The Menzingers - Hello Exile (October 4, 2019) Album • Page 87

Yep those are new lyrics and they reference George Floyd.

fucking love the menzingers

 

https://www.facebook.com/themenzingers/posts/10157488193390662

EDIT: Not sure why the Facebook embed isn't working but - all sales of the song will go to Community Bail Funds and Campaign Zero.

 

Obviously it is directly on the nose, but Greg is so fucking good it doesn't make me cringe like some artists would.

"justice is long overdue/grab your pitchforks we're heading to Pennsylvania avenue" is great.

Fuck the cops.

 

So damn good

 

All proceeds are going to Community Bail Funds and Campaign Zero. Obviously purchased.

 

"I hope the Devil and Donald and Mitch McConnell rot in hell for all tomorrows" is a hell of a line

 

Smashed that mf buy button quicker than you could say fuck the police

 

My kind of content.

Song is really good. The Billy Bragg vibes are palpable on this one.

 

I might be wrong but it seems like this band hadn't really been political before America was released. Part 2 brought tears to my eyes.

 

Tom has some political stuff but Greg definitely stayed away

 

My perception has always been that they were at the start and became less so through the years, possibly explained by Tom writing less of the songs

 

It's definitely a more recent thing for Greg, aside from singing on their Clash cover. I think they sort of had the social class thing in a rust belt town going on Chamberlain, but that's not really political per se. Tom definitely has always had that aspect more in his writing. I'm glad the band is doing more of it. Not that they need to make full albums of it, but I do think it would be cool for them to do more of it. Seems like a logical progression in their writing.

 

The whole Lesson in the Abuse album was very political.

Their stuff has always hit on political themes-- Who's Your Partner, No We Didn't, So It Goes, Nice Things, and Freedom Bridge all have political undertones but it's nuanced.

I appreciate the sentiment of America pt. 2 but in terms of a song, it's a little too "direct" I guess would be the best way for me to put it. Listening to the Brendan Kelly podcast a few weeks ago about his songwriting, he made a point about trying to get into a political mindset when writing a song but avoid writing direct lines like "Mitch McConnell is a total dildo". I think that sums up my feelings on it.

 

Yeah Greg actually talked in lengths before about the writing of America (part 1) and how challenging it is to write a political song without it sounding TOO on the nose where it ends up becoming kind of cheesy and the listener gets taken out of it. (see Be More Kind by Frank Turner & American Love Story by Butch Walker as recent examples that tried a political concept album but really missed for me).

I do think they nailed America pt 1 and it is arguably my favorite song on HE. I don't think Greg overthought Pt 2 and it was nothing more than a pissed off commentary and reflection on the last 2 weeks in specific with a means to raise awareness and get fans to donate.

 

I actually don’t think America pt 2 is distractingly on the nose or anything. Imo it’s a bit more direct than I usually like, but it helps that it’s still not a poorly written song or anything

 

This song fucking rules!

 

i like the directness tbh. had it been on a song that's on an upcoming album 2-3 years from now, yeah it probably wouldn't hit like it does coming out a week after George Floyd's murder.

 

The Frank album is interesting because he's had SO MANY political songs before that one that really worked but that whole album just... completely missed the mark.

 

Especially after Sand in the Gears showed so much promise.

 

Man that song feels like so long ago now.

 

Well he did say it was going to be a long 4 years

 

The lyrics on America Pt. 2 give me proper early Rise Against vibes. Devastatingly to the point.

 

Was driving today with my wife and parents and I rolled up to a car, and from far away I can see a bumper sticker that reads AMERICA in big letters and I’m like “oh brother, what racist Trumpy shit will this be”.

As I get close I see under it in smaller letters “I Love You, But You’re Freaking Me Out”

Made my day. My wife and I blurt our “Omg Menzingers!” Then I had to explain to my dad what a Menzinger is. Haha.

 

what actually is a menzinger?

 

It’s the phonetic spelling of the German word for Minstrels.