[untitled]
Ministry Lyrics


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I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know




And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Overall Meaning

The song [untitled] by Ministry is actually a cover of the classic song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. While the original song is a beautiful and uplifting message of hope and positivity, Ministry's version takes a much darker and more sarcastic tone. The distorted guitar riffs and aggressive vocals add a layer of irony to the lyrics, creating a sense of bitterness and cynicism.


The first stanza of the song talks about the beauty of nature and how it blooms for both the singer and the listener. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the world is not as wonderful as it seems. The line "I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow, they'll learn much more than I'll ever know" suggests a sense of hopelessness and despair, highlighting the singer's pessimistic view of the world.


The chorus still maintains the original message that the world is a wonderful place, but the music and vocals indicate otherwise. The sarcastic tone and distorted sound create a sense of irony, challenging the listener to question whether the world really is as wonderful as it seems.


Line by Line Meaning

I see trees of green, red roses, too
I observe the trees and the red flowers that flourish in nature


I see them bloom for me and you
I see them flourishing for both you and me


And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
As I reflect on the beauty of nature, I believe that this world is an amazing place


I see skies of blue and clouds of white
I observe the blue skies and white clouds


The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
Daytime and nighttime both hold important and special meaning for me


And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
As I continue to reflect on natural phenomena, I still believe that this world is truly incredible


The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
The vivid and brilliant colors of the rainbow are present in the sky


Are also on the faces of people going by
These same colors can be seen in the faces of the passing people


I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
I observe acquaintances greeting each other and exchanging pleasantries


They're really saying "I love you"
Beneath their initial greeting, they are expressing their affection towards one another


I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
I hear the sounds of infants crying and then witness their development


They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
These same infants will gain knowledge that surpasses my own


And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Even when considering the future of these infants, I still believe that this world is absolutely fantastic


Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I repeat my assertion that this world is simply wonderful and extraordinary




Writer(s): David Jay, Daniel Gaston Ash, Peter John Murphy, Kevin Haskins

Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@raguilarc8033

The author William Burroughs, whose books include Naked Lunch, The Soft Machine and The Wild Boys, appears in the video for this song and performs some spoken dialogue. In our 2012 interview with Al Jourgensen, he told the story: "We did a video with him in Lawrence, Kansas. We walked to his house. I have this fear of flying on the 23rd of each month, you know, the old saying '23 skiddoo,' I don't travel on the 23rd. But on this day, I talked a friend into renting a car and we drove down to Lawrence, Kansas. We got his address and we showed up at his house and he opens the door and the first thing he said was, 'Are you holding?' We only had enough for ourselves to keep us for a few days, because my friend was a junkie, too, so we're like, no, and so he slams the door in my face.

So we did a drive back to Kansas City to score heroin to come into Bill Burroughs' house. So the next time he opens the door, he goes, 'Are you holding?' We're like, 'Yeah, we got it.' He's like, 'All right. Come in.' So we were allowed in.

So then I'm sitting there, and he pulls out this like 1950s Pulp Fiction kind of tool belt with needles in it. Like old school, 1950s, huge needles. And he meticulously took that out, found a vein - I don't know how you'd find a vein in a 70 year old guy, but he knew what he was doing. So we all shot up together and we're all stoned on his couch in his living room. And I notice there was a letter on his desk in front of me that was from the White House. Okay? And I'm like, Bill, it's not even opened. And I'm just like, 'Are you going to open this?' He goes, 'Nahhh, it's probably junk mail.' It's from the White House, and we're all completely stoned on heroin. So I go, 'Do you mind if I open it?' He's like, 'Man, I don't care.' So I open it and there's a letter from President Bill Clinton asking him to speak at the White House during some Naked Lunch excerpts or whatever. So I was like, 'Man, this is big.' And the only thing he said was, 'Who's president nowadays?' He didn't know. He didn't even know Bill Clinton was president. He was just so in his own world that he didn't even know who the President of the United States was, and he didn't open the envelope.

So then he starts going off about his petunia garden. That's all he cared about. He didn't care about who the President was. He cared about his petunia garden and how the raccoons were eating his petunias. And he tried to shoot the raccoons, but they were too fast. Obviously, not the William Tell story of his life in Mexico.

I knew he was on the methadone program, so I said, 'Why don't you put out some methadone wafers and slow the raccoons down?' And he told me, 'You're an astute young man.' So we immediately got along. He came in the video shoot the next day all happy. He came in early, which is rare for Bill Burroughs, man. He came in early and he was all happy and he was like, 'I finally got one of those bastards, thanks to your advice.' Apparently they'd eaten the methadone; they slowed down enough for Bill to shoot them. [Laughing] So he was totally happy and we became friends over the years until he died. And now I love that guy, man."



All comments from YouTube:

@notsocrates9529

"I could stop if I wanted to."


Famous last words.

@BruceLeeKingoftheSewers

*couldnt

@deanreser4831

Junkie hahahaha!!

@ginoortega9527

Hahahahahaha

@shannonnewman3091

Yep....I can stop if I wanted to......

@lukerecore

That's what I used to say when I was a junkie.

17 More Replies...

@CzechRiot

I seriously never expected Alain Jourgensen to live this long. It seems drugs and alcohol do not affect negatively some people.

@DiZastur

lol, I turned 60 3 months ago, been told my expiration date for decades now. I drink too much, I smoke too much and yet, most of the people who have pointed that out to me over the past 5 decades are now deceased um, they were wrong I'm still here, a bit drunk at the moment, but not dead

@DiZastur

yep, some families are susceptible to certain conditions and some are not

@CzechRiot

@@DiZastur I think that in many cases, the mentality before hand and as it goes, plays a big part. \people who are junkie and alcoholic, many times do these things out of frustration and sadness and a discontentment and disgust for life. \it is psychologically taxing. And there are more chances of this more streesful and depressive stance, while sober and ever under the inluence. \these things make one more susceptible tp the fuck it mentality, making it easy+ier for abusing and even ODing...

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