Micah Chalmer

We Will Force Them, We Will Keep Degrading Them, We Will Control Them...

Posted on February 26, 2011 at 01:17 AM

During the cast party I at my house, my Winter’s Tale cast-mates took it upon themselves to open and set up the Guitar Hero set that I had purchased that day. (Thanks guys!) On it was a song I hadn’t heard before: “Uprising” by Muse. The chorus goes:

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Of course, everyone’s heard lyrics like these before–maybe not those exact ones, but we’ve all heard the rough equivalent to them–but damn, the song was catchy. Stuck in my head the whole night. So the next day I download the song (legally! for reals!) and realize:

• The song sounded better with a woman singing it. Nice singing, Erin! (That’s the second time I’ve felt a little let down by the original after hearing a good gender-swapped karaoke–once at The Hippo I heard a guy sing “A Long Walk” by Jill Scott and liked the guy’s rendition way better than the Jill Scott recording.)

• Despite that, the song is still way too damn catchy. I had to play it over and over again a few times and it’s still caught in my $^#@#* head.

It irks me to be caught up by this song, because the lyrics evoke some vague sense of rebellion, but against nothing and for nothing. The non-chorus lyrics of the song give you a few vague characteristics of “them:” they use “PR” and “drugs” to dumb “us” down; they’re “fat cats;” they use “red tape.” Ok, they’re big and powerful. Got it. But there is absolutely nothing in the song that even remotely hints at who “we” are. I’m sure that’s intentional–that way it is assured that whoever is listening to the song is one of “us.” It works for everybody!

Public sector unions–worried about your collective bargaining rights? They will not force us, they will stop degrading us, they will not control us…

Southern Christians: tired of courts forcing perverted gay marriages into your communities? They will not force us, they will stop degrading us, they will not control us…

Egyptians: sick of Mubarak yet? They will not force us, they will stop degrading us, they will not control us…

Muammar Gaddafi: tired of those protesting teenage Al-Quaeda pill popping mumble mumble brainwashing the children blblblblblblblb? They will not force us, hey will stop degrading us, they will not control us…

It really does work for everyone.

Since I am a card carrying member of “Them” (d/b/a “The Man”) I say, “bring it, Muse! We will force you, degrade you and control you all we damn please, and there’s nothing you and your catchy song can do about it!” (Dammit, now I gotta play the damn song one more time…can’t get it out of my head…)

And if you think this post was as rambling as a speech by Gaddafi on state TV, then you are a stray dog under the control of Bin Laden.