N.W.O.

Ministry

About N.W.O.

"N. W. O." (New World Order) is a song by American rock band Ministry, released as the opening track and second single from their fifth studio album, Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs (1992). An industrial metal song, it was co-written and co-produced by the band's frontman Al Jourgensen and bassist Paul Barker, and is widely regarded as a protest against then-President George H. W. Bush, featuring samples from his speeches. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award under the Best Metal Performance category in 1993, and was featured in the soundtrack album of Ralph Bakshi's 1992 film Cool World. In 2015, "N. W. O." was ranked #10 in the VH1 "Top 10 Hardest Hitting Heavy Metal Political Anthems" list. The promotional single, featuring two mixes of "N. W. O." and a non-album instrumental track "Fucked", has been released around the same time with its parent album, and topped out on the Billboard Modern Rock chart at no. 11. The music video for “N. W. O.” was directed by Peter Christopherson. The majority of the video is a mix of police beatings, riots, and gunfights. It also includes a scene in which a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty is beaten by police in a manner similar to the famous amateur video of Rodney King being beaten by police. The video was featured on Beavis and Butt-Head along with another track from Psalm 69, "Just One Fix". 


Year:
1992
5:30
165 
#2

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All the locals hide their tears of regret
Open fire 'cause I love you to death
Sky high, with a heartache of stone
You'll never see me 'cause I'm always alone

How to love without a trace of dissent
I'll buy the torture 'cause you pay for the rent
Tied high with a broken command
You're all alone to the promised land

I'm in love with this malicious intent
You've been taken but you don't know it yet
What you will know must never live to be found
'Cause it's the subject of the eyes of the clown

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Ministry

Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a new wave - synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs (1992) and touring as part of the Lollapalooza festival. more »

5 fans

Written by: AL JOURGENSEN, ALIEN JOURGENSEN, PAUL G. BARKER

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"N.W.O." is a song by Ministry classified under the industrial metal genre.
Album Information
The song was featured in the band's fifth studio album "Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs" which was released in 1992.
Chart Performance
At the time of its release, "N.W.O." peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, demonstrating the song's widespread appeal.
Grammy Nomination
"N.W.O." was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1993, a testament to the piece's artistic quality.
Sociopolitical Content
The song is known for its outspoken sociopolitical content, N.W.O. standing for "New World Order," and reflects the band's criticism of the American government and militarism.
Sampling
This song features samples from political speeches, especially former U.S. President George H.W. Bush's famous "New World Order" speech, contributing to its unique sound and thematic content.
Lengthy Runtime
"N.W.O." runs for over 8 minutes, making it one of Ministry's more extended plays.
Iconic Collaborators
The song features guitars from Mike Scaccia and the influential guitarist William Tucker, who was part of many industrial-dance bands projects.
Live Performance
"N.W.O." is often performed live by the Band Ministry and continues to be a fan favorite at their shows.
Controversial Reception
While the song became one of Ministry's most famous, its explicit political content made it controversial, drawing both praise and criticism.

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