Song Meaning
The lyrics open on a scene of profound desolation, with "silver Mount Zion" lying "buried in ruins." This immediate imagery of a sacred place reduced to rubble sets a tone of apocalyptic collapse. The subsequent lines describe a grotesque celebration, where participants are "dancing the hora / Until we vomited blood," twisting a traditional dance into a visceral act of suffering and disorientation.
From this landscape of despair, the narrative shifts to a furious call for violent uprising. The speaker suggests, "Let's kill first the banker / With his professional demeanor," targeting a specific symbol of perceived oppression. This revolutionary fervor is amplified by the chilling declaration, "A people united / Is a wonderful thing," which, in context, becomes an ironic rallying cry for destructive collective action, not harmonious peace.
The craft here is particularly striking in its use of unsettling contrasts. The elegant verb "sashay" is applied to the horrific experience of moving "through variations of hell," creating a sense of grim, almost detached acceptance of their shared doom. Similarly, the idea of crowds being "fed on / Teargas and plate-glass" transforms violent suppression into a grotesque form of sustenance, highlighting the brutal reality of their existence.
Ultimately, these lyrics hit hard because they refuse easy answers or comforting narratives. They articulate a defiant spirit that, even in the face of overwhelming destruction and personal unwellness, rejects compromise. The closing lines, "It's nobler to never get paid / Than to bank on shit and dismay," offer a stark, unyielding philosophy, suggesting that integrity in suffering is preferable to any perceived gain built on corruption or false hope.
View Artist