Album: Jerusalem (2002)

License This Song 

• I'm just an American boy, raised on MTV
  And I've seen all the kids in the soda pop ads
  But none of 'em look like me.
  So I started lookin' around for a light out of the dim
  And the first thing I heard that made sense was the word
  Of Mohammed, peace be upon him
  
  A shadu la ilaha illa Allah
  There is no God but God
  
  If my daddy could see me now â?? chains around my feet
  He don't understand that sometimes a man's
  Got to fight for what he believes
  And I believe God is great, all praise due to him
  And if I should die, I'll rise up to the sky
  Just like Jesus, peace be upon him
  
  We came to fight the Jihad, and our hearts were pure and strong.
  As death filled the air, we all offered up prayers
  And prepared for our martyrdom.
  But Allah had some other plan, some secret not revealed
  Now they're draggin' me back with my head in a sack
  To the land of the infidel.
  
  A shadu la ilaha illa Allah
  A shadu la ilaha illa Allah Writer/s: STEPHEN F. (FAIN) EARLE
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

• Jim from Council, IdLindh is a Marin County freak who converted to Islam and supported Taliban. It's too bad he didn't didn't get buried in Afghanistan with his buddies.
  Hopefully he's learning all about "truth" from his buddies in prison.
• Charles from Glenside, PaWell, actually Steve Earle was pretty much ignored by country radio stations well before this tune ever came about, so I doubt that he considered releasing it to be any great risk in that regard.
• Ben from Prince George, CanadaSteve Earle was born in Virginia, but his grandpa sent his dad a can full of dirt from Texas so he could say the first soil his grandson set his feet on was Texas soil.
  
  This is an amazing song. Its not a taliban support song. It's a song about a young mans search for truth.
• Rob from Adelaide, AustraliaIf you do listen to Sidetracks, listen first to Johnny Too Bad - the best Steve Earle he never wrote IMHO!
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI remember hearing about this song on NPR, and it caused quite a controversy.
• Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScI completely agree with you Mark from England. That was very brave of him to release this song. Steve Earl is apparently a staunch liberal, so that's probably the kind of song he would write. Btw, I don't find anything wrong with that. I don't like Bush, but that's just my opinion. Btw, calling him a country-rocker is enough. Redneck to some people can be considered very dirogatory. He is from the South though. I want to say Texas, but I'm not sure.
• Mark from Hereford, EnglandAmazingly brave of Steve Earle to release this. I am sure he knew very well how it would be received. For a redneck country-rocker to do this kind of song was certain to see his work taken off every country music station. These days he is probably more welcome in Europe, with a strong following in the UK.
  Steve Earle is, in all seriousness, the greatest songwriter of the last thirty years. Why only two songs here, and those unrepresentative of his work? Go and get 'Side Tracks', for a sample of what he has been doing. And those are the songs not considered good enough to get on the other albums!

More Songfacts:

The Great PretenderThe Platters

The Pretenders are named after the 1956 song "The Great Pretender" by The Platters.

WonderwallOasis

Oasis didn't coin the term "Wonderwall." It's the title of a 1968 movie with a soundtrack by George Harrison. It was Harrison's soundtrack that got the band's attention.

Chelsea DaggerThe Fratellis

The Fratellis song "Chelsea Dagger" was named for their lead singer's wife - it was her burlesque name.

MusclesDiana Ross

Michael Jackson wrote the Diana Ross hit "Muscles," which he named after his pet boa constrictor.

Invisible TouchGenesis

The Genesis song "Invisible Touch" was inspired by the Prince-written Sheila E. track "The Glamorous Life."

No More I Love You'sAnnie Lennox

The Annie Lennox hit "No More I Love You's" is a cover, originally sung by a man.

Editor's Picks

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."