Song Analysis

This was an interesting class requirement. To analyze the lyrics of a song that struck us as powerful. The unit we're doing now is on poetry. And I'm quite enjoying myself as far as this is going too.

Naturally, I chose as song that Disturbed has covered. The lyrics were superbly written, and David Draiman's voice helps make the song display the angst of what the song is really about in my eyes... revolution, and why it must happen. So anyway, here's the song lyrics. Following those, is my analysis.

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Land of Confusion

I must have dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street

Now, did you read the news today?
They say the danger has gone away
But I can see the fire's still alight
They're burning into the night

There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go around
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in

Oh, superman, where are you now?
When everything's gone wrong somehow?
The men of steel, these men of power
Are losing control by the hour

This is the time, this is the place
So we look for the future
But there's not much love to go around
Tell me why this is a land of confusion

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in

I remember long ago
When the sun was shining
And all the stars were bright all through the night
In the wake of this madness, as I held you tight
So long ago

I won't be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know we'll never keep

There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go round
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?

Now, this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for

This is the world we live in
And these are the names we're given
Stand up and let's start showing
Just where our lives are going to

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Land of Confusion—Lyrics Analysis

Lyrics Written by Genesis, and Covered by Disturbed

Revolution sends a powerful message. It helps people make things right by force, usually after all other options have been exhausted. Revolution is sometimes necessary in a society after the ruling force in that society has suppressed acts of civil disobedience. When people are sick and tired of looking at all that is wrong with a civilization, and worse, that these problems are not getting fixed. It then takes a large outcry to establish a rebellion. But when one is approaching, it is loud and it escalates quickly. It can be heard from all around. To some, it is the most terrifying sound that one could ever pass through his ears. To others, it is the most refreshing break in their mind that they have had in years. One that they thought would never come.

Suppressing rebellion is one goal of a society. Of course to do that, one must keep the people happy. If they’re not happy, they have to be made to be happy—via some illusion. But always, always there is a different way to look through the illusion. This is when society gets really scared. This is when it really does start to tumble. Because as the ideas grow, and lies are seen through, the anger in the inhabitants rise, and violence breaks out. This could be by means of a coup, as happened in Venezuela, or it could be by the help of a foreign power. This was the case in the American Revolution of the 1700’s. The rebellions could not be suppressed, and everyone was ready to change.

Through each of these rebellions in the past, the problem has always been one thing: too many powerful people—particularly men. There are too many people in power, each with entirely too much power. Thus far, all throughout history, every fallen leader has been immersed in one thing that leads to his downfall: greed. Greed has always surrounded humanity. Greed is the human condition. Humans know not life without looking at what the person next to him has, and wanting to not only take it, but to beat that person back down through the ropes of society, and remain on top, always getting more and more stuff. This is why humans cannot love one another; they cannot help one another in this day and age; because they are able to greedy. It is encouraged in fact; but masked by the simple use of the word “competition”. The illusion then in this world, is competition. Everywhere, competition for jobs, competition for market, competition for capitol, competition for smarts, competition for living—all of these are an added problem to the equation of this time of terrible human existence. Greed is rampant everywhere people turn their heads. For those who actually can see through the illusion that is put forth by those in power, there exists only a land of utter, terrible confusion.

As a thinking race though, possibly out of tens or hundreds of thousands of others in the universe, it is possible to set the pace of existence in the correct direction. Into a direction that more makes sense for continued human existence. One in which there exists no need to hold power over anyone. How is this achieved? Civil disobedience, rebellion, revolution, and overcoming the grasp that the powerful have on the lower walks of life in society, are all ways that can improve society, as the average person knows it. It can only be achieved if everyone knows why it has to be done. A society cannot progress if nobody agrees with it.

People need to feel abandoned somehow by those who protect them. Like a good superhero, the ruling class of any society should always protect those who they rule over. This is not happening, and more and more everyday, the power is not being taken by a government, but by private individuals who only care about money, and what they may buy with it. They care only about capitalizing off of various goods, essentials for life some of these things.

Any rebellion that would happen ought to happen here and now very soon. The time has never been more perfect. If people want a better future, and they can envision it, then all that has to be done, is to form a group of people who are ready for a change, collectively, for the better of themselves, each other, and for all of humanity. If this could happen, the world does not have to exist in confused chaos any longer.

There was a time when all humans were young, and things seemed to be carefree. The loved ones to be around knew how to take care of life, to make it better. And the only things to be worried about was how one could go about making their own life better without that extra outside help. Life seemed so perfect then, so carefree. It had to end because humans have to grow older. They have to develop their minds, and they have to look at life in a multi-dimensional sense. A critical view looking at the realities of life should scream in horror when they look around themselves. All too often, this is not the case. Those simple times are put behind human beings, and after a while, these times become as distant as the faintest memory. Instead, the mind is always gearing about how to possess more here, and now.

There is only one way to solve this problem. We can fix it ourselves. The idea is there, the truth is there, now we have to make the truth known to the entire nation, to all of humanity. And because we know the truth, we cannot let it die. One way or another, the point will get across. Then, everyone will know, we were no joke. We were right all along with our revolutionary, cynical ideas of the world that used to be.

What a utopia that could be, with none of these ruling men, these greedy men, trying to do nothing more than make his own life better while stamping out those that he considers more inferior. Creating nothing more than a world where people only see what the ruling class wants them to see. The world as it stands to day is not worth fighting for. We must make it worth fighting for by fighting for a better world. To do this, it needs to be made known how terrible a place this is. How better a world this could be, and the powerful must be undermined. It will come in time. But with marked words, this realization will come to pass, and when it does, the rebellion will be ready.

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Tell me what ya think.

~David~