Philly punks The Menzingers get political with their new single America (You’re Freaking Me Out).
Ahead of the release of new album Hello Exile in October, The Menzingers have unveiled the record's opening song: America (You’re Freaking Me Out).
The track comes accompanied with a genius new video – directed by Rob McConnaughy – featuring an alien creature wandering through America and getting, well… freaked out.
“We’re living in a pretty insane time, where all you can think about every single day is, ‘What the hell is going on with this country?’” says vocalist Greg Barnett of the song. “But as I was writing that song I realised that it’s kind of always freaked me out, especially coming-of-age during the Iraq War. I love so much about America, but I think you can’t deny that there are some people in power who are absolutely evil.”
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We recently asked Greg about the track, and particularly the lyrics: ‘What kind of monsters did our parents vote for?’
“I think that that’s such a common thing both in the UK and in America,” he said. “There’s such a disconnect between the youth and their parents, and we’re constantly having to have these difficult conversations, with the people that you love, of, ‘How could you vote against the interests of your own children about the environment, and about everything?’ It’s really difficult when you love somebody so much, but they don’t really see that your future is being jeopardised. I really love that line, and it means a lot to me – and I hope that it resonates with a lot of other people, too.”
Check out America (You're Freaking Me Out) below:
Now get learning those lyrics for some massive sing-alongs:
On the lonely end of history
Swingin’ and swayin’ to the murder mystery
Rhyme and reason fled the crime scene
Of new penthouses next to tents in the streets
Oh, how do I steer my early 30s
Before I shipwreck before I'm 40
Oh, ain’t it a shame what we choose to ignore
What kind of monsters did our parents vote for
Lately I feel like i’m in puppet Vichy, France tryin’ to teach the devil how to dance
To these sing-alongs of siren songs
To oohs to ahhs to big applause
With all of my anger I scream and shout
America, I love you but you’re freaking me out
Driving through the bible belt
Billboards claiming how Jesus felt
Oh, how’d his words confuse themselves?
With cranks for christians in powerful positions
I’ve always felt like all their pomp and circumstance is just cover for the devil to dance
America, you’re freaking me out
With all my anger I shout
Can’t you recognize truth from clever lies?
Read this next: Why The Menzingers are getting dark on new album Hello Exile
Catch The Menzingers live in the UK and Europe next year at the dates below.
January 2020
25 Hamburg, Germany – Gruespan
26 Berlin, Germany – Bi Nuu
28 Vienna, Austria – WuK
29 Zurich, Germany – Dynamo
30 Stuttgart, Germany – Universum
31 Munich, Germany – Technikum
February 2020
1 Cologne, Germany – Kantine
3 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg
4 Antwerp, Belgium – Zappa
6 Southampton, United Kingdom – Engine Rooms
7 Bristol, United Kingdom – SWX
8 Manchester, United Kingdom – Albert Hall
10 Dublin, Ireland – Whelan’s
11 Glasgow, United Kingdom – QMU
12 Newcastle, United Kingdom – The Riverside
14 Birmingham, United Kingdom – The Asylum
15 London, United Kingdom – O2 Forum Kentish Town
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