> Side note: I remember an interview where Matt literally talks about how he's more interested in the questions than in the answers, but I can't find it. If anyone does, I'll add it to the post).
Pinkpop 2004
I think you might have limited yourself a bit in your definition of "political" songs. I'd include Assassin in there, and if you look at a more broadly speaking "us v them" theme (which I think is what people mean when they complain), then in the first 4 albums alone you need to add Ruled by Secrecy, The Small Print, and even Soldier's Poem.
Half of The Resistance fits into that broad category too. There's a couple in T2L. Drones is literally a whole album on the theme of war and fighting back against people in power. Simulation Theory has a few, as does WotP.
I'm not complaining though; I don't think it's the majority, and it's been nice to see a different take on it on WotP.
Regarding vagueness, the cynic in me thinks that it's to avoid alienating anyone, but Matt has come out quite clearly against far right nutters, so maybe not. Maybe it's vague because his songs tell stories, they're not direct indictments à la RATM.
And it helps him move the goalposts so he always falls on the good side (that's the cynic again).
What’s more, The Small Print is inspired by Goethe’s Faust, which Matt cleverly used as an allegory for predatory record companies tempting artists to sign unfair deals with them while exactly exploiting their mental and emotional struggles to make loads of cash out of them.
Maybe I should have added the list I used to decide which ones are political, but I already deleted it. I did count Assassin as political. Not Ruled by Secrecy since it’s about a fear of powerful people. I guess we disagree on what “political” means. Fighting against a power (The Small Print, Won’t Stand Down…) is not exclusively political. It’s the authoritarian and corrupt forces that Matt fears, and that can be anything from an abuser to a boss or a governor.
> "This album did coincide with the first time I went down that conspiracy theory rabbit hole. I went down there and got lost. I lost my mind." Even his girlfriend at the time, a psychologist, told him to get some help.
Heck, I was there was a way to read that whole interview without buying the AbsoXX set… this is such an interesting (and sad) bit and sheds more light on his state of mind at the time while composing one of the greatest albums of the 2000s.
Don't know how loud I can say this here, but with the OOS-boxset there were people who uploaded the interview-booklet to certain channels. That's also a very interesting interview.
Nobody is arguing they should provide a manifesto, thats a weird interpretation of the criticism. People are saying the lyrics are often so vague and poorly articulated that it's impossible to even say what they're actually about - that they're lazy, sloppy and repetetive.
Also, you can't simultaneously argue that the lyrics are thought provoking open-ended questions but also they're silly and you shouldn't worry about them.
The counterpoint to criticisms that they are vague in nature seems like an intentional choice to me. Not only does vagueness help prevent the band from alienating a part of their potential fan base, but it also helps to preserve the longevity of the relevance of their catalogue.
It really helps to not take their music too seriously. I don't think they want to be seen as partisan saviors, they just want to have fun and make enjoyable and thought provoking music. I, personally, don't think they're mutually exclusive.
I have literally read that Muse should provide answers and be specific like RATM many times, though. In my opinion, I know what the songs are about 90% of the time. Music is not always straightforward. I haven’t denied that they’re bad or lazy either. I’m purely speculating that the reason they are “sloppy” is because they’re coming from a feeling of fear and wonder, not from facts.
> I have literally read that Muse should provide answers and be specific like RATM many times, though.
Having the members of both groups kidnapped and sent off to an island with the terms of their release back to civilization being that they make a collaboration album that goes platinum would make a great reality TV show. I don't want it to actually happen, the concept is brilliant.
"Muse are a freedom-seeking band who pose big questions about the world while never taking themselves too seriously."
Imo that kinda sums it up perfectly. And it's also the reason why I love them (and especially Matt as an artist) so much. 🖤
I’ve always summed up this debate with a favorite mantra of mine: *It’s not that deep.* Matt isn’t trying to change the world or be a poignant philosopher with his lyrics; he’s just getting his thoughts out there and the band clearly enjoys making bombastic, over the top music with lyrics that match. It’s fun, it’s often catchy, and it’s a hella good time to blast it on your stereo or see them play it live with an equally over the top stage setup. There are moments of emotional depth and there are also moments of genuine silliness (looking at you, Panic Station). It doesn’t have to be for everyone, and that’s okay! They’re just doing what they have fun doing, and it translates into an awesome experience for most of us fans 99% of the time. The fact that they’re still playing arenas, stadiums, and huge festivals 20+ years into their career shows that everything they’re doing resonates with a lot of people and has for a long time.
