Wargasm
by L7

Album: Bricks Are Heavy (1992)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the first Iraq War, which took place in 1991. There was a lot of support for the war, but Americans seemed detached, willing to watch it play out on TV. In "Wargasm," L7 takes aim at the shallow displays of patriotism that don't require any real sacrifice or effort ("Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the amputee"), likening it to a sexual turn-on for those who find it titillating.
  • Lead singer Donita Sparks wrote this song. She saw the Iraq War as a conspiracy of sorts, which the US govnernment was using as a distraction. "The Gulf War covered up the Savings And Loans crisis," she told Melody Maker. "The Savings And Loans literally went bankrupt because the Republicans were scamming. People were taking money from it and it went bankrupt, and to cover all that up - Pow! Suddenly, the Gulf War was on TV every moment of the day. So, you see, stuff like that covers up the real s--t that's going down."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.