The language used in this song is a very cynical look at the way both sides of the spectrum in this "war" take. We have here three positions, for deliberations sake we will refer to them as Arab Bob, Christian Kyle, and Neutral Third Party.
Neutral TP opens the story with his view on the destruction caused in the terrorist attacks on 9/11. now, keep in mind, James LaBrie is Canadian, so this automatically is not a song based on patriotism.
Anyways, TP goes on to tell about the actual event, and then Kyle cuts in with "WHO WOULD DO THIS TO OUR PEOPLE?!?!?!" But, Neutral TP (Who is obviously writing this down) notes that Arab Bob is saying the exact same thing on the other side of the Atlantic.
James is pointing out that there is more than just American pride at stake, here. This has been an ongoing struggle between two religions and two cultures for decades.
Here's the problem:
No one is right, and no one is wrong.
The bombers killed hundreds of people, yes, hence the "Who would do this to our people", but also, they truly did sacrifice themselves for the cause they truly thought to be just, therefore we must "Praise their sacrificed sons".
Would it be better if we persecute them for believing in their own religion? Isn't that what they're doing to us?
So, as a means to retaliate against the religious based attacks on 9/11, our President calls to arms a sort of "Crusade" as he put it, and attacks back. He has told people many a time that he believes he is working under the will of God.
...wait... isn't that what THEY did to US?
And we both think that "God" wants us to hate eachother?
"Words they preach
I can't relate
If God's true love
Are acts of hate."
How can we know what is right and just if the complete irony created by the situation drowns out any good that could arrive from the outcome?
In short, James is talking about how both sides are acting under the will of God, and how maybe we shouldn't point fingers, but try for a single moment to mourn for those that have been lost: the bombers, our own brave soldiers, and the many innocent civilians that have lost their lives in this meaningless war.
It is true in many (if not most) cases that the suicide bombers do what they do for what they believe is just, but there is also more at work here. Other people are brainwashing them to believe that they must do these things, no differently from the way that the gentile Christian ministers of old told people that doing things that modern ones recognize as acceptable would damn them. Also, there is supposedly a belief that a martyr will be awarded seventy virgins in Heaven, who will provide him with sexual services, so as my [very well-informed] mother puts...
It is true in many (if not most) cases that the suicide bombers do what they do for what they believe is just, but there is also more at work here. Other people are brainwashing them to believe that they must do these things, no differently from the way that the gentile Christian ministers of old told people that doing things that modern ones recognize as acceptable would damn them. Also, there is supposedly a belief that a martyr will be awarded seventy virgins in Heaven, who will provide him with sexual services, so as my [very well-informed] mother puts it, many of the younger people who agree to be suicide bombers "just want to get laid". Not to say that this is true for all or even the majority of suicide bombers, but those who are motivated by this reward are not so conscientious about "God's commands". The real villains are those who dictate "God's will" to the people who kill themselves and others in belief that they serve it. Meanwhile, I wonder if any of these people would be half willing to do the same thing. Come on, Osama, let us see YOU become a "martyr".
Furthermore, only extremists think that God wants one side to hate the other. Plus, the Crusades/Jihads (in the literal definition of the word and not the way that terrorists use it) are bad analogies to something perceived to be wrong, because as far as religious wars go, these were devoid of much atrocity attributed to later conflicts. We do not hate Islam; we merely oppose a group that has abused it and turned this cult of theirs into a weapon intended to destroy entire cultures. Meanwhile, I see no such weapon aimed at the world of Islam. Al Qaeda and...
Furthermore, only extremists think that God wants one side to hate the other. Plus, the Crusades/Jihads (in the literal definition of the word and not the way that terrorists use it) are bad analogies to something perceived to be wrong, because as far as religious wars go, these were devoid of much atrocity attributed to later conflicts. We do not hate Islam; we merely oppose a group that has abused it and turned this cult of theirs into a weapon intended to destroy entire cultures. Meanwhile, I see no such weapon aimed at the world of Islam. Al Qaeda and the Taliban have enemies on both sides: the nations and religions that it wants to destroy, and true/non-extremist Muslims.
The language used in this song is a very cynical look at the way both sides of the spectrum in this "war" take. We have here three positions, for deliberations sake we will refer to them as Arab Bob, Christian Kyle, and Neutral Third Party.
