Refused's lyrics focus mostly on revolutionary politics, drawing on Marxism and anarchism. Formed from the ashes of Step Forward, by the time of their first album the band already had a strong anti-establishment profile. Members were all vegan straight edge until their last show in 1998. After the initial breakup, Lyxzén formed other bands such as the (International) Noise Conspiracy, AC4, and INVSN.
Current members
Dennis Lyxzén — vocals (1991-present)
David Sandström — drums (1991–present)
Kristofer Steen — guitars (1994–present)
Magnus Flagge — bass (1992–present)
Mattias Bärjed — guitar (2019–present)
Former members
Jon Brännström — guitars (1994–2014)
Jonas Lidgren — bass (1991-1992)
Pär Hansson — guitars (1991–1994)
Henrik Jansson — guitars (1992–1995)
Magnus Höggren — bass (1995–1997)
Ulf Nybérg — bass (1997–1998)
Discography:
1994 - This Just Might Be... the Truth
1996 - Songs to Fan the Flames
1998 - The Shape of Punk to Come
2015 - Freedom
2019 - War Music
www.officialrefused.com
Dust
Refused Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
USA with no intention to make peace
Keeping Americas public in dark
Just feeding them with reasons to light the spark of hate
The tradition goes way back, to the first capitalistic attack
An area that for the last 200 years has shown a great example
Of our system to fear
Where just a threat to OPEC's intentions
Economical wars in the sign of democracy, shows political agendas of hypocrisy
Bush administration oil conventions, time again for the bell of information
Cause the media didn't have the right to cover, the civilians killed
And our own losses
Playing world police to withhold, the integrity of the American dream
Any war that isn't fought for the people, is a war against the people.
The lyrics to Refused's song Dust address issues surrounding the US's involvement in the Middle East, particularly with Iraq. The first verse criticizes the US's lack of intention to make peace, instead keeping the American public in the dark and feeding them reasons to hate. The song suggests that this hate is a long-standing tradition, dating back to the first capitalist attack. The American system is shown to fear the example set by the Middle East in this respect. The second verse deals specifically with the Iraq War and the rationale behind the US's actions. Refused points out that unprovoked Iraqi actions were only a threat to OPEC's intentions, and that the economic wars fought in the guise of democracy show political agendas of hypocrisy. The band goes on to point out that the Bush administration's oil conventions indicate that the war was not based on a sincere motivation to protect America, but rather to protect its oil interests.
The third verse focuses on the media's inability to cover civilian casualties and US losses in the war. Refused suggests that playing world police with the intention of upholding the American dream is hypocritical, especially since any war that isn't fought for the people is a war against the people. As a result, the song's title, Dust, takes on a broader meaning, referring to the destruction and loss that has resulted from the Iraq War.
Line by Line Meaning
As the smoke settles in the middle east
The aftermath of war in the Middle East is becoming more apparent.
USA with no intention to make peace
The United States has no interest in pursuing peace in the region.
Keeping Americas public in dark
The government is deliberately withholding information from the American people.
Just feeding them with reasons to light the spark of hate
The government is spreading propaganda to encourage hatred and fear.
The tradition goes way back, to the first capitalistic attack
The roots of this situation date back to the earliest days of capitalism.
An area that for the last 200 years has shown a great example
The Middle East has been an important economic and political region for centuries.
Of our system to fear
Our system breeds fear and encourages aggression and violence.
Unprovoked Iraqi actions
The actions taken by Iraq were not initiated by anything the United States did.
Where just a threat to OPEC's intentions
Iraq posed a potential threat to the economic interests of OPEC (The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries).
Economical wars in the sign of democracy, shows political agendas of hypocrisy
The idea of fighting wars for economic gain under the guise of promoting democracy is inherently hypocritical.
Bush administration oil conventions, time again for the bell of information
The Bush administration's policies regarding oil are worth examining in more detail.
Cause the media didn't have the right to cover, the civilians killed
Many civilian deaths went unreported because the media was not given access to the war zone.
And our own losses
The losses suffered by American soldiers were also significant.
Playing world police to withhold, the integrity of the American dream
The United States is trying to be the world police force in order to maintain the idea of the American Dream.
Any war that isn't fought for the people, is a war against the people.
Wars that are fought for the wrong reasons end up hurting everyone, including the people they were supposed to help.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: VAN HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind