War

Copyright Hypnosis 2007.

The Story:

The story behind this one is actually pretty simple. It's not meant to be a criticism of the Iraq War or the "War On Terror," it's a criticism of war. I am ashamed to admit that when I first heard of the war in Iraq, I was indifferent. It seemed so unreal. It was confusing, but more than anything it wasn't a concern of mine; it wasn't a part of me. Now, as time has passed, and truths have been revealed (namely the absence of weapons of mass destruction, the lack of links to Al-Queda (except the ones that forged after the US entered...a terrible self-fulfilling prophecy), the utter incompetence and frustrating misappropriations of Bush administration, among other things) the war has become a part of me. I am not a soldier. I pray to God that I may never have to full such a terrible duty, but the war weighs on me. As this war continues, it seems more and more plain that behind the politics, behind the fear, and racism, and hate, behind the lack of understanding, behind the weapons, behind the corpses - there are human beings. There are innocents, and there are dirty, despicable, poor excuses for human beings on both sides of the war.

Let me speak as plainly as possible: no war is justified.

I want to make things clear. I've have not come to this conclusion because the Iraq War is an unpopular war. I have not come to this conclusion because of the Bush Administration, or Al-Queda, or Osama Bin Laden, or Sadam Hussein, or Dick Cheney. I've come to this conclusion because I believe, to the very fiber of my being, we are all human. Everyone has a story, everyone has hopes, and everyone has dreams. This will never explain away or validate the choices people make, good or bad, but at the very least, it must constitute a basis of understanding. It is a reason to care. It is a reason to believe, that through everything this world will suffer through, man will one day hold hands and say, "we may have our differences, and we all have our faults, but we can make due with each other. We can walk the path of peace. We can forgive the past, we can find a way to co-exist in the future." Some men and women would die for the country, for their religion, for their beliefs. To this day, and far into the future, they will continue to do so. Still, I am left to wonder - why die for your country when you can live for it? A country is only as beautiful as its people; a belief is only as powerful as its followers. Instead of closing your heart to the world, why not open your arms to it?

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To speak a little bit about the song itself - it allowed me to experiment with song-writing. I know the vocals are terribly inconsistent (if you were wondering, that is all me singing), but there are some definitely some cool things in this song that were absent in "Metal 2." First, though the intro could be tightened up in a lot of places, there actually IS an intro. Secondly, I was able to layer the "chorus" with laughs (if you notice, they become more frantic...and yes, that was done on purpose). I think the whammy bar trick at the end is also a cool idea, even if I could have done a little better with it. In the end, I think my song-writing is improving, even if there is still a lot more room for growth.

The Lyrics:

Under to blood red moon
I hear the cry for war
We are born in blood
And yet we lust for more

War Breeds Hypocrites
War Breeds Hypocrites

I bought a gun today
Just to see it shine
And as I pull the trigger
I know your heart is mine

War Feeds Hypocrites
War Feeds Hypocrites

You may hate my methods
But you love my style
Delivered to your doorstep
That's service with a smile

War Bleeds Hypocrites
War Bleeds Hypocrites

You may call me rancid
You may call me swell
But either way you choose
You've all served me well

War Needs Hypocrites
War Needs Hypocrites