Thursday, November 1, 2012

The Decemberists - This is Why We Fight

The Decembrists are a group with music that spans rock to folk and everything in between.  Colin Meloy, the lead singer has a voice that reminds me of Michael Stipe from REM.  Not sure if that's a positive for everyone but I do like the group's sound a lot.  And the music is always filled with meaning.  If you are wondering about the group's name, they named themselves after the Decemberist Revolution in 1825 Russia, a military revolt against Czar Nicholas.

With six studio albums, they have quite a few songs from which to choose.  One of my favorites is This is Why We Fight from their latest album, The King is Dead.

I think the song tries to show that the root cause of all fights and arguments, whether they be between nations or individuals, is avarice and the constant wear through attrition.  Though greed may be at the root of all conflict, I would like to think that there are times that we fight to protect something or someone, not for reward but because it's the right thing to do.  I like the line:
When we die, we will die with our arms unbound.
Maybe it means that all of these things that drive us to fight become unimportant when we near death and we are freed?

In any case, the video below contains music and lyrics.


If you like the song, please support the artists and buy their music!!!

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