Mao Tse Tung Said

Album: Exile on Coldharbour Lane
Released: 1997

Lyrics

Don't get me to hatin'. Love has practically cause me to just get you destroyed. If I had hated a little more, just a little more, we would have had a little less trouble. Sure you got love, principles! But don't say "Hate is my enemy." What they say? What are those words? "Hate is my enemy, I got to fight it day and night... Love's the only weapon" - shit! Bullshit!

Martin Luther King died for his love! Kennedy died talking about something he couldn't even understand, some kind of generalized love, and he never even backed it up! He was shot down! Bullshit, “Love is the only weapon with which I got to fight”. I've got a hell of a lot of weapons to fight! I got my claws, I got cutlasses, I got guns, I got dynamite, I got a hell of a lot of fight! I'll fight! I'll fight! I will fight! I will fight! I will fight! I will fight!

Let them hear it in the night! Yes, we’ll fight! They’re listening. Let the night roar! Let the night roar, because they can hear us, they know we mean it. We’ll kill them if they come!

Mao Tse Tung said change must come
Change must come thru the barrel of a gun
Not thru talkin' and not through waitin'
And sittin' around just contemplatin' the facts
'Cos we know what they are
So let Mao Tse Tung be your guidin' star
Pick up a gun and learn how to fight
All thru the day and all thru the night
'Til come the day when the last fight's won
I want you to listen, son
'Cos Mao Tse Tung said change must come
Thru the barrel of a gun
I want you to listen, son
Change must come
Change must come thru the barrel of a gun

CHORUS

Mao Tse Tung said
Change must come
Mao Tse Tung said
Change must come
Mao Tse Tung said
Change must come
Change must come thru the barrel of a gun

Okay. What was the basic premise of Mao? Mao Tse Tung said there’s only one way a revolution can come. Do you know, Millie? How did Mao Tse Tung say the only way you can bring a revolution and keep it?

Where you— onliest way I think you can keep it is by being at peace and being honorable.

Oh, shit, I ain’t— no— “being at peace”? Mao Tse Tung said that?

Oh—

No no no no—

Wait a minute— Oh—

—he’s the head of China. He’s the head of the Revolution of China.

No, I’m sorry.

He marched 6000 people…on the Long March.

I had my mind on something else.

Okay then, wha— wha— what’d he say? There only one way you can bring about a revolution for people.

Only way you can— only way you can bring it on, that by— is by killing.

Well, what— yes, that’s okay, I’m going to let you pass it —but what’d he say? He had a nice little phrase that everybody should know. “Change only comes—”

Oh—

You got it. “Change comes through…”

“—through— by a barrel of gun.”

That’s right, senior. And that’s good. ‘Cos you by rights would have every reason to forget some things. “Change must come through the barrel of gun,” said Mao Tse Tung. This place would be a paradise tomorrow if every department had a supervisor with a submachine gun.

Let them hear it in the night! Yes, we’ll fight! Let the night roar, because they can hear us, they know we mean it. We’ll kill them if they come!