Discography:
• Anti-Imperialist (EP) (1993)
• Fuck Nazi Sympathy (EP) (1994)
• The System Works For Them (1996)
• ...And Now Back to Our Programming (1998)
• The Rotten Agenda (2001)
Band members:
Dave Trenga - vocals
Adrienne Droogas - vocals
Eric Good - guitar, vocals
Corey Lyons - bass
Matt Garabedian - drums
Factory
Aus-Rotten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strapped piece of meat to a cross
We play god to determine your future
We play god for the sake of all
Inject the meat with a venom
Inject the meat with a hormone
We stand upright to control those who don't
We stand upright to control all
With a god-given right to think
This is what separates we from the animals
This is what separates us from them
The song "Factory" by Aus-Rotten is a scathing critique of mankind's abusive and exploitative relationship with the natural world. The lyrics are a condemnation of humanity's arrogance and cruelty, particularly with regard to factory farming and animal testing. The opening lines, "Strapped piece of meat to a chair / Strapped piece of meat to a cross," are a graphic and disturbing reminder of the ways in which humans subject animals to horrific experiments and treatments.
The next two lines, "We play god to determine your future / We play god for the sake of all," underscore the arrogance and self-centeredness of this attitude. The use of the phrase "play god" is particularly pointed, as it suggests that humans are taking on a role that they have no right to assume. The line "Inject the meat with a venom / Inject the meat with a hormone" highlights the brutal and inhumane methods that are often used to manipulate animals in the name of science and profit.
The refrain, "We are the superior species / With a god-given right to think / This is what separates we from the animals / This is what separates us from them," is a direct challenge to the notion that human beings are inherently better or more valuable than other forms of life. The implication is that this belief is a dangerous and destructive delusion that has led to all sorts of atrocities throughout human history.
Line by Line Meaning
Strapped piece of meat to a chair
We restrain and subject human beings to harsh treatment as if they were nothing but mere pieces of meat
Strapped piece of meat to a cross
We torture and humiliate human beings as if they were Christ, who was crucified for being different
We play god to determine your future
We arrogate to ourselves the power to decide the destiny of others as if we were omnipotent beings like God
We play god for the sake of all
We rationalize our cruelty and injustice as if it were for the greater good of society or the world as a whole
Inject the meat with a venom
We contaminate and poison human beings with deadly substances as if they were pests to be exterminated
Inject the meat with a hormone
We alter and manipulate human beings' natural chemistry as if they were lab rats to be experimented on
We stand upright to control those who don't
We use our erect posture as a pretext to dominate and oppress those who are physically different or disadvantaged
We stand upright to control all
We use our upright stance as a symbol of our supposed superiority and dominance over all other living beings
We are the superior species
We claim to be the most advanced and evolved species on the planet, despite our destructive and self-destructive behavior
With a god-given right to think
We believe that our ability to reason and think gives us the right to exploit and abuse other beings, as if it were a divine mandate
This is what separates we from the animals
We use our supposed intellectual and moral superiority to justify our mistreatment and disregard of other living beings, as if we were fundamentally different from them
This is what separates us from them
We create a false dichotomy between humans and animals, denying our common origin and interdependence, in order to justify our domination and destruction of the natural world
Contributed by Jordyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.