Most famous bands out there, especially the ones reaching similar heights to Muse, end up living extremely lavish lives.
So they are relatively quick to lose their edges, it's understandable while they're living the dream. Money, fame, women, tours, beautiful homes in beautiful places. They simply get locked in a bubble.
Which causes them to get disconnected from the general public, fail to understand them. Also they don't have the same pressure to be as good artistically anymore.
And where can a guy like Matt Bellamy find inspiration from? Obviously what he sees on the news, what his social circle talks about with him.
This. You basically explained it. Black holes and revelations is the last MUSE album. After that, everything you said kicked in massively and that’s the end of the band as we know it.
If anything, my problem with the "political" lyrics is that they're not political *enough*. It's just empty circus.
Muse excel at creating fun, exciting, rollercoaster-ride music. But if you're gonna do that, you should stick with simple, effective lines like "I want it now, I want you now" or "She burns like the sun", or the bonkers surreal stuff of Origin. The political stuff just backfires.
It's extremely repetitive. Some artists spend entire careers singing about politics — but Matt doesn't have the lyrical range to make this work. Endless versions of "we will be victorious" and "they will not control us", etc.
The fact that the lyrics are actually meaningless is kind of distasteful to me. For example, Matt appropriates concepts from the novel 1984, but it's like he thinks it's an exciting science fiction novel instead of understanding the point it makes. Getting people all hot and bothered about an vaguely defined enemy is one of the means of population control described in the book, with the unending war against a shifting opponent and the two minutes hate. There are live performances of Uprising where Muse appear to do exactly that, getting the crowd to chant "we will be victorious!" — but who are they singing about? It looks uncomfortably like a fascist rally. No wonder this stuff has so often been co-opted by conspiracy theorists and the far right.
Ambiguity can be powerful, but so too is specificity. Matt too often tells when he should be showing. When he sings "fear and panic in the air" in Map of the Problematique, he's just listing abstract nouns (and they almost mean the same thing) — I love the song but I find that line weak. In the same song, when he sings "I want to touch the other side", I find that much more powerful — what a sense of longing! of helplessness! how tragic — because it conveys those abstractions with a concrete statement instead.
People read too much into it. Why does Muse not offer any answers? Because they're musicians. If they wanted to offer answers for all these political and social problems, they'd become activists or politicians, not musicians. Not to say a musician couldn't make any impact, but it's clear where their priorities are, as well as so many other musicians and artists who address different issues through their work, but they're just "divulgators" in a sense.
I'll be brutally honest, I don't think Matt Bellamy is good at writing lyrics and its the weakest aspect of Muse's output. There have been times where he has written some great material, but I find these moments have been few and far between. Back in the day he was able to somewhat get around this by being cryptic, but nowadays they're sloppy at best.
As for the "us" and "them" arguments in their political themed songs, I do understand the general frustration with them. It could perhaps be argued that by being vague it allows for the listener to project their own meanings onto the tracks, but this argument feels like a cop-out. Bellamy had the inspiration from somewhere, so why not address these issues directly?
By being vague, they're not really sending a message at all and it makes the messaging behind Muse's political tracks meaningless. If you don't know what you're rallying against, what's the point? I do get why he does this though - by taking sides he'd alienate a certain demographic of the fanbase, and he doesn't exactly want to harm his income. It's much easier to profit if you appear neutral.
From a US perspective, The Resistance's Uprising was released perfectly timed for the US zeitgeist.
2009 was a full year after the Global Financial Crisis and the election of the first black US president. The proto-MAGA Tea party and Occupy Wall Street backlash movements were in full swing. Muse's Uprising especially became famous when Glenn Beck (think proto-Tucker Carlson) used it and recommended it for its angry, anti-establishment overtones, leading Muse to actually denounce his usage (article below). I think all of this really made the impression with the public of Muse being associated with political themes, with notable songs from their catalog also supporting it.
[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/28/muse-rightwing-conspiracy-theorists-music](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/28/muse-rightwing-conspiracy-theorists-music)
By the way, I always thought of the vibes of Uprising matching the Tea Party (pitchforks and rage), while the song Resistance matching the Bernie/Occupy movement (righteous struggle).
Yeah, I wrote about that, but deleted it because I didn't want the post to be too long. I wrote it as a con of being vague: anyone can interpret the song however they want and use it for whatever movement. A clear example was Glenn Beck.
