Fear is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in … Read Full Bio ↴Fear is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of hardcore punk. The group came to national attention after an infamous 1981 performance on Saturday Night Live. Frontman Lee Ving has been the band's only constant member. Since its formation, the band has gone through various lineup changes, and at one point, featured Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass. Fear has influenced a number of bands who have paid tribute to the band by covering its songs. Fear's music has also been featured in several video game soundtracks. "I Love Livin' in the City" appeared in The Warriors ‘’SLC Punk’’ and Tony Hawk's Underground 2, and "The Mouth Don't Stop (The Trouble with Women Is)" appeared in Grand Theft Auto V, on the fictional punk rock radio station, "Channel X."

What Is Best in Life
Fear Lyrics

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What is best in life?
Peace and harmony
Truth and beauty no
What is best in life to crush your enemies

See them driven before you
And to hear the lamentations of their women

What is best in life?
Faith, hope, and charity
Winning the lottery no
What is best in life to crush your enemies

See them driven before you
And to hear the lamentations of their women

To crush your enemies

See them driven before you
And to hear the lamentations of their women

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fear's song "What Is Best in Life" are quite straightforward and brutal. The song asks the question "What is best in life?" and then answers it in two different ways: first with "peace and harmony. Truth and beauty no. What is best in life to crush your enemies." The second answer is "faith, hope, and charity. Winning the lottery no. What is best in life to crush your enemies." These two answers are then followed by the repeated refrain of "See them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

Essentially, the song is championing the idea of violence and conquest as the ultimate goal in life. It presents a stark contrast between the idea of peace, harmony, and love (represented by "faith, hope, and charity") and the idea of dominating others through warfare and destruction. The seemingly random inclusion of "winning the lottery" in the second answer adds a touch of levity to the otherwise dark and aggressive lyrics.

Overall, the song can be seen as a commentary on the human condition and the constant struggle between our desire for peace and our instinct for violence and domination. It's a bleak and pessimistic view of humanity, but one that rings true for many people who have experienced the horrors of war and conflict.

Line by Line Meaning

What is best in life?
What are the ultimate desires and goals that one strives for in life?

Peace and harmony
The absence of conflict and the presence of agreement and unity among individuals or groups.

Truth and beauty no
Truth and beauty are not the ultimate desires and goals in life.

To crush your enemies
To defeat and overpower one's foes.

See them driven before you
Witnessing the defeated enemies being forced to retreat or flee in terror.

And to hear the lamentations of their women
The satisfaction of knowing that the enemy's loved ones mourn and lament their defeat and loss.

Faith, hope, and charity
Belief in a higher power, optimism about the future, and acts of kindness and generosity towards others.

Winning the lottery no
Winning the lottery is not the ultimate desire or goal in life.

Contributed by Jonathan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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