War Isn’t Murder Lyrics – Jesse Welles

War isn’t murder
Good men don’t die
Children don’t starve and all the women survive
War isn’t murder
That’s what they say
When you’re fighting the Devil
Murder’s okay
War isn’t murder
They’re called casualties
There ain’t a veteran
With a good night’s sleep

Let’s talk about dead people
I mean a dead people
The dead don’t feel honor
They don’t feel that brave
They don’t feel avenged
They’re lucky if they got graves

Call your dead mother
Ask her when she died
It’s a deathly silence on the other line
The dead don’t talk
But their children don’t forget
So in 20 short years
You can live to regret that

War isn’t murder
There’s money at stake
Hell, even Kushner agrees
It’s good real estate
War isn’t murder
Ask Netanyahu
He’s got a psalm for that
He’s got a bomb for you
War isn’t murder
It’s an old desert faith
It’s a nation state sanctioned righteous hate

Let’s talk about dead people
I mean a dead people
War isn’t murder
It’s the vengeance of God
If you can’t see the bodies
They don’t bloat when they rot
And the flies don’t swarm
And the children don’t cry
If war isn’t murder
Good men don’t die

So in a short 20 years
Where you vacation the Strip
Try not and think about the dead
And have a nice trip

War isn’t murder
Let’s all give thanks
I saw it all in a movi
ive it up for Tom Hanks
War isn’t murder
They don’t ship out the poor
And the bullets they fire
Ain’t part of the cure
War isn’t murder
Land is a right
But the banks called dibs
It’s something you can’t fight

Let’s talk about dead people
I mean a dead people
The dead don’t feel honor
They don’t feel that brave
They don’t feel avenged
They’re lucky if they got graves

Call your dead mother
Ask her when she died
It’s a deathly silence on the other line
The dead don’t talk
But their children don’t forget
So in 20 short years
You can live to regret
That

“War Isn’t Murder” by Jesse Welles challenges the notion that war isn’t equivalent to murder. Through poignant lyrics, Welles highlights the harsh realities of warfare, questioning the justifications often used to justify its atrocities. He addresses the human cost of war, emphasizing the suffering of innocent civilians, the trauma endured by veterans, and the intergenerational impact on families. The song critiques political and religious leaders who advocate for war, exposing the hypocrisy and moral ambiguity inherent in armed conflict. Ultimately, Welles urges listeners to confront the harsh truths about war and its devastating consequences.

“War Isn’t Murder” by Jesse Welles is a scathing critique of the justifications and consequences of war. The repetition of the phrase “War isn’t murder” throughout the song serves as a bitter reminder of society’s tendency to rationalize and sanitize the horrors of armed conflict.

Welles challenges the notion that only “good men” die in war, highlighting the tragic reality of innocent casualties, including starving children and vulnerable women. By suggesting that “When you’re fighting the Devil, Murder’s okay,” he exposes the moral relativism that often accompanies wartime rhetoric.

The song explores the emotional toll of war, particularly on the families of the deceased. Welles paints a bleak picture of the dead as devoid of honor or bravery, emphasizing the silence and forgotten suffering of those left behind.

Welles also delves into the economic and political motivations behind war, depicting it as driven by greed, power, and religious zealotry. References to figures like Kushner and Netanyahu underscore the complicity of leaders in perpetuating violence for personal gain or ideological fervor.

The song’s refrain, “Let’s talk about dead people,” serves as a haunting plea to confront the harsh realities of war and its lasting impact. Welles challenges listeners to acknowledge the human cost of armed conflict, even as society often seeks to glorify or ignore it.

In its final verses, the song bitterly reflects on the passage of time and the collective amnesia that allows society to move on from the horrors of war. The reference to “vacationing the Strip” juxtaposes leisure with the grim reality of war, urging listeners not to forget the suffering of the past.

Ultimately, “War Isn’t Murder” serves as a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy inherent in justifying violence and warfare. Through its stark imagery and biting lyrics, the song demands a reckoning with the true cost of war.