Masters Of War
Anika Lyrics

Come, you masters of war
Addressing those who wage war and the military industrial complex.

You that build all the guns
Pointing out to the people who manufacture firearms.

You that build the death planes
Criticizing the creation of warplanes that kill.

You that build the big bombs
Highlighting the manufacture of explosives that cause large-scale destruction.

You that hide behind walls
Calling out those in power for hiding behind their wealth and status.

You that hide behind desks
Satirizing CEOs and executives who are distanced from the consequences of their actions.

I just want you to know I can see through your masks
Letting the masters of war know that their deception and lies don't go unnoticed.

You that never done nothin' But build to destroy
Reproaching those who only create weapons and war materials instead of contributing positively to society.

You play with my world Like it's your little toy
Chastising the way in which the powerful treat the planet as a disposable resource.

You put a gun in my hand And you hide from my eyes
Saying how vulnerable soldiers are while the government officials who sent them to war take no responsibility.

And you turn and run farther When the fast bullets fly
Accusing the people in power of abandoning their soldiers in times of danger.

Like Judas of old You lie and deceive
Comparing the betrayal of Judas to the people who wield their power unscrupulously.

A world war can be won You want me to believe
Questioning the validity of leaders who promote war as a means of winning their goals.

But I see through your eyes And I see through your brain
Condemning the people in power as their true motivations are transparent.

Like I see through the water That runs down my drain
Drawing a comparison between the dirt that goes down the drain, and the immorality of the leaders who claim to be protecting their countries.

You fasten all the triggers For the others to fire
Denouncing the people in power for inspiring the common folk to fight their wars.

Then you set back and watch When the death count gets higher
Commencing the people at the top of maintaining their distance while the soldiers and citizens are dying in their wars.

You hide in your mansion As young people's blood Flows out of their bodies And is buried in the mud
Illustrating how the leaders hide behind their luxury, barricaded from the real-world consequences of their actions.

You've thrown the worst fear That can ever be hurled The fear to bring children Into the world
Designating the threat of war as the gravest fear.

For threatening my baby Unborn and unnamed You ain't worth the blood That runs in your veins
Censuring those in power for endangering the future of innocent generations.

How much do I know To talk out of turn?
Acknowledging the limits of individual insight and the need for dialogue.

You might say that I'm young You might say I'm unlearned
Accepting the potential for others to dismiss young or inexperienced voices.

But there's one thing I know Though I'm younger than you
Asserting the importance of moral righteousness in the face of worldly experience.

Even Jesus would never Forgive what you do
Highlighting the magnitude of the crimes committed by leaders who waged wars.

Let me ask you one question Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?
Raising the question of whether wealth can absolve the wealthy of their sins.

I think you will find When your death takes its toll All the money you made Will never buy back your soul
Reflecting on the scope of the moral weight carried by actions carried out by the powerful.

And I hope that you die And your death will come soon
Wishing an end to the power structures and the war machines that enable them.

I will follow your casket In the pale afternoon
Acknowledging the gravity of the people in power's impending deaths.

And I'll watch while you're lowered Down to your deathbed
Showing the visuals of the powerful being buried symbolically.

And I'll stand over your grave 'Til I'm sure that you're dead
Demonstrating the insistence of the young on the fall of the machinery of war.