Neutral TP opens the story with his view on the destruction caused in the terrorist attacks on 9/11. now, keep in mind, James LaBrie is Canadian, so this automatically is not a song based on patriotism.
Anyways, TP goes on to tell about the actual event, and then Kyle cuts in with "WHO WOULD DO THIS TO OUR PEOPLE?!?!?!" But, Neutral TP (Who is obviously writing this down) notes that Arab Bob is saying the exact same thing on the other side of the Atlantic.
James is pointing out that there is more than just American pride at stake, here. This has been an ongoing struggle between two religions and two cultures for decades.
Here's the problem:
No one is right, and no one is wrong.
The bombers killed hundreds of people, yes, hence the "Who would do this to our people", but also, they truly did sacrifice themselves for the cause they truly thought to be just, therefore we must "Praise their sacrificed sons".
Would it be better if we persecute them for believing in their own religion? Isn't that what they're doing to us?
So, as a means to retaliate against the religious based attacks on 9/11, our President calls to arms a sort of "Crusade" as he put it, and attacks back. He has told people many a time that he believes he is working under the will of God.
...wait... isn't that what THEY did to US?
And we both think that "God" wants us to hate eachother?
"Words they preach I can't relate If God's true love Are acts of hate."
How can we know what is right and just if the complete irony created by the situation drowns out any good that could arrive from the outcome?
In short, James is talking about how both sides are acting under the will of God, and how maybe we shouldn't point fingers, but try for a single moment to mourn for those that have been lost: the bombers, our own brave soldiers, and the many innocent civilians that have lost their lives in this meaningless war.
It is true in many (if not most) cases that the suicide bombers do what they do for what they believe is just, but there is also more at work here. Other people are brainwashing them to believe that they must do these things, no differently from the way that the gentile Christian ministers of old told people that doing things that modern ones recognize as acceptable would damn them. Also, there is supposedly a belief that a martyr will be awarded seventy virgins in Heaven, who will provide him with sexual services, so as my [very well-informed] mother puts...
It is true in many (if not most) cases that the suicide bombers do what they do for what they believe is just, but there is also more at work here. Other people are brainwashing them to believe that they must do these things, no differently from the way that the gentile Christian ministers of old told people that doing things that modern ones recognize as acceptable would damn them. Also, there is supposedly a belief that a martyr will be awarded seventy virgins in Heaven, who will provide him with sexual services, so as my [very well-informed] mother puts it, many of the younger people who agree to be suicide bombers "just want to get laid". Not to say that this is true for all or even the majority of suicide bombers, but those who are motivated by this reward are not so conscientious about "God's commands". The real villains are those who dictate "God's will" to the people who kill themselves and others in belief that they serve it. Meanwhile, I wonder if any of these people would be half willing to do the same thing. Come on, Osama, let us see YOU become a "martyr".
Furthermore, only extremists think that God wants one side to hate the other. Plus, the Crusades/Jihads (in the literal definition of the word and not the way that terrorists use it) are bad analogies to something perceived to be wrong, because as far as religious wars go, these were devoid of much atrocity attributed to later conflicts. We do not hate Islam; we merely oppose a group that has abused it and turned this cult of theirs into a weapon intended to destroy entire cultures. Meanwhile, I see no such weapon aimed at the world of Islam. Al Qaeda and...
Furthermore, only extremists think that God wants one side to hate the other. Plus, the Crusades/Jihads (in the literal definition of the word and not the way that terrorists use it) are bad analogies to something perceived to be wrong, because as far as religious wars go, these were devoid of much atrocity attributed to later conflicts. We do not hate Islam; we merely oppose a group that has abused it and turned this cult of theirs into a weapon intended to destroy entire cultures. Meanwhile, I see no such weapon aimed at the world of Islam. Al Qaeda and the Taliban have enemies on both sides: the nations and religions that it wants to destroy, and true/non-extremist Muslims.
wow that's an excellent interpretation of the lyrics. it cleared up a lot of the ambiguities of their concise lyrics.
wow that's an excellent interpretation of the lyrics. it cleared up a lot of the ambiguities of their concise lyrics.