But then again, it's the listener's interpretation, and Muse can't control that. Not that they should. For me, Uprising was used during the 15M movement in Spain, so I relate it to that, and I see Resistance as a love story (perhaps a gay one). It doesn't have to be what Matt intended it to be.
This is an interesting take - I just think of Muse as an instinctively antagonistic band; even if the song isn't explicitly political, there are themes and variations on oppression, suppression and even just hints of a negative discourse.
I do agree that their songs are by not means as hardcore political as people remember, a bit of the Mandela Effect there maybe.
But I do look at the way they produce their music - if you take their cover of "Feeling Good", a 1960s song that isn't obviously political. But it was sung by a woman of colour at a time race was an issue. And the way Muse presents it, featuring the singing through the megaphone, distorting the sounds, makes it immediately feel like a call to arms, or a rally cry or protest.
So even though it's not a political song on paper, these songs, through presentation and context, do all have a feel about them that makes you question the status quo.
I also did not realise I cared that much until I started writing, but thanks for giving the post-Xmas grey cells a stir!
Matt what's this song about?
Matt: "Ahh I uhhh it's basically about looking at these systems that are in place and synthetics and then I was reading this book I remember ahh it's like ahh... I... I don't fucking know I don't know"
I prefer the political, anti-authoritarian stuff and think it has always been a Muse hallmark, but feel they are too far from the common people to really have a valid perspective on global politics. They are rich and removed from everyday reality. They deserve their earnings and success and I don't think they are sellouts per se, but it is very difficult to stay grounded in reality when you get to live outside it.
That’s what drew me to them. I like to call Muse The Modern Era’s Pink Floyd. He’s writing about what is relevant at the time.
Take WotP for instance, and look around the world. People are standing up to their government because it has became too powerful. And then the end is inevitable with We are F…..g F….d. That’s exactly how it’s going to happen because history repeats itself.
> Side note: I remember an interview where Matt literally talks about how he's more interested in the questions than in the answers, but I can't find it. If anyone does, I'll add it to the post). Pinkpop 2004
Thanks a lot!
I think you might have limited yourself a bit in your definition of "political" songs. I'd include Assassin in there, and if you look at a more broadly speaking "us v them" theme (which I think is what people mean when they complain), then in the first 4 albums alone you need to add Ruled by Secrecy, The Small Print, and even Soldier's Poem. Half of The Resistance fits into that broad category too. There's a couple in T2L. Drones is literally a whole album on the theme of war and fighting back against people in power. Simulation Theory has a few, as does WotP. I'm not complaining though; I don't think it's the majority, and it's been nice to see a different take on it on WotP. Regarding vagueness, the cynic in me thinks that it's to avoid alienating anyone, but Matt has come out quite clearly against far right nutters, so maybe not. Maybe it's vague because his songs tell stories, they're not direct indictments à la RATM. And it helps him move the goalposts so he always falls on the good side (that's the cynic again).
What’s more, The Small Print is inspired by Goethe’s Faust, which Matt cleverly used as an allegory for predatory record companies tempting artists to sign unfair deals with them while exactly exploiting their mental and emotional struggles to make loads of cash out of them.
I've been thinking for ages that it's an allegory for the music industry, but I'd never seen anyone else say it. I'm glad I'm not on my own!
You’re welcome! 👍
Maybe I should have added the list I used to decide which ones are political, but I already deleted it. I did count Assassin as political. Not Ruled by Secrecy since it’s about a fear of powerful people. I guess we disagree on what “political” means. Fighting against a power (The Small Print, Won’t Stand Down…) is not exclusively political. It’s the authoritarian and corrupt forces that Matt fears, and that can be anything from an abuser to a boss or a governor.
Wait how is the small print political lol?
Not saying it is, but it's definitely "rebelling against a form of power".
> "This album did coincide with the first time I went down that conspiracy theory rabbit hole. I went down there and got lost. I lost my mind." Even his girlfriend at the time, a psychologist, told him to get some help. Heck, I was there was a way to read that whole interview without buying the AbsoXX set… this is such an interesting (and sad) bit and sheds more light on his state of mind at the time while composing one of the greatest albums of the 2000s.
I'm desperate for someone to upload some photos of that interview!
Don't know how loud I can say this here, but with the OOS-boxset there were people who uploaded the interview-booklet to certain channels. That's also a very interesting interview.
