Megadeth - Holy Wars...The Punishment Due - Meaning of the song
This song has been interpreted to be about the troubles in Northern Ireland, but Dave Mustaine has indicated that the song is about Israel (Mustaine's mother is Jewish though he is Christian). In an interview with Rock Detector, Mustaine said: "'Holy Wars' doesn't talk about any specific place in time. It doesn't talk about any country. It just says, 'Don't look now to Israel it might be YOUR homeland.'" On Israel National Radio, Mustaine said: "I've mentioned Israel in songs before, in 'Holy Wars.' Holy wars don't necessarily have to start in Israel. It can be anywhere. There are so many holy wars taking place in the world right now anyway. People are dying for a cause. It's so unbelievable.
Mustaine has explained that the second half of the song was inspired by the comic book The Punisher, which he loves (the Megadeth song "Killing Is My Business…and Business is Good," is about The Punisher). As for the first part, he explained when the album was first released that it was about an experience that happened in Ireland. Said Mustaine:
"I had found out that the IRA wasn't as apparently opposed to the English as I was told. Yet the way that was described to me was very watered down. So, I shot my mouth off while there, saying, 'This one is for the cause! Anarchy in Ireland! Give Ireland back to the Irish!' I caught a lot of flack from the English press, and I caught a lot from the Irish... and like I give a f--k for the IRA!"
Holy Wars...The Punishment Due - Lyrics
Brother will kill brother
Spilling blood across the land
Killing for religion
Something I don't understand
Fools like me who cross the sea
And come to foreign lands
Ask the sheep for their beliefs
Do you kill on God's command?
A country that's divided
Surely will not stand
My past erased, no more disgrace
No foolish naive stand
The end is near, it's crystal clear
Part of the master plan
Don't look now to Israel
It might be your homelands
Holy wars
Up on my podium, as the
Know-it-all scholar
Down in my seat of judgement
Gavel's bang, uphold the law
Up on my soapbox, a leader
Out to change the world
Down in my pulpit as the holier-than-thou
Could-be-messenger of God
Wage the war on organized crime
Sneak attacks, rappel down the rocks
Behind the lines
Some people risk to employ me
Some people live to destroy me
Either way they die, they die
They killed my wife and my baby
With hopes to enslave me
First mistake, last mistake
Paid by the alliance, to slay all the giants
Next mistake, no more mistakes
Fill the cracks in with judicial granite
Because I don't say it, don't mean I ain't thinking it
Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away
I know what I said now I must scream
Of the overdose and the lack of mercy killings
Mercy killings, mercy killings, killings, killings, killings
Next thing you know they'll take my thoughts away
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