I think this song is an accusation of imperialism directed toward the people who sold America the invasion of Iraq. "Hoist that rag"= raise the flag over the conquered territory. "Rag" is sometimes used as a derogatory term for flag, but I don't think Tom is calling the American flag a rag, as much as implying that it's been stained and abused by the use it's been put to lately.
"Well I learned the trade
From Piggy Knowles
Sing Sing Tommy Shay Boys"
Great names for shady characters. Piggy Knowles = Karl Rove? It's a name that describes him well.
"god used me as hammer boys
To beat his weary drum today"
George Bush used a religious imagery, such as crusades, in his public speeches before the invasion of Iraq. He even told Ha'aretz, an Israeli newspaper, that God had told him to go to war!
"The sun is up the world is flat"
As good a description of Iraq as any. It's a country of flat plains and desert.
"Damn good address for a rat"
Saddam was certainly vermin.
"The smell of blood
The Drone of flies"
Dead bodies all around, check. Fits Iraq.
Here's the payoff:
"Well we stick our fingers in
The ground, heave and
Turn the world around"
Remember the grandiose promises before the invasion? It was supposed to be effortless, and it would change the world (turn the world around). But the plan was really as crazy as thinking you could do what the lyrics say.
"Smoke is blacking out the sun
At night I pray and clean my gun"
Remember 1991, when the Iraqis set fire to all the oil wells in Kuwait as they retreated? Smoke did indeed black out the sun. Praying and cleaning a gun in the disastrous night = the paranoia and delusion that enabled the Gulf War's repeat.
"The cracked bell rings as
The ghost bird sings and the gods
Go beggin here"
Postwar Iraq, the promised beacon of freedom (the liberty bell and bald eagles) is in reality a land where all of the virtues (gods) are oppressed by evil, and can be sustained only by losing all semblance of their former pride.
"So just open fire
As you hit the shore
All is fair in love
And war"
As a former US Marine, this verse echoes in my head. Take no prisoners, and take that beach!
I think this song is an accusation of imperialism directed toward the people who sold America the invasion of Iraq. "Hoist that rag"= raise the flag over the conquered territory. "Rag" is sometimes used as a derogatory term for flag, but I don't think Tom is calling the American flag a rag, as much as implying that it's been stained and abused by the use it's been put to lately.
"Well I learned the trade From Piggy Knowles Sing Sing Tommy Shay Boys"
Great names for shady characters. Piggy Knowles = Karl Rove? It's a name that describes him well.
"god used me as hammer boys To beat his weary drum today"
George Bush used a religious imagery, such as crusades, in his public speeches before the invasion of Iraq. He even told Ha'aretz, an Israeli newspaper, that God had told him to go to war!
"The sun is up the world is flat"
As good a description of Iraq as any. It's a country of flat plains and desert.
"Damn good address for a rat"
Saddam was certainly vermin.
"The smell of blood The Drone of flies"
Dead bodies all around, check. Fits Iraq.
Here's the payoff: "Well we stick our fingers in The ground, heave and Turn the world around"
Remember the grandiose promises before the invasion? It was supposed to be effortless, and it would change the world (turn the world around). But the plan was really as crazy as thinking you could do what the lyrics say.
"Smoke is blacking out the sun At night I pray and clean my gun"
Remember 1991, when the Iraqis set fire to all the oil wells in Kuwait as they retreated? Smoke did indeed black out the sun. Praying and cleaning a gun in the disastrous night = the paranoia and delusion that enabled the Gulf War's repeat.
"The cracked bell rings as The ghost bird sings and the gods Go beggin here"
Postwar Iraq, the promised beacon of freedom (the liberty bell and bald eagles) is in reality a land where all of the virtues (gods) are oppressed by evil, and can be sustained only by losing all semblance of their former pride.
"So just open fire As you hit the shore All is fair in love And war"
As a former US Marine, this verse echoes in my head. Take no prisoners, and take that beach!