song lyrics for a saturday, part 1

The Swedish anarchist punk band Refused imploded in 1998. Their reasons were simple: How can we reconcile our political beliefs with a career in music? They were becoming popular and thus decided they couldn't, so they broke up.

Their final album, The Shape of Punk to Come, is still regarded as a classic ten years after it was recorded. I knew nothing about Refused or this particular album, but I bought it on a whim one day when I was in the local Best Buy, searching for more surround sound music. I'm not a huge fan of punk, but this album has become my favorite in the genre.

Many of the lyrics are political in nature, and although I'm not an anarchist, I can't say I disagree with a lot of what they're saying. I first heard this album when I was reconsidering my own capitalist leanings and behavior, and from those musings came the name of my blog. Someday, when I'm in a philosophical mood, I'll explain more.

Without further ado, the lyrics to "Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull", my favorite song on the album:

I got a bone to pick with capitalism and a few to break
Grab us by the throat and shake the life away
Human life is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe

And yeah, I like eating excrement, not getting paid for it
Play the guilt, play the fear & play the anxiety
And yeah, I like eating excrement, not getting paid for it
Play the guilt, play the fear & play the anxiety

Seduced by the opportunity and robbed of hope
Alien nation is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe

Marginalise away the joy and sell us boredom

And yeah, I like working doing nothing, not making anything
Blame the poor, blame the uneducated & blame the sick
And yeah, I like working doing nothing, not making anything
Blame the poor, blame the uneducated & blame the sick

I got a bone to pick and a few to break