Divine Wind by Blue Öyster Cult

Album: Cultösaurus Erectus (1980)

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The September 11th attacks brought on a wave of songs dealing with the subject, often with hostility toward the attackers, but occasionally with a look at the roots of the problem.

Twenty-two years earlier, there was another attack on the American way of life when the Iranian government took 52 US citizens hostage. There weren't many songs written about the crisis, but there was extreme anti-Iran sentiment in America. Blue Öyster Cult guitarist Buck Dharma took a different approach when he wrote this song dealing with the misguided patriotism of many Americans. Dharma explained in a 1980 interview with the NME: "It's not one of those bomb, bomb, bomb Iran songs. There is a song like that that's popular in the States. In a way it's more to do with America than Iran. I was annoyed when the hostages were taken but I could see how the Iranians would justify it. When you know everything that's bad in our country, the fact that we have the capacity to destroy, that we screw up Third World countries when we could be helping them economically, our greed with oil, the things expected as a right... maybe if the Iranians really think we're evil, the devil, then perhaps we are. We could be rushing headlong into Armageddon.

The crux of the problem was that Iran disregarded diplomatic immunity and while no one doubts that people spy in embassies that's another frightening breakdown in worldwide convention. The UN is reduced to the old League of Nations, everyone trying for the hammerlock and no one's kidding each other anymore. Actually I've always thought aliens are the only answer, though if they're anything like us they won't necessarily be benevolent."

Comments: 5

Zach from ArkansasTwo things can true at once. If the citation provided is correct, Buck's comments about the song come from 1980, the same year the song was released. So it can't really be called "revisionist". I'm sure Buck had more on his mind than "BOMB IRAN GO USA USA" when writing Divine Wind, but the band definitely played to those sentiments when performing the song live because they knew it would go over well with their audiences. It might be hypocritical, but it makes sense.
Dee from Se Wisconsin (brewtown)So regardless of what he meant politically the song and the guitar playing on the song are fantastic. According to my beliefs I would hope that what Buck says in NME interview is true, but if it isn't and it (the song) is full of blood lust, it doesn't matter. I still love the song and really have come to love (just recently) BOC's albums (up to Revolution By Darkness). Much more to this band musically and lyrically than I realized at the time of their release.
Mike P. from OhioI agree with Philip from Illinois. Both times I saw them perform, they ramped up with "this is for the Eye-Ah-Tol-Lah Kho-Main-Nee! The Eye-A-Tol-La Ass-A-Ho-Lla..... Let's Send 'Em To HELL!" And Buck was wearing a rubber mask that looked like Khomenhi. No mixed signals, no mistaken intent. They were getting us fired up for the song. PERIOD!
Philip from IllinoisWhen BOC toured in support of Cultosaurus Erectus and performed this song, the on-stage intro comments were very anti-Iran, not the PC-revisionist pablum sludge that Buck embraces in this interview. The narrative of the song doesn’t support his comments.
Cj from Florida I always loved this song, but omg I thought Dharma was singing about Iran sucks for what they did. Always loved this band as a kid. Godzilla was awesome, but this sucks knowing I love a song basically blaming the USA is not cool guys and hell no l don’t fear the reaper.

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