In the original lineup, King, Hanneman and Araya contributed to the band's lyrics, and all of the band's music was written by King and Hanneman. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as serial killers, torture, genocide, organized crime, secret societies, occultism, terrorism, religion or antireligion, fascism, racism and war, have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and criticism from religious groups. However, its music has been highly influential, being cited by many bands as an influence musically, visually and lyrically; the band's third album, Reign in Blood (1986), has been described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums.
Slayer released twelve studio albums, three live albums, a box set, six music videos, two extended plays and a cover album. Four of the band's studio albums have received gold certification in the United States. Slayer sold 5 million copies in the United States from 1991 to 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and over 20 million worldwide. The band has received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the Insane" and one in 2008 for the song "Final Six", both of which were from the album Christ Illusion (2006). After more than three decades of recording and performing, Slayer announced in January 2018 that it would embark on a farewell tour, which took place from May 2018 to November 2019, after which the band disbanded.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slayer
Studio albums
Show No Mercy (1983)
Hell Awaits (1985)
Reign in Blood (1986)
South of Heaven (1988)
Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
Divine Intervention (1994)
Undisputed Attitude (1996)
Diabolus in Musica (1998)
God Hates Us All (2001)
Christ Illusion (2006)
World Painted Blood (2009)
Repentless (2015)
Expendable Youth
Slayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Home turf my battlefield
In no one's way caught in a crossfire
Stray bullets can kill
[Chorus]
Expendable youths
Fighting for possession
Rivalry and retribution
Death the only solution
Inured soul lies on the ground
Head blown off face down
Lying in a pool of blood
An accidental death homicide
[Chorus]
Struggling to survive
The drug induced warfare
To have control and principle obsession
Expendable youth fighting for possession
Violence is only a friend
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Slayer's song Expendable Youth speak about the senseless violence that exists on the streets of today's youth, where they fight for possession and control. The song talks about the vices of drugs and how it drives youths into a drug-induced warfare where violence seems to be their only friend. This, in turn, leads to unnecessary rivalries and retribution, causing death, which is the only solution. The phrase 'stray bullets can kill' speaks of the innocent people who are often caught in the crossfire of these battles where no one's way, and it is usually an accidental death homicide.
The inured soul on the ground references the loss of life and how it can rip the soul apart. The song portrays the youth as being expendable based on their aggression and senseless reactions. The lyrics also showcase how far the youth's principle obsession can go, which is controlling their environment no matter the price. The song speaks of how these issues are linked to a larger socio-economic crisis, where the government has failed the youth, warping them into "expendable" beings, fighting for survival.
Line by Line Meaning
Gun down cold on a raw deal
Being killed without warning and without any just cause
Home turf my battlefield
Being killed on the streets you call home
In no one's way caught in a crossfire
Being killed accidentally while just being present in that particular place
Stray bullets can kill
Getting killed due to other people's carelessness
Expendable youths
Young people being disposable and not worth saving
Fighting for possession
Fighting over material possessions and superficial things
Having control the principle obsession
Considering control as the most important principle of life
Rivalry and retribution
Competing with others and taking revenge on those who have wronged you
Death the only solution
Believing that the only way to solve problems is through killing
Inured soul lies on the ground
The soul has been badly hurt and is now lying on the ground, possibly dead
Head blown off face down
The head has been completely destroyed and the body is lying face down
Lying in a pool of blood
Blood is seeping out of the body and forming a pool on the ground
An accidental death homicide
A death that occurred accidentally but still has to be classified as a homicide
Struggling to survive
Trying hard to stay alive against all odds
The drug induced warfare
Fighting that is fueled by the use of drugs
To have control and principle obsession
Believing that control is the most important thing in life, and being obsessed with that idea
Violence is only a friend
Thinking that violence is the only way to deal with problems and can be a trusted ally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KERRY KING, TOMAS ENRIQUE ARAYA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind