In addition, Belew is well-regarded for his contributions, particularly on guitar, to various other artists' recordings. In 1977, he performed with Frank Zappa, appearing in Zappa's 1979 concert film Baby Snakes, as well as Zappa's controversial album Sheik Yerbouti. He also supported David Bowie on his "Heroes" tour that was released as "Stage". He also played on the 1990 Sound + Vision tour. On both tours he was musical director, playing guitar and singing backing vocals.
Belew's other session credits include the 1980 album Remain in Light by the Talking Heads, Lights Out by Peter Wolf, and Paul Simon's landmark 1986 album Graceland. He worked with Laurie Anderson during the mid-1980s, appearing in her concert film Home of the Brave. During the 1990s, he contributed to three Nine Inch Nails albums, The Downward Spiral, The Fragile, and Ghosts. He played synthesized guitar on the song "God Shuffled His Feet" by Crash Test Dummies in 1993.
In the late-1980s, Belew formed the pop band The Bears with ex-Raisins members and released two albums, The Bears and Rise and Shine. A third album, Car Caught Fire, followed in 2001.
He features prominently on Tori Amos's 2001 cover album, "Strange Little Girls". He also contributed his lead guitar stylings to Porcupine Tree's album Deadwing (2005) as well as to a track ("I Can't Get Behind That", also featuring Henry Rollins) on the 2004 Ben Folds-produced William Shatner album Has Been.
Men in Helicopters
Adrian Belew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To see the African plains
Before they lay them to waste
And only the bones remain
Wouldn't it be poetry
To shoot holes in the poachers we see
With an elephant gun
Men in helicopters fly
Why do we always assume
The planet is ours to ruin?
What a legacy we`re leaving behind
What a legacy
Wouldn't it be something
For the men killing dolphin
To be caught up by their necks
In their greedy fishing nets
Wouldn't it be irony
If the tuna fish canneries
Were to fall into the sea
The dolphins and the whales still left alive
Cry to the stars in the deep blue night
"There's nowhere to hide,
The people on earth will not be denied"
What a legacy we're leaving behind
What a legacy
Wouldn't it be odd
If there really was a God
And he looked down on earth
And saw what we've done to Her
Wouldn't it be just
If He pulled the plug on us,
And took away the sun
Adrian Belew's song "Men in Helicopters" addresses humankind's destructive behavior towards nature and wildlife. The song speaks of the devastating consequences of our actions and highlights the importance of conservation. The opening lines "Wouldn't it be great to see the African plains before they lay them to waste" set the tone for the song, conveying regret for what has been lost and a longing for what could have been.
The song also points out the lack of accountability and responsibility our society seems to have towards the environment. The line "Why do we always assume the planet is ours to ruin?" is a voice of reason, questioning our authority over nature and accusing us of taking it for granted. The chorus "What a legacy we're leaving behind" reflects upon the damage we are inflicting upon the planet and how it will be remembered.
The song concludes with a sense of despair, imagining a world without humans or even without the sun. The line "Wouldn't it be just if He pulled the plug on us, and took away the sun" suggests that human destruction goes beyond just nature, extending to the possibility of our own extinction.
Overall, "Men in Helicopters" is a powerful commentary on the tragedy of ecological destruction and the urgent need for change. It urges us to rethink our relationship with the natural world and serves as a warning of the perilous path we are on.
Line by Line Meaning
Wouldn't it be great
What if we could witness the African plains before they're destroyed, so we can remember what we once had?
To see the African plains
To witness the beauty of untouched lands before they are contaminated or destroyed.
Before they lay them to waste
Before humanity causes irreparable damage to these lands.
And only the bones remain
A future where there is nothing left but the remnants of what once existed.
Wouldn't it be poetry
What if we could put a stop to the poaching and bring peace to the land?
To shoot holes in the poachers we see
What if we could end the lives of those who harm the earth?
With an elephant gun
Using a powerful weapon to put an end to elephant poaching.
Men in helicopters fly
When people take to the skies to carry out acts of violence against nature.
Shooting rhinos from out of the sky
Killing wild animals from above, using brute force and technology.
Why do we always assume
Why do we continue to make the assumption that we won't face the consequences of our actions?
The planet is ours to ruin?
Is it possible that we are the only species with the power to destroy the planet?
What a legacy we're leaving behind
The aftermath of our actions will impact the future of our planet, possibly beyond repair.
What a legacy
The damage we've done will be a permanent scar on the history of mankind.
Wouldn't it be something
What if there was a way to stop the senseless killing of dolphins?
For the men killing dolphin
The individuals responsible for the mass killing of dolphins.
To be caught up by their necks
The same individuals becoming caught in their own traps of overfishing.
In their greedy fishing nets
Catching more than what is necessary to meet demands for consumers around the world.
Wouldn't it be irony
The idea of something occurring that seems contrary to what is expected.
If the tuna fish canneries
The places where tuna is processed, packed, and shipped for human consumption.
Were to fall into the sea
What if these facilities were to accidentally flood and pollute the ocean, making their own jobs redundant?
The dolphins and the whales still left alive
The creatures too beautiful to be killed by humanity.
Cry to the stars in the deep blue night
A desperate call for help from the creatures struggling to survive amidst humanity's destruction.
"There's nowhere to hide,
The people on earth will not be denied"
There's no safe place for creatures to escape to, humans won't stop until they've destroyed everything in their path.
Wouldn't it be odd
What if there was a higher power watching our actions on earth?
If there really was a God
The idea that a higher power exists, watching the devastation mankind is responsible for.
And he looked down on earth
If there was a higher power, they'd be disgusted by the actions of humanity.
And saw what we've done to Her
The destruction and harm humans have inflicted on the planet, which has provided us with everything we've ever needed.
Wouldn't it be just
If there was a higher power, wouldn't it be fair for them to end our reign of destruction?
If He pulled the plug on us,
A biblical scenario, where a higher power brings an end to humanity's existence.
And took away the sun
The removal of the sun, the ultimate source of light and life, which would spell the end of all life on earth.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BELEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind