Although the Exploited continue to perform live, they have not released any studio material since their last album Fuck the System in 2002. Their songs have been covered by Slayer and Ice-T, and despite many lineup changes, Wattie has remained as the Exploited's singer and leader.
Discography:
1981 - Punks Not Dead
1982 - Troops of Tomorrow
1983 - Let's Start a War...
1985 - Horror Epics
1987 - Death Before Dishonour
1990 - The Massacre
1996 - Beat the Bastards
2002 - Fuck the System
Let's Start a War
The Exploited Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the unemployed masses we'll just do away
They won't suss us,they'll never know
Let's start a war said Maggie one day
Let's start a war said Maggie one day
Let's start a war said Maggie one day
You fight for your country
Death and destruction all around
Shops and houses are razed to the ground
Bump out houses empty shells
Here on earth it´s just a mortal hell
[Chorus]
How they died no-one will ever know
They said they would save us as deterrents they would be used
Except they brought destruction to an earth that grows no food
Now we are gone for ever no tombs can hold your names
[Chorus]
The Exploited's song "Let's Start a War" is a punk protest against the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in the UK during the 1980s. The lyrics depict Thatcher's hawkish policies towards the Falklands War, the miners' strikes, and the anti-nuclear movement. The song establishes Thatcher as a warmonger, willing to sacrifice the lives of the unemployed masses for her own gain. The lyrics "Let's start a war said Maggie one day, with the unemployed masses we'll just do away" are a direct criticism of Thatcher's policies towards the working class, wherein social welfare programs were reduced and government spending on arms was increased. The song highlights the destruction and devastation caused by wars, and the consequences of the conservative government's policies.
The song's lyrics are powerful, rebellious and relevant to the political climate of the time. Thatcher's policies had caused great social unrest, strikes, and protests, and many saw her as a dictator who cared only for her own agenda. The Exploited's punk aesthetic and lyrics were a direct retaliation against this oppressive regime, and the song became a rallying cry for those who were marginalized and voiceless.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's start a war said Maggie one day
Maggie proposes to instigate a war
With the unemployed masses we'll just do away
Maggie intends to get rid of the unemployed population
They won't suss us,they'll never know
She believes they can carry out their plan secretly
You fight for your country
The government convinces people to fight for their country
You die for their gain
But in reality, they are dying for the government's benefits
Death and destruction all around
War brings about death and destruction everywhere
Shops and houses are razed to the ground
Buildings, properties, and homes are destroyed
Bump out houses empty shells
Everything is left in ruins, and there is nothing left inside them
Here on earth it´s just a mortal hell
Living on earth during a war is like living in a self-made hell
[Chorus] How they died no-one will ever know
The true cause of death of those who lost their lives in war remains a mystery forever
They said they would save us as deterrents they would be used
Governments claimed that wars were necessary to protect their people and act as deterrents
Except they brought destruction to an earth that grows no food
However, wars brought nothing but destruction even to soil that was supposed to produce food
Now we are gone for ever no tombs can hold your names
Many people lost their lives in war and there is no way to be remembered anymore
[Chorus]
The repeated chorus highlights that the true cost of war is the loss of human lives and the suffering that it brings
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUCHAN, DUNCAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
R C
I was 14 or 15 qt the time. I remember buying the album and playing it full blast after school while my parents were at work. I was a loner at that time but the Exploited was my best friend. I saw them in 1985 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and Wattie let me sing in to the mic during Dead Cities. Great memory, great band, great guys. I hope they are all well.
Marcelli
LoL 😳 I did the same thing 🤣 expect in SF
Fletch Keilman
Damn good memory, sir. Hope you are also in good health
R C
@Fletch Keilman Thank you and likewise.
StalinLovsMsmZioglowfagz & WEFshitbags
This and FEAR, Poison Idea, Circle Jerks, Black Flag, Bad Brains…then Excel came along…. Then it was Grunge — forgot Cro Mags, Urinals… so many others and NYC bands who I didn’t listen to them but whose name I forget. Just an awesome time in music. Good stuff on Irresponsiful, Junkie Business, Felopunk and some other channels that’s new today. Still nothing like this shit.
StalinLovsMsmZioglowfagz & WEFshitbags
Oh, yeah and how can I forget that first Suicidal Tendencies album… and being born just too late to catch the Germs. I remember we went to this party out in Canyon Country that Poison idea and Suicidal Tendencies were supposed to both play at and we got wasted and got into a fight, my friend Mike was already grown man sized in eighth grade and was jumping on people, missed everything.
Dexter Morgan
This is one of the best punk riffs ever 🔥
FloridaManMatty
My first real live show. The Exploited, Biohazard, and some AWFUL band called Meat Locker. Type O Negative was on the bill but cancelled at the last minute. November 16th, 1993 in Orlando Florida at Club Spacefish. Hadn’t thought a out that night in years. Absolutely BRUTAL show.
john gillespie
I saw them with Type O Negative at Medusa's in Chicago, I went through the pit once, and walked back around to my friends. There were asshole skins on the edge punchin people as they came by .
Bob Cvetichan
I saw them on that tour in Cleveland. I'm pretty sure Type O Negative was there. If not, then I saw Type O Negative at the same venue some other time. Got banged up and had to miss football practice the next day.