The subject of the lyric was the 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning professional photographer Kevin Carter who was awarded for his image The Vulture and the Little Girl, taken in what is now South Sudan. Carter was troubled by the balance of his professional responsibilities with moral considerations, leading to his suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 33.
Lead singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield tuned his Fender Jazzmaster to open G tuning, which is commonly used in the playing of slide and bottleneck guitars. The jagged, descending chords of the verses lead into a lush extended middle section, including a trumpet solo played by Sean Moore, which further points to experimental songwriting while also linking back to the spiky music on the band's previous album, The Holy Bible. James Dean Bradfield has said of the song, "It's quite a scratchy sound, but it's kind of complicated in its own humble way."
Along with "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier", it was one of two new tracks that he played on an acoustic guitar to the songs' lyricist, Richey Edwards, shortly before he disappeared.
Kevin Carter
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics
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Tribal scars in Technicolor
Bang bang club AK 47 hour
Kevin Carter
Hi Time magazine hi Pulitzer Prize
Vulture stalked white piped lie forever
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
The elephant is so ugly he sleeps his head
Machetes his bed Kevin Carter kaffir lover forever
Click click click click click
Click himself under
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
The lyrics of Manic Street Preachers' song "Kevin Carter" tells the story of the eponymous photojournalist Kevin Carter and his struggles with fame and addiction. The first verse refers to his successful career in journalism, with references to famous publications such as Time magazine and Pulitzer Prize. The second verse is a commentary on his experience with the Bang Bang Club, a group of photojournalists who covered the violence and unrest of South Africa during apartheid. The third verse references Carter's controversial photograph of a starving child and a vulture, which won him the Pulitzer Prize but also caused criticism and guilt. The final verse refers to Carter's eventual suicide, with the lyrics "Click himself under" and "Machetes his bed," alluding to the fact that he took his own life by carbon monoxide poisoning while sitting in his car.
The song is an insightful commentary on the dark side of photojournalism and the toll it can take on a person's mental health. It also explores themes of guilt, addiction, and the fleeting nature of fame. The chorus repeating "Kevin Carter" is a haunting reminder of the subject of the song and the tragic end to his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hi Time magazine hi Pulitzer Prize
Greetings to the top journalism publications, which Kevin Carter was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize for his work in photojournalism.
Tribal scars in Technicolor
The wounds of apartheid and violence in African tribes are vivid and strikingly colored, which Kevin Carter aimed to capture in his photography.
Bang bang club AK 47 hour
Referencing the Bang Bang Club, a group of photographers who captured South Africa's townships during the final years of apartheid, often risking their lives in the process. 'AK 47 hour' refers to the perilous time after curfew where violence was rampant.
Kevin Carter
Repeatedly referencing the titular photojournalist, who committed suicide at the age of 33.
Vulture stalked white piped lie forever
Kevin Carter's famous photograph featuring a starving Sudanese girl being stalked by a vulture was criticized for seeming staged and representing a Western perspective of Africa, though the photo itself showed the tragic reality of famine and its consequences.
Wasted your life in black and white
The phrase refers to the visual nature of photography, with 'black and white' being a literal interpretation of Carter's work, and 'wasted your life' referring to the emotional toll his work took on him and the short life he lived.
The elephant is so ugly he sleeps his head
A reference to the harsh realities of nature and the plight of elephants, who are often hunted for their valuable ivory tusks, but still manage to find brief moments of respite.
Machetes his bed Kevin Carter kaffir lover forever
A possible allusion to the intertribal violence and civil wars that plagued Africa during the time Carter was active, as well as the often-demeaning term 'kaffir' used to refer to black South Africans.
Click click click click click
The sound of a camera shutter rapidly taking photos, highlighting the supposed ease with which photojournalists can take pictures of human suffering and tragedy.
Click himself under
A possible allusion to Carter's suicide, and how the weight of the work he did may have contributed to his mental state.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES BRADFIELD, NICHOLAS JONES, RICHARD EDWARDS, SEAN MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mad Buddha
@meritpoint funny, but not funny enough. That punchline doesn't deserve its set-up. The punchline must be funny enough to justify the means. This usually entails putting the humor in line with the tragic so that they are moving in the same direction. That way, the the power of the humor can be be assisted by the power of the tragedy, instead of working against the power of the tragedy by giving it a punchline that does not recognize, or tries to take away from, the power of the tragedy. One way to do this would be to actually increase the power of the tragedy with your punchline, so that the "power levels", so to speak, of humor and tragedy are both increasing over the course of the joke — they go in "the same direction". In a good joke, the power of the tragedy is inextricably linked to the power of the humor so that the sadder the joke becomes, the funnier it gets; but this can only occur after Humor and Tragedy have been linked by a trade relationship in which exchange can occur — Humor must first make contact by paying tribute to Tragedy.
But I digress. Here is my ruling: The court finds you guilty on one count of felony cringe. I hereby sentence you to be called "cringe" and to remain with that label for no longer than 48 hours. Upon your release, your digital activity shall be tracked and monitored by at least (but not limited to) one of the following entities, for no less than 1000 years:
- F.B.I.
- N.S.A
- C.I.A.
- Secret Service
- Department of Fish and Wildlife
- All other government agencies
- Facebook
- Amazon
- Jeff Bezos (himself personally, as opposed to the Amazon corporation)
- Your internet service provider
- Sanjeet's Curry Palace on the corner of 23rd and Pine st.
- Google
- Youtube
- Market research agencies
- Anyone else who wants to buy access
- Your mom
KuroMicra
When you read the story of Kevin Carter, his work and what ultimately led him to take his own life, this is a truly harrowing song but classic MSP.
TUFF GONG GB
O' THE HORROR....
MARANATHA KYMRY FYAH BUN
Robert Stitches
It mirrors a lot if what Richie felt about life sadly, one of his last masterpieces
Gary Dixon
I just read about him.. Always thought it was a fictional character but i should of known really it would run deeper..what with MSP being so politically driven...🎸🙂
Stephen Reynolds
@Gary Dixon this goes waaay beyond politics, but then again, so does modern politics 😞
Gregg 1975
Yeah...kinda how i see it for Kevin
rhorschack
Everything Must Go is such an amazingly beautiful and powerful record.
Robert Stitches
The fact that they made holy bible and the this.... truly one of the best "two in a row" in music history
Rangda Rangda
@Robert Stitches Richey was on fire at the time, and they were all on fire too. James and Sean are geniuses, and Nicky played his part in between hoovering.
ray wt
@Rangda Rangdahoovering? Nicky did far more than be the band housekeeper