Somewhere high in the desert near a curtain of a blue
St. Anne's skirts are billowing,
But down here in the city of limelights
The fans of Santa Ana are withering.
And you can’t deny that living is easy
If you never look behind the scenery,
It's showtime for dry climes
And bedlam is dreaming of rain.
When the hills of Los Angeles are burning,
Palm trees are candles in the murder wind,
So many lives on the breeze,
Even the stars are ill at ease
And Los Angeles is burning.
This is not a test
Of the emergency broadcast system
When Malibu fires and radio towers
Conspire to dance again.
And I cannot believe the media Mecca,
They're only trying to peddle reality:
Catch it on prime time, story at nine,
The whole world is going insane.
When the hills of Los Angeles are burning,
Palm trees are candles in the murder wind,
So many lives on the breeze,
Even the stars are ill at ease
And Los Angeles is burning.
A placard reads: "The end of days".
Jacaranda boughs are bending in the haze.
More a question than a curse,
How could hell be any worse?
The flames are stunning,
The camera's running
So take warning.
When the hills of Los Angeles are burning,
Palm trees are candles in the murder wind,
So many lives on the breeze,
Even the stars are ill at ease
And Los Angeles is burning.
Version | Length | Release | Catalog ID | Country | Format | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Album version | ||||||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | United States | 12" | 2022 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Europe | 12" | 2019 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 6694-1 | Europe | 12" | 2019 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 86694-1 | United States | 12" | 2019 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 86694-1CRS (CLEAR/RED) | United States | 12" | 2015 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | United States | CD | 2014 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 86694-1 | United States | 12" | 2010 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Brazil | CD | 2009 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Russia | CD | 2007 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 86694-1 | United States | 12" | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Europe | 12" | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 86694-2 | United States | CD | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Japan | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 6726-2 | Europe | CD | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 6694-2 | Europe | CD | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Brazil | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Russia | MC | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | n/a | United States | CD | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | EDCI 80130 | Japan | CD | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Europe | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | 2908-2 | Argentina | CD | 2004 | |
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Colombia | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Australia | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Brazil | CD | 2004 | ||
3:23 | The Empire Strikes First | Russia | CD | 2004 | ||
Live @ House of Blues 2010 | ||||||
30 Years Live | United States | 12" | 2023 | |||
30 Years Live | 99977-1 | United States | 12" | 2016 | ||
30 Years Live | 7105-1 | Europe | 12" | 2016 | ||
30 Years Live | 87105-1 | United States | 12" | 2016 | ||
30 Years Live | 87105-1 | United States | 12" | 2016 | ||
The Dissent of Man | EICP-1415-6 | Japan | CD | 2010 | ||
30 Years Live | EICP-1415-6 | Japan | CD | 2010 | ||
30 Years Live | United States | DL | 2010 | |||
Video | ||||||
Punk-O-Rama 10 | Europe | CD | 2005 | |||
Video clip | ||||||
Rock Against Bush Vol.2 | FAT677-2 | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
Video live @ Palladium, 11/20/2004 | ||||||
Live At The Palladium | Brazil | DVD | 2009 | |||
Live At The Palladium | Japan | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | Europe | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | United States | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | Australia | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | H-716 | China | DVD | 2005 | ||
Not specified | ||||||
3.25 | Los Angeles is Burning | United States | Betacam | 2007 | ||
3.25 | Unsound | United States | CD | 2006 | ||
Epitaph Summer Sampler & Catalog 2005 | United States | CD | 2005 | |||
Los Angeles Is Burning | 1175-7 | Europe | 7" | 2004 | ||
Los Angeles Is Burning | n/a | Europe | CD | 2004 | ||
Los Angeles Is Burning | 1169-2 | Europe | CD | 2004 | ||
Los Angeles Is Burning | 86694-2S1 | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
Los Angeles Is Burning | 1169-2 | Europe | CD | 2004 | ||
Los Angeles Is Burning | Australia | CD | 2004 |
FiendFyre
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
I think this song is also saying that nobody is exempt from the destruction that can take place in the world ('even the stars are ill at ease'), no matter what our own perception/interpretation of the reality that is fed to us by the media may be. And 'so take warning', because if we don't look beyond the materialistic ideals, we will end up just the same.
09/08/2006 at 20:44
I think this song is also saying that nobody is exempt from the destruction that can take place in the world ('even the stars are ill at ease'), no matter what our own perception/interpretation of the reality that is fed to us by the media may be. And 'so take warning', because if we don't look beyond the materialistic ideals, we will end up just the same.
