“Don’t Drink the Water” strongly divulges the story of Europeans who discover the Americas and decide to forcibly root the natives out to gain ownership without an ounce of respect.
The song’s narrator tells the story of how invaders force the natives to simply give up their own land so they can build their own home. They threaten to kill the natives if they decide to fight for what rightfully belongs to them.
And the sad thing is that the antagonistic invaders in this song are fully aware that what they are doing is wrong. However, they forge on with their unimaginable atrocities, motivated by one objective. And said objective is their selfish ambition to possess the land and build their own home at the expense of the natives.
Written about the persian gulf war (1990-1991), specifically how minarets were used to broadcast air raid sirens in baghdad, while americans sat safely in their living rooms watching the missile attacks on CNN like it was a fireworks show. The song reminds it wasn't a show, it was people dying.
Una canzone dedicata a Chris Hani, dirigente di "Umkhonto we Sizwe", l'organizzazione armata dell'ANC sudafricano, assassinato su mandato di un parlamentare segregazionista, Clive John Derby Lewis.
C'è gente per la quale un assassino come Janusz Waluś continua a essere un eroe. In Polonia da poco è uscito un libro che racconta le circostanze di questi dramatici fatti, scritto da Michał Zichlarz e intitolato: "Zabić Haniego. Historia di Janusz Waluś" (Uccidere Hani. La storia di Janusz Waluś).
Canzone ispirata all’omonimo film (da noi uscito come “Grido di libertà”) diretto nel 1987 da Richard Attenborough, con Kevin Kline nella parte del giornalista sudafricano Donald Woods (1933-2001), bianco ma oppositore del regime dell’apartheid, e Denzel Washington in quella di Steve Biko, leader nero del movimento antirazzista ma pacifista “Black Consciousness”, ucciso in detenzione il 12 settembre del 1977.
This song is about inhumanity, particularly in the context of war. The song contradicts the belief that war is necessary to eventually reach peace, as displayed in the lyrics "War, the only way to peace, well I don't fall for that." The song also talks about the way people kill others without even thinking about it, almost in a robotic fashion: "How is this hate so deep, lead us all so blindly killing killing, fools we are." The song also discusses the US government's lies concerning war and their idea of supremacy in the world: "Right is wrong now, shut up you big lie." The last topic discussed is the pain caused by war, especially towards the families of those killed: "Mother's cry is hate so deep, must a baby's bones this hungry fire feed." (thanks, Liz - Ridgewood, NJ)
*
This song is obviously about Jerusalem, "the last stop" on a migragtion... (continuer)
yahweh yahweh, the hebrew word for god (continuer)
Before These Crowded Streets
The song’s narrator tells the story of how invaders force the natives to simply give up their own land so they can build their own home. They threaten to kill the natives if they decide to fight for what rightfully belongs to them.
And the sad thing is that the antagonistic invaders in this song are fully aware that what they are doing is wrong. However, they forge on with their unimaginable atrocities, motivated by one objective. And said objective is their selfish ambition to possess the land and build their own home at the expense of the natives.
Read more at: "Don't Drink the Water" by Dave Matthews Band - Song Meanings and Facts