Civil War
GUNS N'ROSES Lyrics
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Look at your women crying
Look at your young men dying
The way they've always done before
Look at the hate we're breeding
Look at the fear we're feeding
Look at the lives we're leading
My hands are tied
The billions shift from side to side
And the wars go on with brainwashed pride
For the love of God and our human rights
And all these things are swept aside
By bloody hands time can't deny
And are washed away by your genocide
And history hides the lies of our civil wars
D'you wear a black armband
When they shot the man
Who said "peace could last forever"
And in my first memories
They shot Kennedy
I went numb when I learned to see
So I never fell for Vietnam
We got the wall of D.C. to remind us all
That you can't trust freedom
When it's not in your hands
When everybody's fightin'
For their promised land
And
I don't need your civil war
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor
Your power hungry sellin' soldiers
In a human grocery store
Ain't that fresh
I don't need your civil war
Ow, oh no, no, no, no, no
Look at the shoes you're filling
Look at the blood we're spilling
Look at the world we're killing
The way we've always done before
Look in the doubt we've wallowed
Look at the leaders we've followed
Look at the lies we've swallowed
And I don't want to hear no more
My hands are tied
For all I've seen has changed my mind
But still the wars go on as the years go by
With no love of God or human rights
'Cause all these dreams are swept aside
By bloody hands of the hypnotized
Who carry the cross of homicide
And history bears the scars of our civil wars
I don't need your civil war
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor
Your power hungry sellin' soldiers
In a human grocery store
Ain't that fresh
I don't need your civil war
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I don't need your civil war
I don't need your civil war
Your power hungry sellin' soldiers
In a human grocery store
Ain't that fresh
I don't need your civil war
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no uh-oh-uh, no uh-oh, uh no
I don't need one more war
I don't need one more war
No, no, no, no uh-oh-uh, no uh-oh, uh no
Whaz so civil 'bout war anyway?
The song "Civil War" by Guns N' Roses is a commentary on war, the cycles of hate and violence, and the costs of fighting. The lyrics describe the tragedies of war, the lives lost, and the injustices committed in the name of patriotism and freedom. Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N' Roses, acknowledges the complexity of war by pointing out the atrocities of both sides. Rose laments the fact that the lives of many young men and women are sacrificed in the battles waged by those eager for power.
Rose also speaks about how world leaders use people's patriotic fervor to exploit them and profit from the wars. He questions why people continue to go to war, despite the devastation and loss it brings. Rose asserts that humanity should strive to seek peace instead of engaging in wars. The lyrics encourage people to question the motives of those in power and to take responsibility for their actions, rather than blindly following leaders' directives.
The refrain of the song, "What's so civil about war anyway?" suggests that there is nothing civilized or noble about the violence and destruction of war. The line represents the paradox of civil wars, where one group of people fights against another group of people who look and sound like them. In other words, war may breed hatred and violence, making it incredibly difficult to maintain the very society one is fighting for.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at your young men fighting
Observing the youths engaging in combat.
Look at your women crying
Observing women weeping in response to war.
Look at your young men dying
Observing young men perishing as a consequence of war.
The way they've always done before
Repeated history displays similar circumstances resulting in war.
Look at the hate we're breeding
Identifying the hatred generated and propagated by war.
Look at the fear we're feeding
Identifying the fear created, instilled and perpetuated by war.
Look at the lives we're leading
Examining the lifestyle affected by and resulting from war.
The way we've always done before
Waging war has been mankind's habit throughout history.
My hands are tied
Feeling helpless and incapable of making changes.
The billions shift from side to side
The money flows to suit the rich and powerful of either side of the conflict.
And the wars go on with brainwashed pride
Wars persist, generational pride and prejudice since the multitude believes the relentless propaganda.
For the love of God and our human rights
Fighting is carried out in the name of faith and fundamental human rights.
And all these things are swept aside
Love and human rights become irrelevant amid the brutality of war.
By bloody hands time can't deny
Wars witness violent harm that history cannot erase and forget.
And are washed away by your genocide
Genocide stains the hands of those participating in the wars.
And history hides the lies of our civil wars
History presents war objectively, hiding the distorted details geared toward achieving a particular goal.
D'you wear a black armband
An arm ornament as a representation of a loss.
When they shot the man
The assassination of someone.
Who said 'peace could last forever'
These were the words uttered by Martin Luther King Jr., who was shot dead.
And in my first memories, they shot Kennedy
The author's earliest memory of a stunning revelation was when President Kennedy was assassinated.
I went numb when I learned to see
The experience of acknowledging the conditions that surrounded the author left them in shock.
So I never fell for Vietnam
As a consequence, the author refused to embrace the Vietnam conflict.
We got the wall of D.C. to remind us all
The Washington D.C. memorial serves as a reminder of the futility and sacrifice of war.
That you can't trust freedom
The author warns that freedom is a term that cannot be trusted.
When it's not in your hands
As long as you do not hold power.
When everybody's fightin'
In the face of widespread battle.
For their promised land
For the area they were promised.
And I don't need your civil war
The author objects to this civil war.
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor
The capitalistic category enriches itself while burying the destitute.
Your power-hungry sellin' soldiers
Promoting war to obtain control.
In a human grocery store
This war dehumanizes people.
Ain't that fresh
Expressing sarcasm or irony regarding an event.
Look at the shoes you're filling
Analyzing the role a person plays in a war.
Look at the blood we're spilling
Reflecting on the bloodshed resulting from waging war.
Look at the world we're killing
Highlighting the extent of collateral damage caused by war.
The way we've always done before
Following ages of prior history where war became conventional.
Look in the doubt we've wallowed
Acknowledging the doubts plaguing our society as a result of past warfare.
Look at the leaders we've followed
Examining the leaders responsible for conducting these wars.
Look at the lies we've swallowed
Observing the viewpoint that people believed, no matter how much it damaged them.
And I don't want to hear no more
Refusing to hear any more excuses or propaganda surrounding further conflict.
For all I've seen has changed my mind
The author's opinion toward war and combat have substantially altered.
But still the wars go on as the years go by
Despite this, wars persist through the years.
With no love of God or human rights
These conditions of battle arise in the absence of empathy or ethical sensitivities.
Cause all these dreams are swept aside
These fights diminish the aspirations countless people possess.
By bloody hands of the hypnotized
These wars continue due to brainwashing the people who wage them.
Who carry the cross of homicide
These individuals carry the weight of the consequences of wars.
And history bears the scars of our civil wars
The remnants of battles are recorded in history by the injuries and pain stories.
Whaz so civil 'bout war anyway?
Questioning the justification of war by sarcastically claiming its civility.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: W. AXL ROSE, SAUL HUDSON, DUFF ROSE MCKAGAN, IZZY STRADLIN, DARREN A. REED, MATT SORUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind