Faith No More is an American alternative metal band from San Francisco, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Faith No More is an American alternative metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band, having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several early lineup changes, and some major changes later. The current lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.

After releasing six studio albums, including best-selling records The Real Thing (1989) and Angel Dust (1992), Faith No More officially announced its breakup on April 20, 1998. The band has since reunited, conducting The Second Coming Tour between 2009 and 2010, and releasing its seventh studio album, Sol Invictus, in May 2015. After the touring cycle of Sol Invictus, Faith No More went on hiatus once again. In November 2019, the band announced that it would reunite to embark on a 2020 UK and European tour, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was postponed. Touring was due to recommence with a brief US tour in September 2021, followed by the previously postponed UK and Europe dates in June 2022, but all tour dates were cancelled with Patton citing mental health reasons.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_No_More

Studio albums
We Care a Lot (1985)
Introduce Yourself (1987)
The Real Thing (1989)
Angel Dust (1992)
King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime (1995)
Album of the Year (1997)
Sol Invictus (2015)

Let's Lynch the Landlord
Faith No More Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The landlord's here to visit
They're blasting disco down below
Says, I'm doubling the rent
'Cause the buildings condemned
You're gonna help me buy City Hall

But we can, you know we can
We can, you know we can

Let's lynch the landlord man

I tell them turn on the water
I tell them turn on the heat
Tells me "All you ever do is complain
Then they search the place when I'm not here

But we can, you know we can
Let's lynch the landlord
Let's lynch the landlord
Let's lynch the landlord man

There's rats chewin' up the kitchen
Roaches up to my knees
Turn the oven on, it smells like Dachau
Til' the rain pours through the ceiling

But we can, you know we can
Let's lynch the landlord man

Overall Meaning

The provocative and somewhat violent nature of Faith No More's song "Let's Lynch the Landlord" makes it clear from the outset that there is some kind of conflict happening between the singer and their landlord. The song takes a sarcastic tone as the singer describes the blaring disco music below them and the landlord's visit to tell them that their rent will be doubled due to the building being condemned. The singer responds to this threat by suggesting that they "lynch the landlord" as a form of retaliation.

The lyrics continue to detail the issues with the living conditions, including a lack of water and heat and a pest infestation that includes rats and roaches. The allusion to Dachau and the idea of the ceiling raining down on the singer further emphasizes the desperate situation they are in. The chorus repeats the call to "lynch the landlord," adding a sense of urgency to the situation.

While the lyrics themselves do not offer any solutions to the problem at hand, they do serve as a commentary on the struggles of renters and the power dynamics at play between landlords and tenants. By suggesting violence as a means of protest, the song draws attention to the frustration and powerlessness many renters feel when dealing with unresponsive or oppressive landlords.

Line by Line Meaning

The landlord's here to visit
The landlord is present to inspect the building

They're blasting disco down below
Loud music is being played in the lower floors of the building

Says, I'm doubling the rent
The landlord proclaims that the rent amount will be increased twofold

'Cause the buildings condemned
The landlord has condemned the building or certain parts of it that require extensive repairs which would cost a large amount of money.

You're gonna help me buy City Hall
The landlord aims to take over the local government, and expects the tenants to fund the acquisition

But we can, you know we can
The singer and the other tenants can do something to counteract the landlord's actions

Let's lynch the landlord man
The idea of violent retaliation against the landlord is proposed

I tell them turn on the water
The singer is asking the landlord to provide the necessary basic amenities required in the building such as water and heat.

I tell them turn on the heat
The singer is requesting the arrangement of heating within the building

Tells me "All you ever do is complain
The landlord dismisses the tenants' requests as unneeded complaining

Then they search the place when I'm not here
The landlord intrudes into the personal space of the tenants without their permission or knowledge

There's rats chewin' up the kitchen
Rodents are infesting the kitchen of the building

Roaches up to my knees
There is a serious infestation of cockroaches in the building

Turn the oven on, it smells like Dachau
The oven gives off an odor reminiscent of the Nazi concentration camp Dachau, which is probably due to the unsanitary conditions of the building

Til' the rain pours through the ceiling
The roof is leaky

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JELLO BIAFRA, RAYMOND PEPPERELLE, GEOFFREY LYALL, DARREN HENLEY, ERIC BOUCHER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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