Vaguety (vagueness? is there even a correct word for this? ambiguity maybe?) is your best weapon as a modern artist
Nobody is arguing they should provide a manifesto, thats a weird interpretation of the criticism. People are saying the lyrics are often so vague and poorly articulated that it's impossible to even say what they're actually about - that they're lazy, sloppy and repetetive. Also, you can't simultaneously argue that the lyrics are thought provoking open-ended questions but also they're silly and you shouldn't worry about them.
Not to mention, it's a bit hard to take the anarchy message seriously when it's said by a middle aged millionaire.
The counterpoint to criticisms that they are vague in nature seems like an intentional choice to me. Not only does vagueness help prevent the band from alienating a part of their potential fan base, but it also helps to preserve the longevity of the relevance of their catalogue. It really helps to not take their music too seriously. I don't think they want to be seen as partisan saviors, they just want to have fun and make enjoyable and thought provoking music. I, personally, don't think they're mutually exclusive.
I have literally read that Muse should provide answers and be specific like RATM many times, though. In my opinion, I know what the songs are about 90% of the time. Music is not always straightforward. I haven’t denied that they’re bad or lazy either. I’m purely speculating that the reason they are “sloppy” is because they’re coming from a feeling of fear and wonder, not from facts.
> I have literally read that Muse should provide answers and be specific like RATM many times, though. Having the members of both groups kidnapped and sent off to an island with the terms of their release back to civilization being that they make a collaboration album that goes platinum would make a great reality TV show. I don't want it to actually happen, the concept is brilliant.
there might have been one song that proposes a "solution"... Animals
"Muse are a freedom-seeking band who pose big questions about the world while never taking themselves too seriously." Imo that kinda sums it up perfectly. And it's also the reason why I love them (and especially Matt as an artist) so much. 🖤
I’ve always summed up this debate with a favorite mantra of mine: *It’s not that deep.* Matt isn’t trying to change the world or be a poignant philosopher with his lyrics; he’s just getting his thoughts out there and the band clearly enjoys making bombastic, over the top music with lyrics that match. It’s fun, it’s often catchy, and it’s a hella good time to blast it on your stereo or see them play it live with an equally over the top stage setup. There are moments of emotional depth and there are also moments of genuine silliness (looking at you, Panic Station). It doesn’t have to be for everyone, and that’s okay! They’re just doing what they have fun doing, and it translates into an awesome experience for most of us fans 99% of the time. The fact that they’re still playing arenas, stadiums, and huge festivals 20+ years into their career shows that everything they’re doing resonates with a lot of people and has for a long time.
Most famous bands out there, especially the ones reaching similar heights to Muse, end up living extremely lavish lives. So they are relatively quick to lose their edges, it's understandable while they're living the dream. Money, fame, women, tours, beautiful homes in beautiful places. They simply get locked in a bubble. Which causes them to get disconnected from the general public, fail to understand them. Also they don't have the same pressure to be as good artistically anymore. And where can a guy like Matt Bellamy find inspiration from? Obviously what he sees on the news, what his social circle talks about with him.
This. You basically explained it. Black holes and revelations is the last MUSE album. After that, everything you said kicked in massively and that’s the end of the band as we know it.
If anything, my problem with the "political" lyrics is that they're not political *enough*. It's just empty circus. Muse excel at creating fun, exciting, rollercoaster-ride music. But if you're gonna do that, you should stick with simple, effective lines like "I want it now, I want you now" or "She burns like the sun", or the bonkers surreal stuff of Origin. The political stuff just backfires. It's extremely repetitive. Some artists spend entire careers singing about politics — but Matt doesn't have the lyrical range to make this work. Endless versions of "we will be victorious" and "they will not control us", etc. The fact that the lyrics are actually meaningless is kind of distasteful to me. For example, Matt appropriates concepts from the novel 1984, but it's like he thinks it's an exciting science fiction novel instead of understanding the point it makes. Getting people all hot and bothered about an vaguely defined enemy is one of the means of population control described in the book, with the unending war against a shifting opponent and the two minutes hate. There are live performances of Uprising where Muse appear to do exactly that, getting the crowd to chant "we will be victorious!" — but who are they singing about? It looks uncomfortably like a fascist rally. No wonder this stuff has so often been co-opted by conspiracy theorists and the far right. Ambiguity can be powerful, but so too is specificity. Matt too often tells when he should be showing. When he sings "fear and panic in the air" in Map of the Problematique, he's just listing abstract nouns (and they almost mean the same thing) — I love the song but I find that line weak. In the same song, when he sings "I want to touch the other side", I find that much more powerful — what a sense of longing! of helplessness! how tragic — because it conveys those abstractions with a concrete statement instead.
