"Holiday in Cambodia", often reminded me brings to mind this song, because they were the Dead Kennedys and Circle Jerks who opened my mind at 16 years, these powerful dose of punk California eighties I had brought my friend Elmer United States helped me to discern musical horizons rich, fertile and original that provided a breath of fresh air in this suffocating music scene dominated by Madonna, Culture Club, Modern Talking and Wham!.
That was different, it was pure adrenaline, compelling and challenging sounds that fueled the controversy and encouraged you to lukewarm political commitment that you distinguish yourself from other young herd, lulled by soft music and a bottle of carbonated beverages.
The information below is taken from the blog I provide Stories a song, to whom I devoted a post few days ago.
Holiday in Cambodia was the second single from the style of hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. It was launched in May 1980 with "Police Truck" as the B-side single and was written by vocalist Jello Biafra and John Greenway. Both items were rewritten to form part of the band's first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, in 1980 and the original versions of the singles appeared later on a disc of rarities from the band called Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death released in 1987. Recall that the two versions differ by the duration and the guitar solo.
The photo on the cover of the single was taken on October 6, 1976 at the Slaughter of Thailand and you can see a person in the crowd hitting the body of a student with a metal chair. This slaughter was carried out by security forces and right-wing paramilitary groups against leftist students at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
The song is a radical and ironic attack totalitarianism East, West and the direct relationship between them through U.S. military intervention, criticizing the way the brutal Pol Pot regime in Cambodia.
In October 1998, the author of the song and singer Jello Biafra was sued by former band members. According to Biafra, the suit was over its refusal to allow "Holiday in Cambodia" is used in a commercial for Levi's Jeans brand. Biafra's refusal to that company because he believes held business practices unfair and have workshops with slave labor.
So you been to school
For a year or two
And you know you've seen it all
In daddy's car
Thinkin 'you 'll go far
Back east your type Do not crawl
Play
ethnicky jazz To parade your snazz
On your five grand stereo Braggin
'That
you know How the niggers
feel cold
And the slums got so much soul
It's time to taste what you most fear
Right Guard will not help you here
Brace yourself, my dear:
It's a holiday in Cambodia
It's tough, kid, but it's life
It's a holiday in Cambodia
Don't forget to pack a wife
You're a star-belly sneech
You suck like a leach
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss ass while you bitch
So you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you
Well you'll work harder
With a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers
Till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake
Now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son:.
Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll kiss ass or crack
Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, [etc]
And it's a holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll do what you're told
A holiday in Cambodia
Where the slums got so much soul
