Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing the Reagan Administration and the American establishment in general, as well as popular culture and even the punk movement itself. Several stores refused to stock their recordings, sparking debate about censorship in rock music. Jello Biafra became an active campaigner against the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), culminating in an obscenity trial in 1985-1986 which resulted in a hung jury.
The group released a total of four studio albums and one EP before disbanding in 1986. Following the band's dissolution, Jello Biafra continued to collaborate and record with other artists including D.O.A., NoMeansNo and his own bands Lard and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, as well as releasing spoken word performances and becoming an activist with the Green Party.
In 2000, Jello Biafra lost an acrimonious legal case initiated by his former Dead Kennedys band mates over songwriting credits and unpaid royalties. In 2001, the band reformed; various singers have since been recruited for vocal duties.
Moral Majority
Dead Kennedys Lyrics
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We call ourselves the people in the real world
Trying to rub us out, but we're going to survive
God must be dead if you're alive
You say, 'god loves you. come and buy the good news'
Then you buy the president and swimming pools
If Jesus don't save 'til we're lining your pockets
Circus-tent con-men and southern belle bunnies
Milk your emotions then they steal your money
It's the new dark ages with the fascists toting bibles
Cheap nostalgia for the Salem witch trials
Stodgy ayatollahs in their double-knit ties
Burn lots of books so they can feed you their lies
Masturbating with a flag and a bible
God must be dead if you're alive
Blow it out your ass, Jerry Falwell
Blow it out your ass, Jesse Helms
Blow it out your ass, Ronald Reagan
What's wrong with a mind of my own?
You don't want abortions, you want battered children
You want to ban the pill as if that solves the problem
Now you want to force us to pray in school
God must be dead if you're such a fool
You're planning for a war with or without Iran
Building a police state with the Ku Klux Klan
Pissed at your neighbor? don't bother to nag
Pick up the phone and turn in a fag
Blow it out your ass, Terry Dolan
Blow it out your ass, Phyllis Schlafly
Ram it up your cunt, Anita
'Cause god must be dead
If you're alive
God must be dead
If you're alive
The Dead Kennedys' song "Moral Majority" is a biting critique of the religious right and their influence in American politics during the 1980s. Jello Biafra, the band's lead singer, challenges the supposed moral authority of these figures by contrasting their self-proclaimed superiority with the reality of their actions. In the first verse, he questions the legitimacy of their claim to the moral majority, instead seeing them as a privileged minority seeking to marginalize those outside their narrow worldview. The second verse takes aim at televangelists who use religion as a means of personal enrichment, exploiting the faith of their followers to line their own pockets. The third verse depicts a dark dystopia where religious fundamentalists hold sway, with echoes of McCarthyism and the Salem witch trials.
The refrain "God must be dead if you're alive" carries multiple meanings. On the one hand, it could be seen as a nihilistic assertion that a just and loving God could not abide the hypocrisy and corruption of those claiming to act in his name. On the other hand, it could be read as a challenge to the religious right's assumptions of moral superiority. If God truly exists and opposes their actions, then they are the ones who are dead in his eyes.
Overall, "Moral Majority" is a searing rebuke of the religious right's political agenda, lampooning their hypocrisy, bigotry, and cynical exploitation of faith for their own gain.
Line by Line Meaning
You call yourself the moral majority
You believe you have the moral high ground
We call ourselves the people in the real world
We see ourselves as being grounded in reality
Trying to rub us out, but we're going to survive
You are attempting to silence us, but we will persevere
God must be dead if you're alive
If you represent God or morality, there can't possibly be a higher power or morality guiding us
You say, 'god loves you. come and buy the good news'
You're trying to sell us on religion as if it's a commodity
Then you buy the president and swimming pools
You use your financial power to influence politics and live lavish lifestyles
If Jesus don't save 'til we're lining your pockets
If your religious beliefs only seem to benefit yourself financially
Circus-tent con-men and southern belle bunnies
Religious figures and their supporters who use theatrics and charm to deceive people
Milk your emotions then they steal your money
They manipulate your feelings to obtain your funds
It's the new dark ages with the fascists toting bibles
Your attitudes, bigotry, and adherence to outdated beliefs is reminiscent of a past oppressive era
Cheap nostalgia for the Salem witch trials
You long for times when people were killed or falsely accused due to fear and ignorance
Stodgy ayatollahs in their double-knit ties
Religious leaders who are rigid in their doctrines while also trying to fit in with mainstream culture
Burn lots of books so they can feed you their lies
You censor information and spread propaganda to control people's minds
Masturbating with a flag and a bible
Using patriotism and religion to cover up acts of self-gratification or selfishness
Blow it out your ass, Jerry Falwell
An insult directed towards a right-wing religious figure
What's wrong with a mind of my own?
Why can't I think for myself?
You don't want abortions, you want battered children
Banning abortions won't stop the abuse and neglect of children
You want to ban the pill as if that solves the problem
The contraception pill isn't the root cause of the issue you're protesting
Now you want to force us to pray in school
You're trying to impose your religious beliefs on others through public school systems
God must be dead if you're such a fool
If this is what you believe in, then there's clearly no wise, all-knowing deity guiding you
You're planning for a war with or without Iran
You're preparing for war, whether it's with Iran specifically or someone else
Building a police state with the Ku Klux Klan
You're promoting a government with authoritarian tendencies and supporting a racist organization
Pissed at your neighbor? don't bother to nag
If you're angry at someone, why not just snitch on them instead of talking to them directly?
Pick up the phone and turn in a fag
Inform the authorities of someone's sexuality, which is completely irrelevant to their character or actions
Blow it out your ass, Terry Dolan
Another insult directed at a right-wing political figure
Ram it up your cunt, Anita
An extreme, vulgar insult directed at a conservative activist
God must be dead if you're alive
If you represent God or morality, there can't possibly be a higher power or morality guiding us
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Darren Henley, Eric Reed Boucher, Geoffrey Lyall, Raymond John Pepperelle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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