https://soundcloud.com/assemblage-23
http://surveillance23.bandcamp.com/
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Surveillance is a lo-fi power pop group from Halifax, N.S.
http://surveillance2015.bandcamp.com/
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Surveillance is a heavy metal band from Michigan.
Thoughtcrime
Surveillance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The architect
A coup d'etat
Of intellect
Violence
Implied or real
Annihilate
(Thought Crime)
Submission is the only solution
(Thought crime)
Preemptive means to avoid revolution
(Thought crime)
Crushing you in a wave of suppression
(Thought crime)
Distorting truth in the name of deception
Friend or foe
The eyes betray
The hostility
That they display
Inner thoughts
An open book
We picked the lock
And had a look
A crime of thought
Through and through
A punishment
For what you might do
Corrective means
To steer you straight
An enemy
Of a virtual state
The lyrics to Surveillance's song "Thoughtcrime" have a political meaning to them, particularly in relation to authoritarian regimes that seek to suppress individual freedom and autonomy. The lines "Disobedience, The architect, A coup d'etat, Of intellect" might refer to the idea that the act of disobedience, particularly in intellectual matters, can be seen as a threat to those in power who seek to control the thoughts and actions of their citizens.
The song goes on to discuss the use of violence as a means of suppressing these new ideas and ideals, with the lyrics "Violence, Implied or real, Annihilate, The new ideals." The chorus then repeats the phrase "thought crime" several times, which can be interpreted as a reference to George Orwell's novel "1984" and the idea of punishing individuals for their thoughts rather than their actions.
The lines "Submission is the only solution, Preemptive means to avoid revolution" suggest that those in power seek to maintain control by encouraging submission and using preemptive measures to suppress any potential revolution. The final lines "Corrective means, To steer you straight, An enemy, Of a virtual state" emphasize the idea that the state seeks to correct and control the thoughts of its citizens to maintain power and suppress any dissenting ideas or actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Disobedience
Acting against authority
The architect
The person influential enough to lead the disobedience against authority
A coup d'etat
An overthrow of authority
Of intellect
Ideas and reasoning being the weapon of choice for the overthrow
Violence
Use of force, be it implicit or explicit
Implied or real
The use of force, in its subtle or overt form
Annihilate
Destroying the new ideas, be it in full or its essence
The new ideals
The ideas or theories that pose a threat to authority
(Thought Crime)
The act of thinking against the authority
Submission is the only solution
The only acceptable response to authority is acquiescence
(Thought crime)
The act of thinking against the authority
Preemptive means to avoid revolution
Using measures to prohibit the growth of ideas that could lead to a larger rebellion against authority
(Thought crime)
The act of thinking against the authority
Crushing you in a wave of suppression
Silencing the growth of thought against authority with brutal, oppressive measures
(Thought crime)
The act of thinking against the authority
Distorting truth in the name of deception
Using deceit to warp the truth and manipulate facts in favor of authority
Friend or foe
The ambiguity of alliances
The eyes betray
A person's looks and behavior are signs of loyalty to authority
The hostility
The aggression and disdain shown towards those who raise ideas against authority
That they display
The show of hostility is a method of exposing people who disagree with authority
Inner thoughts
The individual reasoning and belief system
An open book
The ease and transparency of which a person's beliefs can be observed
We picked the lock
The act of accessing a person's innermost thought process
And had a look
The observation of an individual's innermost thought process
A crime of thought
The act of thinking against authority is considered unlawful
Through and through
An act of thinking against authority, from its inception to completion
A punishment
The consequence and penalty for thinking against authority
For what you might do
The punishment for thinking against authority is for fear of possible actions that may arise from free thought and expression
Corrective means
The use of oppressive methods to correct or stop free thought and expression
To steer you straight
The use of oppressive methods to enforce obedience and suppress free thought and expression
An enemy
A person who thinks or expresses thoughts against authority is considered an adversary of that authority
Of a virtual state
The idea of authority's presence in all aspects of society and the virtual world
Contributed by Wyatt S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.