British rebel band Chumbawamba's new song "Jacob's Ladder (Not in My Name)" expresses fury and revulsion at the blatant lies being broadcast to create a climate for war. "Jacob's Ladder" is featured on the band's latest album Readymades.
Chumbawamba lambastes US President George Bush's looming war against Iraq as an attempt to distract attention from the US domestic crisis.
"Jacob's Ladder (Not in My Name)" is a reminder that the oil and arms industries must not be given carte blanche to cause murder and mayhem in search of profit. Chumbawamba's harmonies swell with anger at the US and British government's willingness to sacrifice innocent civilians for oil and power.
Readymades, Chumbawamba's 10th studio album, offers some new fare, using breakbeats and folk samples in an ambient mix of melody and ferocious politics. Chumbawamba's songs are full of sweet harmonies and angry reflection, with a focus on political and social justice issues too often overlooked and untouched by musicians.
"Jacob's Ladder" condemns Labour British Prime Minister Tony Blair's desperate attempt to back up Bush's every move — what is called Blair's "special relationship" in the corporate media. Chumbawamba refuse to accept that Bush's and Blair's warmongering is a "war against terror" but instead expose the terror of war — war is terrorism with a bigger budget!
Download "Jacob's Ladder (Not in My Name)" for free at <http://www.chumbawamba.tv/>.
From Green Left Weekly, January 22, 2003.
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