But dip even a pinky toe into the lyrics and we're on a different level. The title itself references President Donald Trump's campaign promise of building a wall on the United States-Mexico border, but more deeply reflects building metaphorical walls between friends.
The song opens with short instrumentals followed by the chorus, which asks us,
How many walls can you put up?
How many guns till you feel safe?
How many times can we watch this story over and over and over again?
Lead singer Tim McIlrath is asking the listeners if more guns and a bigger military is really always the answer. Is it worth it to make the same mistake over and over and are these sacrifices for security really worth it? Because at some point we're no longer helping ourselves. We are instead lining the pockets of politicians and large corporations.
The entire album is more hardcore than Appeal to Reason, Endgame, or The Black Market, but worth a listen.
I definitely recommend listening to:
"Welcome to the Breakdown""Violence" | "Mourning in Amerika""Bullshit" |
