started around 1979 who believe in pro-life, censorship and the suppression of homosexuality. I'm sure Jesus would dissaprove of the cunts as much as most sane people do.

Zapruder = In case you've been on Mars for the last 50 years, this fella had hand-held camera footage of the Kennedy assassination. Back and to the left. Back and to the left....

Sam Colt = Gun manufacturer. The lyric is a popular saying.

Brady Bill = named after the fella who took a shot at Reagan and didn't finish the job, unfortunately. The bill legislated the five-day waiting period for guns in the US.

The higlight of the album to be sure, and yes, the sample IS an advert for a real event... the horror the horror.

Could you repeat, coherently, why it's bullshit to say this song is a brilliant indictment of American politics? And, actually, America IS the only country to have some of these "problems", i.e., they are the only superpower in the world and the only country to have systematically destroyed Socialist/Communist governments over the last half a century

cherup the album isn't sold in import version if at all i don't even think the so called American version was ever officially released its only come out now as the holy bible box set and that includes the original with it and the manics aren't even very well known here they never tour here and have no radio play and to say that this song is Such a brilliant indictment of America is bullshit you have no understanding of american politics if you think that or think that America is the only country who has these problems

America took action to suppress socialist - potentially communist - uprisings in Grenada, Haiti, and Nicaragua (and Chile, and Guatemala...), in case anyone was wondering what their relevance was.
And I've since discovered that the title was inspired by Lenny Bruce, a controversial American comedian who strongly opposed censorship. Info courtesy of www.manics.nl, if anyone's interested.

Conservative say: there ain't no black in the union jack
Democrat say: there ain't enough white in the stars and stripes

No difference between progressives and conservatives when it comes to the issue of race is what I think they're saying here. Interesting that they used Conservative instead of Republican, expands the song beyond being just America.

My fav bit is the bit about privilege, they're saying that most people don't care about social problems so long as they have their little comforts.

I'm not a big fan of this album but I do like this song, in particular the chorus:

"Cool - groovy - morning - fine
(If white)
Tipper Gore was a friend of mine
(America)
I love a free country
(told the truth)
The stars and stripes and an apple for mommy
(for one day)"

I'd just like to add my ideas about the title...
I think it's also taking a hit at America. We (Americans) really have butchered the language, either by changing the spellings of words to be "different", or by saying something like (Don't take offense to this) "Yo homie! Sup my brotha?!" ...sorry, easiest example I could find. The title shows bad lingual skills that we've really attained, while still keeping a title that works for the song.

I love the title :)

Why IS the title like that? Is it simply because it would be REALLY long otherwise?
The song is about the lie that is the American Dream. Zapruder was the guy who caught the Kennedy assassination on film, exposing the corruption that still exists in the corridors of power in the U.S (if you believe the conspiracy theorists who claim that the FBI or CIA were responsible).

I'm American, and I agree with all of this. America's gone to hell and I'm even ashamed to admit that I live here. I love this song, anti-America or not. The lyrics are brilliant, and I love the tune.

And by the way blind rockstar, we really don't need some fucking skater whose favourite band are one hit wonder thickheads commenting on what way the manics choose to have their song titles.

ifricheyedwardsisthegreatestlyricistofalltimehowcomethemanicsarethemostunderratedbandintheworld

Yes it is the proper, even the gramatically incorrect apostrophe.

This is the proper title. It's one word, not separate.

itsweirdhowwhoevertheartistisorwhoeverpostedthissongdoesntknowwhataspaceisordoesntevenknowhowtousethefreakinspacebar

It's not that nice about england either. Just about racism and the racism that is still present in our society. Focusing on America.