History
Cobra Skulls were formed in 2005 by Devin Peralta (bass, vocals), Charlie Parker (guitar) and Chad Cleaveland (drums). They released an EP titled Draw Muhammad in 2006. The EP caught the attention of Red Scare Industries who signed the band and released their debut album "Sitting Army" in 2007.
To promote the album the band went on tour with Against Me!, Mad Caddies, and The Loved Ones, opening shows for them.[1] During the 2007 tour the band added a second guitarist Adam Beck.
After releasing the "Never Be a Machine/ Lost in Campaigns" 7" in time for the 2008 American elections, the band put out their second full length, "American Rubicon" in July 2009. This album was also promoted through an extensive tour schedule- this time with other Red Scare bands, including the Copyrights, the Sidekicks and the Menzingers.
Music style
Devin Peralta is half Argentinian and therefore writes and sings some songs in Spanish as can be heard with the tracks "¡Hasta Los Corba Skulls Siempre!" (from Draw Muhammad EP) and "Use Your Cobra Skulls" (from Sitting Army LP). While the first track is sung completely in Spanish, the latter track mixes both English and Spanish.
Discography
* Eat Your Babies (2005)
* Cobra Skulls/Beercan 7" split (Humaniterrorist, 2006)
* Draw Muhammad (EP) (Humaniterrorist, 2006)
* Sitting Army (Red Scare, 2007)
* Never Be a Machine (EP) (Red Scare, 2008)
* American Rubicon (Red Scare, 2009)
There's A Skeleton In My Military Industrial Closet
Cobra Skulls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By an industry that's been dictated militarily
Dependent on oil under foreign soil
Like a locomotive waiting to feel the water boil
And our jobs in new technology are going over seas
To Bangalore and Tokyo and back to old Paris
But if you're looking for job security look where your
Je ne suis pas la bourgeoisie, we are the proletariat
The house can't stand without the foundation
Even though you bury it
And even though my hand prepared the food you eat,
You wouldn't stop to shake it
If you saw me on the street
And we haven't changed a thing since 1944
The business men in office make a killing with the war
Rosie you don't have to rivet anymore
but your living wage is what you're fighting for
Father's going to guarantee to build a better bomb
If uncle Sam will guarantee a paycheck every month
Brother's in the infantry so he can go to college
After his 4th and final tour
And go ahead and call me a communist
Because I care for the welfare of my people
I'm born your equal but don't you think its evil
To own islands of property in a sea of starving
The song "There's A Skeleton In My Military Industrial Closet" by Cobra Skulls is a scathing rebuke of the military-economic complex that controls American society. The lyrics speak of an economy that has been taken over by the military-industrial complex and is dependent on foreign oil. This is compared to a locomotive waiting to boil over. The singer describes how jobs in new technology are going overseas to Bangalore and Tokyo, leaving many Americans out of work. The government is then criticized for pouring tax dollars into the military and not into job creation.
The chorus of the song talks about the proletariat, the working-class people who are the foundation of society. They are the ones who prepare the food and do the heavy lifting, but are often overlooked and undervalued. The singer talks about how they are the ones who keep the house standing, even if they are buried and forgotten.
The final verse of the song talks about the war profiteers who are making a killing with the war. The singer talks about how fathers are building better bombs and brothers are fighting in the infantry to get to college. The final verse ends with a condemnation of the inequality that exists in American society and the singer's fear that the working class will one day rise up and take back what was stolen from them.
Line by Line Meaning
This economy has been taken under siege
Our economy has been captured by an industry that is heavily influenced by the military.
By an industry that's been dictated militarily
The industry is controlled by military influence.
Dependent on oil under foreign soil
The industry relies on foreign oil reserves to function.
Like a locomotive waiting to feel the water boil
The industry is waiting for something to happen, like a steam engine waiting to be fueled.
And our jobs in new technology are going over seas
New tech jobs are being outsourced overseas.
To Bangalore and Tokyo and back to old Paris
New tech jobs are being outsourced to cities like Bangalore, Tokyo and Paris.
But if you're looking for job security look where your Nation's spending all of your taxation
The government spends taxes on industries that provide job security.
Je ne suis pas la bourgeoisie, we are the proletariat
I am not part of the wealthy class, I'm an ordinary worker.
The house can't stand without the foundation
Society cannot function without the working class.
Even though you bury it
Even if you try to suppress the truth.
And even though my hand prepared the food you eat, You wouldn't stop to shake it If you saw me on the street
Even though I'm responsible for the food you eat, you wouldn't acknowledge me on the street.
And we haven't changed a thing since 1944
Society has not progressed since 1944.
The business men in office make a killing with the war Rosie you don't have to rivet anymore but your living wage is what you're fighting for
Business people are profiting from war, while ordinary workers are fighting for a living wage.
Father's going to guarantee to build a better bomb If uncle Sam will guarantee a paycheck every month Brother's in the infantry so he can go to college After his 4th and final tour
Father will build a better bomb if the government guarantees a steady income. Brother joins the army to pay for college after serving four tours of duty.
And go ahead and call me a communist Because I care for the welfare of my people I'm born your equal but don't you think its evil To own islands of property in a sea of starving
Call me a communist if you want, but I care about the welfare of my fellow citizens. It's wrong for some people to own lots of property while others are starving.
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.