The band broke up in 2023 following sexual assault allegations against Sane and their social media accounts being deleted. Various sources close to the band state that the breakup was made exclusively by Sane, with the other band members being unaware of the allegations until after.
OUTBREAK
Anti-Flag Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So soon some people will be dead
Iraqi bodies scattered around
By the cluster bombs that land in their barracks and their homes
They (i.e. U.S. Representatives) get on T.V. and openly state
That Saddam Hussein should be removed from his place
If anybody said that about the U.S. president The U.S. military would rip them a new ass
So where is the real terrorist?
In the Middle East or the U.S.?
So who is the real terrorist?
Is it Saddam Hussein or the U.S. president?
The song "Outbreak" by Anti-Flag is making a powerful statement about the actions of the United States government during the Iraq war in the early 2000s. The opening lyrics, "The president got caught getting head / So soon some people will be dead" references the Bill Clinton scandal in the late 1990s and the subsequent bombings of Iraq during his presidency. The lyrics suggest a sense of irony and hypocrisy in the government's actions, as they claim to value human life yet engage in violent acts of war.
The following lyrics, "Iraqi bodies scattered around / By the cluster bombs that land in their barracks and their homes" paint a vivid picture of the devastating impact of war on innocent civilians. The song also addresses the double standard in how the U.S. government treats its own leaders versus other world leaders. The line "If anybody said that about the U.S. president / The U.S. military would rip them a new ass" highlights the systemic power imbalance and the lack of accountability that leaders in the United States government face.
The chorus of the song poses an important question about who the real terrorist is. Is it Saddam Hussein or the U.S. president? The lyrics challenge listeners to think critically about the motives behind the war and the role of the United States as a global superpower.
Line by Line Meaning
The president got caught getting head
The President was caught cheating on his wife
So soon some people will be dead
This will result in the loss of human lives
Iraqi bodies scattered around
Civilians have been killed in Iraq
By the cluster bombs that land in their barracks and their homes
This is due to the deployment of cluster bombs in residential and military areas
They (i.e. U.S. Representatives) get on T.V. and openly state
U.S. Representatives openly express their opinions on public media
That Saddam Hussein should be removed from his place
They advocate for the removal of Saddam Hussein from power
If anybody said that about the U.S. president
If anyone publicly made such a statement about the U.S. President
The U.S. military would rip them a new ass
They would be subject to harsh criticism and punishment from the U.S. military
So where is the real terrorist?
Which side is truly responsible for acts of terror?
In the Middle East or the U.S.?
Is it occurring in the Middle East or the United States?
So who is the real terrorist?
Who should be branded as the true perpetrators of terror?
Is it Saddam Hussein or the U.S. president?
Is the root cause Saddam Hussein's regime or U.S. foreign policy?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: CHRISTOPHER LEE BARKER, PATRICK C. BOLLINGER, JUSTIN CATHAL GEEVER, CHRISTOPHER MARK HEAD, PATRICK C BOLLINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind