Tehran/Baghdad Lyrics

[boysangur]

I was wondering about the meaning of the song for awhile. I heard it awhile ago and I totally misunderstood it then. I thought it was an anti islamic song because of the chorus "Islam be damned, Make your last stand, In Tehran (or baghdad)". Recently, I was surprised to find this song on "Rock Against Bush" album and that got me to thinking that I probably need to pay more attention to the lyrics.
Now, it's clear to me that the song is anti war but I still wonder about the chorus. I think that the chorus "islam be damned" is meant to show the reason for the war and what is in the minds of people who wage it, anger and hate. The chorus calls one to mindlessly fight, however, then the lyrics tell us to think about what we are doing "Warrior, the time bomb's About to go, What will you feel Will you ever wonder, If the man that'sin your sights Ever kissed his girl goodbye". I think the contrast is there to show the mindlessness of the war and calls us to think about it rather than follow those orders like a machine. I think I understand the meaning of the song but it's hard to explain because it's very masterfully conveyed in the song, that is why i think this is the best piece of writing by offspring. What do you all think, did I misunderstand it?

Here is the lyrics
In your plane in the blue sky
You roam again
Word that echo in your mind
Make you heart beat faster
This is no Vietnam
We will win Iran

The President said let it ride
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran

Warrior, the time bomb's
About to go
What will you feel
Will you ever wonder
If the man that'sin your sights
Ever kissed his girl goodbye

The Captain said Kill or Die
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran

Great Satan
Our flags our burning
Our flags will burn

Soon America may find
Its young men in the sand
Where there casualty
Is just a number
In Iran

The President said let it ride
You will be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran

[yummy yummy punkrockgirl]

it's anti-war. i first heard that song when i was in college in the mid-90s and it's one of the reasons i came to like offspring so much. definitely one of their best songs ever

[GBH2]

yes, it's anti-war Hence "tehran" coming out around the 1st persian gulf war, and "baghdad" released during the war against iraq

[turn it down]

i think you need to listen to the line the president said or the captan said i agree its a anti-war song but i think its about questing the athority I heard some where that noodles said it was about bush sr and how he first invaded iraq. I think the line This is no Vietnam We will win Iran is a line from a speech bush made about going to war with them

[Tijs]

You need to learn how to use these:

. , " '

[TheHulaChick]

Unrelated, but does anyone else think it was kinda dumb to change the lyrics of Tehran slightly and then put it on the Rock against bush album as Baghdad and claim that it's a "previously unreleased/rare track"?

[fairy call]

they actually had Baghdad long before rock against bush came out.

[punk_flamingo]

It was Noodles' idea apparantly. The other lads werent too fussed about it - read it in an interview somewhere, cbfed finding it again...if anyone else wants to - go ahead.

[Tijs]

Unrelated, but does anyone else think it was kinda dumb to change the lyrics of Tehran slightly and then put it on the Rock against bush album as Baghdad and claim that it's a "previously unreleased/rare track"?
Like julie said, they released an LP of the song Baghdad even before the first album came out. Or right after that. Somewhere in that period of time.