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2) Thrash Metal Band from Seattle, USA, formed in 1982. Released two full-lengths, Harsh Realities in 1990 and Have A Nice Death! in 2011.
Just Say Yes
Bitter End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we all know where they can go
They're all a bunch of hypocrites
And if they just say no, I'll just say yes
Hysterical, McCarthyist, they want to find a nice quick fix
A witch hunt is being carried on
And all of your rights will soon be gone
They'll take your car, you'll get the point
They'll nail you up onto that cross
But Noriega got paid off
Just say no to poverty
Just say no to misery
Just say no to Ronnie's wife
Just say yes to real life
Saying no will fail the test
Without a reason to say yes
Drugs are a symptom not the cause
They're not the source of all our flaws
The world's got problems that's a fact
But it's gone too far to turn it all back
The war on drugs is so much bull
Our jails are already full
Should we let a few child molesters out?
I guess so
Stupid, fucking, narrow-minded, longwinded
Short-sighted, useless stupid, fucking fools
Well fuck them all and all their rules
Why don't they put this shit to rest?
They tell me no, I tell them yes
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes
Zero tolerance that's the way
They'll make the average bozo pay
But working for the C.I.A.
Means the big fish get to swim away
Iran - contra, Pentagon
But we all know what's going on
And we're the ones who'll pay the cost
And if anyone's guilty it's them not us
Just say no to all their lies
Don't say no without asking why
Just say no to hypocrisy
Just say yes to reality
Bitter End's "Just Say Yes" song is a call to an end in the war against drugs, that's full of injustices, double standards, and rigged to disadvantage certain groups of people, mainly poor and minorities. The song reflects the hypocrisy of politicians who determine drug policies while completely disregarding the real underlying issues that have resulted in drug use. This leads to targeting people who are already in vulnerable situations like poverty and criminalizing their behavior rather than helping them out of their circumstances. The lyrics emphasize the point that drugs are just a symptom of an underlying problem that needs to be addressed rather than the root cause.
The first verse of the song is an attack on the concept of "Just Say No" that was popularized by the US government in the 80s as part of its anti-drug campaign. The lyrics paint politicians as hypocrites who claim to want to help by telling people to say no to drugs but simultaneously benefit from the drug war's reinforcement. The chorus section of the song encourages people to say no to poverty, misery and hypocritical politicians' lies while embracing the realities of life by saying yes.
The second verse of the song takes a jab at the various government institutions, including the CIA and the Pentagon, who have had significant involvement in the trafficking of drugs. Consequently, it is hypocritical to criminalize people for using drugs while these government institutions remain responsible for supplying drugs to people. The bridge and the final section of the song encourage people to adopt a "zero tolerance" approach towards the widespread institutionalized injustice by being aware that drugs aren't the problem but a symptom of the underlying causes. People should avoid being deceived by hypocritical politicians and instead embrace reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Well they tell you all to just say no
The authorities teach us to resist drugs or anything considered illegal by the law.
But we all know where they can go
However, their threats do not scare us because we know better.
They're all a bunch of hypocrites
The enforcers' stand opposing drugs is inconsistent with their actions.
And if they just say no, I'll just say yes
If they insist on their stance, we will still not follow them.
Hysterical, McCarthyist, they want to find a nice quick fix
The authorities are overreacting and resorting to extremist solutions like McCarthyist tactics for a significant problem.
A witch hunt is being carried on
People are being targeted and accused without evidence or facts to support their claims.
And all of your rights will soon be gone
People's loss of freedom is inevitable if they do not stand up against the authoritarian regime that is developing.
They catch your ass with one small joint
The law enforcement will arrest you even for minor drug offenses.
They'll take your car, you'll get the point
The penalties for drug-related offenses are severe, and they will take away anything you own.
They'll nail you up onto that cross
People will be prosecuted and judged harshly by the law even if their crimes did not cause any significant harm.
