The Words That Maketh Murder by PJ Harvey Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Anthem of Unease
Lyrics
I’ve seen soldiers fall like lumps of meat
Blown and shot out beyond belief
Arms and legs were in the trees
I’ve seen and done things I want to forget
Coming from an unearthly place
Longing to see a woman’s face
Instead of the words that gather pace
The words that maketh murder
These, these, these are the words
The words that maketh murder
These, these, these are the words
The words that maketh murder
These, these, these are the words
The words that maketh murder
These, these, these little words
Murder
These, these, these are the words
The words that maketh murder
These, these, these are the words
The words that maketh murder
I’ve seen and done things I want to forget
I’ve seen a corporal whose nerves were shot
Climbing behind the fierce, gone sun
I’ve seen flies swarming everyone
Soldiers fell like lumps of meat
These are the words, the words are these
Death lingering, it stunk
Flies swarming everyone
Over the whole summit’s peak
Flesh quivering in the heat
This was something else again
I fear it cannot explain
The words that make, the words that make
Murder
Take my problem,United Nations?
What if I take my problem to the United Nations?
What if I take my problem to the United Nations?
What if I take my problem to the United Nations?
What if I take my problem, United Nations?
Take my
What if I take my problem to the United Nations?
PJ Harvey’s ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ is a haunting exploration of the atrocities of war that lingers long after the song ends. Harvey, known for her evocative storytelling and willingness to tackle complex subjects, weaves a tapestry of images that confronts the listener with the visceral realities of conflict.
Through her poetically dark lyrics, the song not only paints a gruesome picture of the physical consequences of war but also delves into the psychological impact on those who witness and perpetrate such violence. With its eerie melody and incisive words, the track stands as a poignant reflection on humanity’s destructive capacities.
Unveiling the Soundscape of Horror
Harvey’s instrumental arrangement in ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ serves as the foundation for the song’s chilling narrative. The military drumbeat, combined with discordant melodies, constructs an ominous soundscape that perfectly complements the song’s subject matter. It’s as though the music itself marches to the relentless cadence of war.
The stark, almost mechanical rhythm reflects the dehumanized nature of the battlefield where soldiers become ‘like lumps of meat’, and the personal is lost amidst the impersonal language of killing.
A Woman’s Gaze on the War-Torn World
PJ Harvey’s perspective as a female songwriter adds a unique dimension to the interpretation of war. Her yearning in the song to see ‘a woman’s face’ amidst the desolation brings to light the craving for a return to normalcy and the feminine as a symbol of life and creation, opposing the masculine-associated death and destruction of war.
Harvey’s voice, both delicate and defiant, contrasts sharply with the grim content of her lyrics, highlighting the jarring disparity between the nurturing aspect of humanity and the brutality of warfare.
The Echoing Lament of the Innocent
In ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’, PJ Harvey masterfully uses repetition to drive home the unending cycle of violence and the mantra-like incantation of the words that indeed create murder. The repetition isn’t just a lyrical device but a narrative on how war etches itself into the psyche, with certain images and experiences replaying incessantly, haunting the survivors.
The repeated line ‘These, these, these are the words / The words that maketh murder’ feels like a chant, a cursed spell that once uttered, cannot be taken back, forever altering the landscape of the soul.
The Hidden Meaning Behind the Lyrics
While the song explicitly addresses the horrors of war, the ‘words that maketh murder’ carry a deeper significance. They represent not only the physical act but also the propaganda, the political rhetoric, and the dehumanizing language that permits and perpetuates warfare. Harvey draws attention to the power language holds in shaping reality, for better or for worse.
Furthermore, the song points to the insufficiency of words to fully capture the experience of atrocity. The refrain ‘what if I take my problem to the United Nations?’ reveals a sense of helplessness and the inadequacy of international institutions to comprehend or alleviate the speaker’s trauma.
The Unforgettable Lines That Etch Into Memory
Harvey’s lyrics are stark in their imagery: ‘I’ve seen soldiers fall like lumps of meat / Blown and shot out beyond belief / Arms and legs were in the trees’. These lines are designed to shock and to remain seared into the consciousness of the listener. They serve not only as vivid depictions of violence but as a call to consciousness, refusing to let the listener turn away from the truth of war’s savagery.
Similarly, the line ‘I fear it cannot explain’ embodies the paradox of trying to convey the inexpressible horrors of war, acknowledging the limitations of words to encapsulate such profound experiences of human suffering and loss.
