Masters Of War
Flying Pickets Lyrics

Come you masters of war
Addressing the people who are responsible for creating and implementing wars

You that build the big guns
Those who manufacture deadly weapons

You that build the death planes
Those who design and produce war planes

You that build all the bombs
Those who invent and manufacture explosives

You that hide behind walls
Those in power who shield themselves from the consequences of their actions

You that hide behind desks
The decision-makers who sit in their comfortable offices and order others to go to war

I just want you to know, I can see through your masks
The singer sees through the façade of the powerful and knows their true intentions

You that never done nothin', but build to destroy
The people responsible for wars never accomplish anything other than destruction

You play with my world, like it's your little toy
The powerful treat the world and its inhabitants as objects to manipulate for their own gain

You put a gun in my hand, and you hide from my eyes
The artist has been forced to fight someone else's war while those in power avoid the conflict

And you turn and run farther, when the fast bullets fly
The people in power abandon the soldiers when things get dangerous, leaving them vulnerable to harm

Like Judas of old, you lie and deceive
Comparing the war profiteers to the traitorous biblical character, they are dishonest and disloyal

A world war can be won, you want me to believe
The people in power use propaganda and lies to manipulate the public into supporting their wars

But I see through your eyes, and I see through your brain
The singer understands the true motives and intentions of the war-mongers

Like I see through the water, that runs down my drain
The singer's insight into the true nature of war is as clear as water running down their drain

You fasten all the triggers, for the others to fire
The people who start wars don't fight them themselves but rather manipulate others into doing their dirty work

Then you set back and watch, while the death count gets higher
The powerful stay safe while their soldiers die in battle, and the civilian death toll increases

Then you hide in your mansion, while the young people's blood
The people in power hide in luxury while innocent people are sacrificed in their wars

Flows out of their bodies, and is buried in the mud
The singer laments the waste of human life and the loss of potential

You've thrown the worst fear, that can ever be hurled
The fear of war and destruction is the most intense and frightening fear that can be experienced

Fear to bring children, into the world
The fear of war is so great that it makes people hesitate to have children, knowing that they could be brought into a world of conflict and chaos

For threatening my baby, unborn and unnamed
The artist, as a parent, feels deeply the fear and anxiety caused by the prospect of bringing a child into a world filled with war

You ain't worth the blood, that runs in your veins
The people responsible for war are not deserving of the lives they sacrifice and the bloodshed they cause

How much do I know, to talk out of turn
The artist acknowledges their youth and inexperience but refuses to remain silent about the atrocities of war

You might say that I'm young, you might say I'm unlearned
The singer acknowledges that others may dismiss their views due to their age or lack of experience

But there's one thing I know, though I'm younger than you
The singer may be young, but they have a deep understanding of the true nature of war and the motives behind it

Even Jesus would never, forgive what you do
The singer invokes the ultimate standard of morality and ethics, stating that even Jesus would not condone the actions of the war-mongers

Let me ask you one question, is your money that good
The artist challenges the war profiteers' morality and ethics, questioning whether their love of money outweighs all other considerations

Will it buy you forgiveness, do you think that it could
The artist questions whether money can buy absolution for the terrible things that the people in power have done

I think you will find, when your death takes its toll
The singer warns the war-mongers that their actions will come back to haunt them and that they will pay the ultimate price for their sins

All the money you made, will never buy back your soul
The war profiteers may have amassed great wealth, but it will never be enough to redeem them for the terrible things they have done

And I hope that you die, and your death'll come soon
The artist wishes for the war-mongers to die and for their demise to come quickly

I will follow your casket, in the pale afternoon
The artist will pay their respects at the war-mongers' funeral, although they will not mourn their passing

And I'll watch while you're lowered, down to your deathbed
The artist will stand by and observe as the war-monger is lowered into their grave

And I'll stand o'er your grave, 'til I'm sure that you're dead
The singer will linger over the war-monger's grave, where they will make sure that they are truly dead