UTR: But those songs seem to be aimed very specific targets, especially George Bush (“I hope your drunken daughters are gay!”). How do these big-picture political issues impact you emotionally as songwriters?
Torquil: I’m not a very good political songwriter, not yet, and I admire those who can do it. We’re a love song band, we write love songs, and what we were trying to do on Set Yourself on Fire is point out the relationship between love and politics. You don’t have revolution unless you understand that love is the absolute power, that people can have everything and be miserable or have nothing and still be happy. It’s the only thing that can change the world, and that’s been the opinion of Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha. The world is so interdependent. We’re so close. Like the 9-11 images, they were played around the world, who ever dreamed we’d all see that? Where’s the room for love? You have to find room, cram it in. There was this woman up here who did these serial murders, killed children and videotaped it, and she cut a deal with the cops and now she’s getting out of jail. I don’t think she should ever get out of jail! But in the same way, I don’t think Henry Kissinger should ever get out of jail, you know? They should both be sitting in the room where they keep murderers. I fucking hate evil, so I guess that makes me a liberal.
UTR: How does being Canadian affect the way you write about American political issues?
Torquil: I’m actually American. I’ve lived [in Montreal] for eight years, but I was born in England and I’m a landed immigrant in America. The only place I’m not a citizen is Canada. But there are things that I don’t know, feelings that my friends there have. I’ll talk to Ben Gibbard [of Death Cab For Cutie] and he’ll have this very deep depression, and it’s different for me because I don’t have to live under that law. But we’re so connected, I mean, Osama Bin Laden and George Bush are the same person, fighting their fake war to make money off of people’s backs. I think fundamentalist Islam and fundamentalist Christianity are best friends, and we suffer under their chaos, while 95 percent of the rest of the world just wants to find a pretty person to marry and have kids with.
– Torquil of Stars, interview with Under the Radar
4 comments on “Torquil on Politics and Love”
But we’re so connected, I mean, Osama Bin Laden and George Bush are the same person, fighting their fake war to make money off of people’s backs.
well, he just came right out with that, didn’t he? cutting straight to the chase…that’s good stuff.
I think fundamentalist Islam and fundamentalist Christianity are best friends, and we suffer under their chaos, while 95 percent of the rest of the world just wants to find a pretty person to marry and have kids with.
very VERY well put…thanks for this post!
“ I think fundamentalist Islam and fundamentalist Christianity …“
I’m very sorry to have Jesus involved even tangentially in all of this sordid shiet but yaa, I agree with dewd.
Here’s a new one: apparently the name “Al Queda” is more or less a CIA / Pentagon / Bushite construct; Zarkawahi and bin Ladin were marginalized before the cabal created this target.
Jesus is about as far removed from fundamentalist Christianity as cows are from soy milk as far as I can see. Jesus is involved by name only, not by his core teachings.
I didn’t know about Al Queda being a construct of that sort. It doesn’t at all surprise me, though.
Nice to hear Joshua’s still got some cred.
Yaaa, it’s like that. Fuck mahn, history rocks totally.