Refuse-Resist
Max Cavalera/Sepultura Lyrics


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Chaos A.D.
Tanks on the streets
Confronting police
Bleeding the Plebs
Raging crowd
Burning cars
Bloodshed starts
Who'll be alive?!

Chaos A.D.
Army in siege
Total alarm
I'm sick of this
Inside the state
War is created
No man's land
What is this shit?!

Refuse, Resist
Refuse

Chaos A.D.
Disorder unleashed
Starting to burn
Starting to lynch
Silence means death
Stand on your feet
Inner fear
Your worst enemy





Refuse, Resist
Refuse, Resist

Overall Meaning

"Refuse/Resist" is a powerful song by Max Cavalera and his band Sepultura, released in 1993 as a part of their album "Chaos A.D." This song reflects Cavalera's view on the political and social situation in Brazil back then, where people were oppressed and leading miserable lives due to political corruption, poverty, and violence. The song opens with the phrase "Chaos A.D," referring to the Brazilian political chaos that was happening at the time.


The lyrics of the song are a call for the people to revolt against the government and the police, who are depicted as the oppressors. The tanks on the streets and the confrontation with the police are some of the metaphors used to describe the conflict between the people and the authorities. The song also speaks of the bloodshed, the burning cars, and the riots. The phrase "who'll be alive?!" is an expression of uncertainty about the future of the people who are facing such brutality.


In the second paragraph, Cavalera talks about the army's siege and the total chaos that has taken control of the state. He is sick of this situation and wonders why this is happening. The war has created "no man's land," and there is a sense of confusion about how to handle things. The phrase "Refuse, Resist" is repeated throughout the song and serves as a call for people to stand up against oppression, to refuse to be silenced, and to resist the authorities' abusive power.


Line by Line Meaning

Chaos A.D.
The world is in chaos during the aftermath of the A.D. era.


Tanks on the streets
The power is in control by force, with tanks used to suppress opposition.


Confronting police
The people are standing up to the police who represent the regime.


Bleeding the Plebs
The common people are bleeding due to oppression from the regime.


Raging crowd
The people are furious and about to burst.


Burning cars
The rebellion has turned violent, with property being destroyed.


Bloodshed starts
The situation has escalated to the point of people being killed.


Who'll be alive?!
The situation is so uncertain that even the survival of people is in question.


Army in siege
The armed forces have surrounded and cut-off the people in protest.


Total alarm
The situation has reached a level of urgency and fear.


I'm sick of this
The singer is tired of the situation and wants change.


Inside the state
The cause of the unrest arises from within the ruling establishment.


War is created
The regime has created a war-like situation with its own people.


No man's land
The area of conflict has become a place of chaos with no clear rules or control.


What is this shit?!
The singer is disgusted by the situation and wants answers.


Refuse, Resist
The people will refuse to be oppressed and will resist against the regime to bring change.


Disorder unleashed
The protests have resulted in complete chaos and disorder.


Starting to burn
The situation is heating up and it's about to get worse.


Starting to lynch
Violence has escalated to the point where people are being killed without trial.


Silence means death
The people need to speak out and take action or they will face certain death or oppression.


Stand on your feet
The people need to stand up and fight or they will fall.


Inner fear
The fear within themselves could be their own enemy.


Your worst enemy
The fear, mistrust, and apathy within the people will do more harm than the regime itself.


Refuse, Resist
The people will continue to refuse and resist the tyranny against them.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREAS RUDOLF KISSER, IGOR CAVALERA, MASSIMILIANO A. CAVALERA, PAULO XISTO JR. PINTO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@krapikaspovilas8943

Slave New World
Подчиненный новый мир
Текст песни (исполняет Sepultura)

Перевод песни (Kvin Dee)

Face – The Enemy
Stare – Inside You
Control – Your Thoughts
Destroy – Destroy 'em All

You Censor What We Breathe
Prejudice With No Belief
Senseless Violence All Around
Who Is It That Keeps Us Down

Once All Free Tribes
Chained Down Led Lives
Blood Boils Inside Me
We're Not Slaves, We're Free

Face– The Enemy
Stare – Inside You
Control – Your Thoughts
Destroy – Destroy 'em All

Лицо - Враг
Взгляд - внутрь тебя
Контроль - твоих мыслей
Разрушить - уничтожить их Всех...

Ты цензура которой мы дышим
Предубеждение без Веры
Безсмысленное насилие всего вокруг
Кто это нас унижает...

После всего, свободные племена
Скованно вели жизнь
Кровь кипит внутри меня
Мы не рабы, мы свободны...

Лицо - Враг
Взгляд - внутрь вас
Контроль - ваших мыслей
Разрушить - уничтожить их Всех...



All comments from YouTube:

@tonito91

Holy shit! It took me like 20 years to realize that the first 5-6 seconds are the heartbeat of a baby. Today my pregnant wife & I went to an ultrasound scan and when the doctor showed us our daughter’s heartbeat, I was like: “Wait a minute, I know this sound”😄

@joaov.m.oliveira9903

It's Max's son Zyon's beat. Who, of all things, later became a drumer.
=D

@tonito91

@João V. M. Oliveira Wow, I didn’t know that fun fact 😄 Thanks for the info.

@bzzzzzzBits

Fuck man. Cheers for that!!!

@AbbyTheAbinator

haha dude answering life's mysteries! \m/-.-'

@MjC7192

Refuse/Resist is Sepultura's fourth single, released in 1993. The title song, also included ... The intro to the song is the heartbeat of Max Cavalera's then-unborn ...
Missing: sound ‎| Must include: sound
You visited this page on 3/18/22.

75 More Replies...

@jane.doe.is.hostile3415

When I listen to this song it makes me feel like I can take on the world. Even now that I’m going through so much emotional pain. I’ve been in denial that I’m at the bottom of a huge pit of depression. My husband died 3 months ago from a drug overdose. Fentanyl laced meth. I’m barely beginning to process the grief of his death. He was a good man. It didn’t make him a bad person because he was a drug addict. Traditional therapy is a waste of time. I don’t know where I’d be without my music. I also believe in the power of prayer. For those of you who believe in Christ I humbly ask for your prayers for my husband’s soul. The world was better off with him in it. ❤RIP Mike ❤❤

@heathen-ash2628

Sorry for your loss.
RIP Mike

@Liquidgrin

I will always hold this album up on a pedestal. Anger so fluently expressed.

@craigmorgan4676

Agreed brother, may it continue!👊👊😫🤯🤯🤯🤯🤨💪💪💪

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