Analysis of “Let Them Eat War” by Bad Religion
Bad Religion expresses a very politically-charged message in many of their songs. Their values are magnified by their hyperbolic lyrics and punk-rock sound. Possibly one of Bad Religion’s most influential and interesting songs is “Let Them Eat War” from the album The Empire Strikes First.
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“Let Them Eat War” is a song about society, government, poverty, and corruption. The overriding message of the song is that the government fails to help those in need; instead using war as a means of distracting the populous and keeping poverty in check. The title of the song is an obvious play on the famous “let them eat cake” quote, supposedly spoken by Marie Antoinette. In the days leading up to the French Revolution she spoke these words upon hearing that the peasantry had no bread to eat and were starving1; showing her ignorance and inability to put herself into the place of a peasant. Bad Religion uses this loaded quotation to bring that same absurdity to the government of modern-day America. The song states that the government exploits the pitiful lower class by forcing them to fight our wars and fuel our economy.
From the force to the union shops
The war economy is making new jobs
But the people who benefit most
Are breaking bread with their benevolent hosts
Who never stole from the rich to give to the poor
All they ever gave to them was a war
And a foreign enemy to deplore
Clearly “Let Them Eat War” has a strong anti-war and, arguably, anti-establishment theme. Things such as the title of the song and the repetition of the phrase “feed them death” after each line during the end of the song call the listener’s attention and put the song’s intentions in bold face type. Are such tactics worthwhile in an effort to push for political change, or are they a turnoff for most listeners? Bad Religion has managed to gain a decent following with a small amount of mainstream coverage, but most people have probably never heard “Let Them Eat War.” One side of the argument is that such songs are necessary to keep the public educated and keep government and injustice in check, while another is that songs which express a strong political viewpoint can detract from the musicality of the song and can offend or alienate a large portion of potential listeners.
While protest songs have managed to gain mainstream popularity in the past (one example that comes to mind is Edwin Starr’s “War”), generally most messages and agendas in music tend to be toned down for the general public. Bands such as Bad Religion are not afraid to sacrifice the potential to gain more listeners or more money in an effort to propagate their message and protest what they see as injustice in the world today.
“When there’s nothing left to feed them / When it’s freedom or it’s death”
1 http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html