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alex
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
The song is about the fires that ravaged Southern California in the summer of 2003, and the media's coverage of it. It was one of the worst fire seasons on record. "So many lives on the breeze'' is telling of the countless number of lives that were at the mercy of the unrelenting Santa Ana winds which fan the fires every summer.
07/29/2006 at 07:00
The song is about the fires that ravaged Southern California in the summer of 2003, and the media's coverage of it. It was one of the worst fire seasons on record. "So many lives on the breeze'' is telling of the countless number of lives that were at the mercy of the unrelenting Santa Ana winds which fan the fires every summer.
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NG
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
This is basically a reinforcement or spin off of their earlier tune "Only Entertainment". It is talking about how the media exploits natural disasters as their "news" which, in turn, is only entertainment ("showtime for dry climes").
11/16/2004 at 18:32
This is basically a reinforcement or spin off of their earlier tune "Only Entertainment". It is talking about how the media exploits natural disasters as their "news" which, in turn, is only entertainment ("showtime for dry climes").
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Toni
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
Not a full interpretation, but just a bibliographic note: this song, especially after watching the videoclip, seems inspired, or at least related, to french philosopher Jean Baudrillard's book "The perfect crime".
That book could be resumed in BR's sentence: The media Mecca is trying to peddle reality. They have, effectively and efficiently, killed "reality" as such. Not that it existed anyway some skeptic may think, but now we are farther than ever from it. 09/17/2004 at 23:27
Not a full interpretation, but just a bibliographic note: this song, especially after watching the videoclip, seems inspired, or at least related, to french philosopher Jean Baudrillard's book "The perfect crime".
That book could be resumed in BR's sentence: The media Mecca is trying to peddle reality. They have, effectively and efficiently, killed "reality" as such. Not that it existed anyway some skeptic may think, but now we are farther than ever from it. |
ManOfScience
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
I'm sure there'll be a lot more to this song than what I'm gonna explain here, but this is what I think of it:
It's about the media and the way it "peddles reality", which is literally said in the lyrics. I'll highlight some sentences: "Somewhere high in the desert near a curtain of a blue St. Anne's skirts are billowing, But down here in the city of lime lights The fans of Santa Anna are withering": I'm not really sure about this one, but I think it's about misplacing priorities. The media often focuses on a specific subject and by doing so, it forces an opinion up on the public (and prevents awareness about other things). "You can't deny the living is easy, when you never looked behind the scenery": this is about awareness. It's easy to just buy everything they're selling, and it'll be an easy life doing so, but when you try to find out what's really going on (gain awareness) you'll find that there are a lot of things wrong with the world (a well known happiness/awareness theme from books like "Brave new world" and "1984"). "When the hills of Los Angeles are burning": I think that this means: when LA (the media mecca) is "on fire", ie. it's doing what it does best: peddling reality. Note the reference to older BR songs: "more a question than a curse, how could hell be any worse?" This isn't the only reference to the past on this album (Social Suicide... anyone?). 07/22/2004 at 20:08
I'm sure there'll be a lot more to this song than what I'm gonna explain here, but this is what I think of it:
It's about the media and the way it "peddles reality", which is literally said in the lyrics. I'll highlight some sentences: "Somewhere high in the desert near a curtain of a blue St. Anne's skirts are billowing, But down here in the city of lime lights The fans of Santa Anna are withering": I'm not really sure about this one, but I think it's about misplacing priorities. The media often focuses on a specific subject and by doing so, it forces an opinion up on the public (and prevents awareness about other things). "You can't deny the living is easy, when you never looked behind the scenery": this is about awareness. It's easy to just buy everything they're selling, and it'll be an easy life doing so, but when you try to find out what's really going on (gain awareness) you'll find that there are a lot of things wrong with the world (a well known happiness/awareness theme from books like "Brave new world" and "1984"). "When the hills of Los Angeles are burning": I think that this means: when LA (the media mecca) is "on fire", ie. it's doing what it does best: peddling reality. Note the reference to older BR songs: "more a question than a curse, how could hell be any worse?" This isn't the only reference to the past on this album (Social Suicide... anyone?). |
oblivionpact
Lost Pilgrim
![]() ![]() Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
Last year's fires literally inspired it, but the song takes on new meaning because America gets its identity from Hollywood. That L.A. was burning is a metaphor for the fact that our national identity is in crisis, and we don't really know which way we want to turn. It's also a metaphor for the fact that we have a superficiality of American society, which is based on consumption.
07/11/2004 at 23:26
Last year's fires literally inspired it, but the song takes on new meaning because America gets its identity from Hollywood. That L.A. was burning is a metaphor for the fact that our national identity is in crisis, and we don't really know which way we want to turn. It's also a metaphor for the fact that we have a superficiality of American society, which is based on consumption.
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