Since 2000, the band has played concerts around the U.S.A. and Europe, and has made numerous television appearances, including performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Fox News Channel, CNN, and as the house band on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly and MTV's Say What? Karaoke series.
Richard Cheese text taken from Wikipedia.
Bullet the Blue Sky
Richard Cheese Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comes a swingin' rain
See it driving nails into the souls on the tree of pain
From the firefly
A red-orange glow
See the face of fear running scared in that valley below
Ooh
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
In the locust wind
Comes a rattle and hum
Jacob wrestled the angel, and the angel was overcome
Plant a demon seed
You raise a flower of fire
See them burning crosses, see the flames, higher and higher
Ooh
Ooh
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue, oh
Bullet the blue, oh
Oh
Oh
So this guy comes up to me
His face is red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colors of a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
Slappin' 'em down
Uno, dos
And I can see those fighter planes
I can see those fighter planes
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
Through the alleys of the quiet city street
You take the staircase to the first floor
Turn the key and slowly unlock the door
And a man breathes into a saxophone
And through the walls we hear the city groan
Outside it's America
Outside it's America
America
America
So across the field
You see the sky ripped open
See the rain come through the gaping wound
Pounding the broads and the kids
Who run into the arms
of America
Richard Cheese's song Bullet the Blue Sky is a cover of the original song by U2, released in 1987. The song is a protest against the violence and bloodshed caused by American military intervention in Central America during the 1980s. The opening lines of the song paint a picture of a violent storm, driving nails into the souls of those who suffer from the actions of the oppressors. The red-orange glow in the next line is a reference to the heat and flames of the uprising that is taking place down below. The line "Bullet the blue sky" is a metaphor for the violence and destruction caused by American military intervention.
The second verse of the song continues the theme of violence and oppression. The locust wind is a metaphor for the plague of violence unleashed by the oppressors. "Jacob wrestled the angel" is a biblical reference to the struggle between good and evil. The line "Plant a demon seed, you raise a flower of fire" suggests that the violence and destruction caused by the oppressors is the result of their own actions. The burning crosses and flames in the following line refer to the racial violence and discrimination against African Americans in the United States.
The final verse of the song is spoken by Richard Cheese himself, and describes a conversation he had with a man who embodies the excesses of American capitalism. The fighter planes and mud huts are a reference to the military interventions in Central America. The man's face is described as "red like a rose on a thorn bush," implying that he is both wealthy and dangerous. The sound of the saxophone and the "city groan" that can be heard through the walls suggest that there is a hidden world of poverty and suffering just beneath the surface of American prosperity.
Line by Line Meaning
In the howling wind
Amidst the intense wind
Comes a swingin' rain
Accompanied by rain that swings
See it driving nails into the souls on the tree of pain
This rain is so intense that it feels like it's hammering nails into the souls of those in pain
From the firefly
Amidst the light of the firefly
A red-orange glow
There's a bright, red-orange glow that can be seen
See the face of fear running scared in that valley below
Witnessing the face of fear that's running scared through the valley below
Ooh
Interjection expressing excitement or emotion
Ooh
Interjection expressing excitement or emotion
Bullet the blue sky
The blue sky is being pierced or shot at
Bullet the blue sky
The blue sky is being pierced or shot at
In the locust wind
Amidst the wind that resembles a swarm of locusts
Comes a rattle and hum
There's a commotion and noise that's accompanying the wind
Jacob wrestled the angel, and the angel was overcome
This is a reference to a Biblical story where Jacob wrestles an angel and overcomes him, signifying a victory of faith over the forces of fear or evil
Plant a demon seed
A metaphorical expression of sowing the seeds of evil
You raise a flower of fire
When evil actions are nurtured, they grow into a monstrous entity that manifests as a fire of destruction
See them burning crosses, see the flames, higher and higher
Visualizing the sight of burning crosses where the flames keep rising higher and higher
Ooh
Interjection expressing excitement or emotion
Ooh
Interjection expressing excitement or emotion
Bullet the blue sky
The blue sky is being pierced or shot at
Bullet the blue sky
The blue sky is being pierced or shot at
Bullet the blue, oh
The blue sky being pierced is emphasized again
Bullet the blue, oh
The blue sky being pierced is emphasized again
Oh
Interjection expressing excitement or emotion
Oh
Interjection expressing excitement or emotion
So this guy comes up to me
The singer is referring to an encounter with someone
His face is red like a rose on a thorn bush
Describing the man's face to be as red as a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colors of a royal flush
Comparison drawn to the colors of cards in a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
The man is peeling off dollar bills, suggesting a vulgar display of wealth
Slappin' 'em down
The man is emphatically and carelessly slapping down the bills
Uno, dos
These Spanish words mean 'one, two'
And I can see those fighter planes
The singer is visualizing fighter planes
I can see those fighter planes
Repeating the previous line, re-emphasizing the visual
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
The artist can visualize where the local children reside
Through the alleys of the quiet city street
The artist has a clear picture of the city streets at night
You take the staircase to the first floor
The instructions on how to navigate to a location on the first floor
Turn the key and slowly unlock the door
The process of unlocking the door using a key is described
And a man breathes into a saxophone
The sound of a man blowing into a saxophone can be heard
And through the walls we hear the city groan
The sound of the city making a low, continuous growling noise is audible
Outside it's America
The scene inside is juxtaposed to signify the reality outside of America
Outside it's America
The scene inside is juxtaposed to signify the reality outside of America
America
A repetition of the previous line, portraying a grim and apathetic attitude towards the current state of America
America
A repetition of the previous line, portraying a grim and apathetic attitude towards the current state of America
So across the field
Highlighting the situation taking place somewhere else
You see the sky ripped open
A clear image of the sky being ripped apart is evident
See the rain come through the gaping wound
Visualizing the rain falling through the gaping hole in the sky
Pounding the broads and the kids
The intensity of the rain is described, almost like it's pummeling everything in its path, including people
Who run into the arms
People running desperately for cover and safety
Contributed by Scarlett J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lennycorps
Still love it after all these years... those brilliant instrumental flourishes that match the lyrics (dollar bills, I can see those fighter planes, take the staircase) YES.
@dpatterson1489
Love his interpretations
@JazzyUnderscoreTrumpeter
Yes.
@carlo6304
Dude I been cheese head
@carlo6304
Woulda been there in Dallas
But my cousin was getting married
Next time tho for sure