But Noriega got paid off
Some influential people are getting away with drugs and other crimes because they have power or enough money to bribe officials.
Just say no to poverty
We need to fight our social issues such as poverty, which might lead to drug addiction if we do not address them.
Just say no to misery
We must say no to heartbreaking problems like misery and other societal ills to curb drug abuse.
Just say no to Ronnie's wife
We urge people to reject or criticize policies that are implemented by Ronald Reagan's administration that worsen the drug problem.
Just say yes to real life
We should learn to embrace reality and find solutions to deal with our problems rather than resorting to drugs or toxic behaviors.
Saying no will fail the test
Saying no to drugs will not guarantee success if people do not have any motivation or purpose in their lives.
Without a reason to say yes
People must find reasons to pursue more meaningful things in their lives to avoid the temptation of such drugs.
Drugs are a symptom not the cause
Drugs are not the root cause of our problems, but rather the symptoms of the underlying issues in society that must be addressed first.
They're not the source of all our flaws
Drugs are not the primary cause of society's problems, so they cannot solve them.
The world's got problems that's a fact
Society faces innumerable challenges that require answers instead of simply depending on drugs as a solution.
But it's gone too far to turn it all back
It is challenging to reverse our mistakes and fix the problems that afflict society.
The war on drugs is so much bull
The 'war on drugs' cannot solve the problems they aim to address because the real problems lie deeper in our society.
Our jails are already full
Prison systems cannot accommodate more people, especially when it comes to low-level drug offenses where rehabilitation or treatment may be a better option.
Should we let a few child molesters out?
The justice system should shift its resources to more heinous crimes like child molestation instead of drugs.
I guess so
It is a no-brainer that bigger issues require more attention and resources.
Stupid, fucking, narrow-minded, longwinded
The approach of the authorities is unintelligent, absurd, and excessively lengthy.
Stupid, fucking, fools
They disregard the real issues in society and instead focus on the symptoms which make them foolish.
Well fuck them all and all their rules
We should reject these authoritarian rules that punish minor drug offenses excessively.
Why don't they put this shit to rest?
We should be moving past this ridiculous approach to drugs and focus on more substantive societal issues.
They tell me no, I tell them yes
If they continue to resist society's real issues, we will pursue our own solutions.
Zero tolerance that's the way
The growingly intolerant nature of authorities might lead to unfair consequences for minor drug offenses.
They'll make the average bozo pay
The authorities will penalize regular people for minor drug offenses while ignoring the underlying societal problems.
But working for the C.I.A.
People associated with the government can abuse their power to drug traffick while law enforcement looks the other way.
Means the big fish get to swim away
Those with influence can escape without being held accountable for drug trafficking.
Iran - contra, Pentagon
The higher-ups in defense agencies or elite governmental groups might be aware and maybe even associated with drug trafficking or drug cartels.
But we all know what's going on
Everyone aware of it understands the dark underbelly of drug trafficking by powerful people in society.
And we're the ones who'll pay the cost
The repercussions of society's problems and policies will ultimately fall on the average person as always.
And if anyone's guilty it's them not us
The individuals with power and authority are primarily responsible for society's problems and must be held accountable, not the average person.
Just say no to all their lies
We must reject all of society's false promises and propaganda that disguises their real problems.
Don't say no without asking why
People should be more inquisitive about the true problems of society and not passively accept what authorities tell them.
Just say no to hypocrisy
We must reject the authorities' inconsistencies and call out their hypocrisies to solve real societal problems.
Just say yes to reality
We should embrace reality and find practical solutions to our problems instead of relying on drugs or other toxic behaviors.
Contributed by Noah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jackie Kixx
@Darkenedwoods I love this song very much! I love the whole album! This is one of the best trash albums of all the time! Bang your head broo!!
Lars
This song just ruins the entire album for me. It's almost as if the vocalist thinks he's 80s Mike Patton all of a sudden.
mic f
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