Megadeth: Holy Wars, The Punishment Due Meaning

Holy Wars, The Punishment Due Lyrics

Brother will kill brother

Spilling blood across the land

Killing for religion

Something I don't understand



Fools like me, who cross the sea

And come to foreign lands

Ask the sheep, for their beliefs

Do you kill on God's...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Aug 31st 2010 !⃝

   You all suck. The only guy who got it right was about the IRA but thats only the holy wars part. The second part is about the comic book the punisher.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Feb 4th 2009 !⃝

   The previous user is correct, the first half of the song is about religious wars, and the second half is about the comic book character The Punisher.
   
   The song was influenced by the northern irish conflict in the late 80s, and was written because of a happening at one of their Ireland tour venues.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   megadethkicksass

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   Jun 30th 2010 !⃝

   The dumbass who said it's about WWII is a fuckin moron,if you watch interviews such as the one on youtube when he does guitar sessions for guitar center,he clearly fucking states that's its inspired by his trip to Ireland,there was a big ass ceremony thing going on,and he got drunk and said a bunch of shit about the IRA(irish republican army).And he doesn't say"pray by the alliance" dip shit,he says "paid by the alliance"Take No Prisoners of the same album is about WWII though,but this is about pointless HOLY WARS,hence the title,it has nothing to do with World War 2.
4. anonymous

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   May 13th 2021 !⃝

   I have read most of the comments. It may have been inspired by the Ireland association. But to me it signifies much more. The heart of the conflict, the heart of the Holy Wars. The Middle East. It has taken place here since the beginning of our time, documented in literature, scrolls, artifacts, and stone walls. It is where life began and hence the most conflicts. The video they produced shows some insight. Troops trudging thru sands. Parachuting onto cities. Definitely not in Ireland. Israel named in the lyrics . Guitar riffs in Arab like tones. It was obvious to me growing up as a young adult in the 90s. And it rings true today. Dave has always had a peculiar sense and premonition of the future. The man is brilliant! I’m nearly 50 now, and I’m seeing it 30 years later. Directly in our face!
   
   His last line.. “ Next thing you know, they’ll take your thoughts away!”
5. anonymous

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   Apr 1st 2012 !⃝

   I would like to you explain me the meaning of the line: "lack of mercy killings"... how you justify the need of mercy killings? it's correct doing that considering the previous lyrics
6. Bruce Aiken

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   Nov 22nd 2011 !⃝

   It is a prophecy of the New World Order where brother will kill brother, being all children of God, by being fooled as part of a master plan through the deception of religion & ultimately wishing for death but unable to because of Big Brother. Even though they kill our loved ones, do not sell out to the Illuminati mind control, who threaten to kill by overdose.
7. anonymous

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   May 31st 2011 !⃝

   The song is about WAR, almost all war involves religion, or principles related. And war is just that "Brother will kill brother, spilling blood across the land." It's people fighting over money, land, and most commonly religion. It's a simple song, and it touches on a LOT of stories. "Brother will kill brother" - civil war, as was already mentioned, "They killed my wife and my baby, with hopes to enslave me" tragedies like this happen CONSTANTLY in war. "don't look now to israel, it might be your home land", we don't often see people killing eachother over religion in america, but we do see it. We see hate crimes, we see parents sacrificing their children to God, and that is a small scale model of what is happening in the middle east. I think the biggest lesson this song gives us is GOD IS NOT WORTH KILLING AND DYING FOR! Hell, if he does exist do you think he would want the children he loves to go killing each other? No this is a conception that man developed. I'm agnostic myself,m but if there is a God, he isn't this bloodthirsty asshole that the fucking clergymen want us to think he is.
8. anonymous

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   Apr 28th 2011 !⃝

   What is the part where it says: "Fill the cracks in, with judicial granite" about?
9. Gabi L. Sigillo

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   Mar 4th 2011 !⃝

   It's about the IRA, he said it. Deep lyrics, really deep. "The punishment due" part is about the punisher.
   Anyway i can't understand neither the israel thing nor the ending of the song (is euthanasia related to the IRA? Forgive my ignorance)
10. anonymous

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    Jun 8th 2010 !⃝

    This song is about holy war as the title says. There are also references to civil wars into the same country "a country that's divided, surely will not stand", "brother wil kill brother". There is also a clear reference to Israel country "Don't look now at Israel, It might be your homeland". And also a judgemnt on the subject "killing for religion, something I don't understand".
11. kalead

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    Nov 8th 2009 !⃝

    maybe this song has something to do with the conflict palestine-israel. a subject thats interested SEPULTURA,SILVERCHAIRE,...
12. anonymous

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    Jul 27th 2009 !⃝

    This song is about WWII, and the Nazis VS the Jewish people (I don't call a Jewish Person a Jew. Well sorry.). "Don't Look now to Israel for it might be your homeland. Is referring to the Jewish people pretending to not be Jewish, in hopes of the Nazis believing them. The Line "They killed my wife and my baby, with hopes to enslave me" Is referring to the Nazis putting his wife and baby into Death Camps ("They Killed my wife and my baby"), and putting Dave(Or Who ever he is in the story of the song) into a Labor Camp ("With Hopes to Enslave me"). "Pray by the Alliance to slay all the giants" refers to The Jewish people praying by the Alliance of the USA, and all the other countries who allied to take down Germany "The Giants".
13. anonymous

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    Jan 29th 2007 !⃝

    Well, I think that this song is about Holy Wars, wars that are motivated by religion.Dave tries to express his feelings, about just how stupid it is to kill because you think that God commanted you to. So he says that people, who go blind by there religious feelings, are capable of doing things like killing there own familly...I can't really tell about the cartoon thing, it is probably correct.
14. anonymous

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    Jan 29th 2007 !⃝

    Well, I think that this song is about Holy Wars, wars that are motivated by religion.Dave tries to express his feelings, just how stupid it is to kill because you think that
15. anonymous

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    Oct 6th 2006 !⃝

    The song is actually two halfs; "holy wars" which is about the wars in the middle east and "the punishment due" which is about the cartoon character, the punisher.

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