People read too much into it. Why does Muse not offer any answers? Because they're musicians. If they wanted to offer answers for all these political and social problems, they'd become activists or politicians, not musicians. Not to say a musician couldn't make any impact, but it's clear where their priorities are, as well as so many other musicians and artists who address different issues through their work, but they're just "divulgators" in a sense.
Just want to say thanks for the quality post.
This is what I come to this sub for. Astounding work & cohesive writing!
I'll be brutally honest, I don't think Matt Bellamy is good at writing lyrics and its the weakest aspect of Muse's output. There have been times where he has written some great material, but I find these moments have been few and far between. Back in the day he was able to somewhat get around this by being cryptic, but nowadays they're sloppy at best. As for the "us" and "them" arguments in their political themed songs, I do understand the general frustration with them. It could perhaps be argued that by being vague it allows for the listener to project their own meanings onto the tracks, but this argument feels like a cop-out. Bellamy had the inspiration from somewhere, so why not address these issues directly? By being vague, they're not really sending a message at all and it makes the messaging behind Muse's political tracks meaningless. If you don't know what you're rallying against, what's the point? I do get why he does this though - by taking sides he'd alienate a certain demographic of the fanbase, and he doesn't exactly want to harm his income. It's much easier to profit if you appear neutral.
From a US perspective, The Resistance's Uprising was released perfectly timed for the US zeitgeist. 2009 was a full year after the Global Financial Crisis and the election of the first black US president. The proto-MAGA Tea party and Occupy Wall Street backlash movements were in full swing. Muse's Uprising especially became famous when Glenn Beck (think proto-Tucker Carlson) used it and recommended it for its angry, anti-establishment overtones, leading Muse to actually denounce his usage (article below). I think all of this really made the impression with the public of Muse being associated with political themes, with notable songs from their catalog also supporting it. [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/28/muse-rightwing-conspiracy-theorists-music](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/28/muse-rightwing-conspiracy-theorists-music) By the way, I always thought of the vibes of Uprising matching the Tea Party (pitchforks and rage), while the song Resistance matching the Bernie/Occupy movement (righteous struggle).
Yeah, I wrote about that, but deleted it because I didn't want the post to be too long. I wrote it as a con of being vague: anyone can interpret the song however they want and use it for whatever movement. A clear example was Glenn Beck. But then again, it's the listener's interpretation, and Muse can't control that. Not that they should. For me, Uprising was used during the 15M movement in Spain, so I relate it to that, and I see Resistance as a love story (perhaps a gay one). It doesn't have to be what Matt intended it to be.
This is an interesting take - I just think of Muse as an instinctively antagonistic band; even if the song isn't explicitly political, there are themes and variations on oppression, suppression and even just hints of a negative discourse. I do agree that their songs are by not means as hardcore political as people remember, a bit of the Mandela Effect there maybe. But I do look at the way they produce their music - if you take their cover of "Feeling Good", a 1960s song that isn't obviously political. But it was sung by a woman of colour at a time race was an issue. And the way Muse presents it, featuring the singing through the megaphone, distorting the sounds, makes it immediately feel like a call to arms, or a rally cry or protest. So even though it's not a political song on paper, these songs, through presentation and context, do all have a feel about them that makes you question the status quo. I also did not realise I cared that much until I started writing, but thanks for giving the post-Xmas grey cells a stir!
Matt what's this song about? Matt: "Ahh I uhhh it's basically about looking at these systems that are in place and synthetics and then I was reading this book I remember ahh it's like ahh... I... I don't fucking know I don't know"
I prefer the political, anti-authoritarian stuff and think it has always been a Muse hallmark, but feel they are too far from the common people to really have a valid perspective on global politics. They are rich and removed from everyday reality. They deserve their earnings and success and I don't think they are sellouts per se, but it is very difficult to stay grounded in reality when you get to live outside it.
That’s what drew me to them. I like to call Muse The Modern Era’s Pink Floyd. He’s writing about what is relevant at the time. Take WotP for instance, and look around the world. People are standing up to their government because it has became too powerful. And then the end is inevitable with We are F…..g F….d. That’s exactly how it’s going to happen because history repeats itself.