Taqwacore Lyrics by Non-Taqwacore Bands
He said, “This is a Mecca.” I said, “This ain’t no Mecca man, this place is fucked.”
- Rancid, Journey to the End of East Bay
It should be no surprise to readers who’ve read my post on “Allah, Allah, Allah,” that I have a slight fascination with Muslim lyrics in non-Muslim places. After reading the above lyrics in Knight’s book, I got even more curious. Were there more? Were there other Taqwacore-ish lyrics embedded in other punk songs by non-Taqwacore bands? I started digging around on youtube and created a UpDaTaqx playlist of the 20+ songs that I found. But I wanted to pull out some of the choicest pieces here. I’m frankly amazed I hadn’t heard of some of these sooner.
I’ve always been a fan of The Vandals, but hadn’t heard of this song before.
And when I fight, I know he makes me strong
And when I die, I know I can’t be wrong
I know my only chance is, Allah! Allah! Allah! Allah!
Then you have the catchy Anti-Nazi by the Angelic Upstarts.
Nigerian doctor, A nurse from Taiwan
My dad’s a Muslim cleric I couldn’t be you
Stand together, all with me
Fight the Nazis, we believe
Of course you have one of my favorite bands, NOFX, known for their quirky, satirical words and a fun West Coast sound. Though I’ve heard this song plenty of times, I didn’t really catch the reference. All Outta Angst has lyrics about “running off to Pakistan to learn the laws of Islam.”
The song On My Honor by the band Witch Hunt has is about honor killing.
In the name of honor – She was beaten and bruised, disfigured and mutilated even worse than death- In the name of honor- She lost her nose and lost her eyes- never to see the face of her children again- She was abused and she was accused of cheating on her husband in the country of Pakistan.
We bombed their land, their hospitals- Killed many innocent people dead- Use American flags as band-aids to cover something up that you cannot fucking hide- It’s time that we open up our eyes, admit our own mistakes and realize we can no longer retaliate.
I walked out on a talk that Jello Biafra once gave in DC. I think he’s a little full of himself with his politics. In this song Islamic Bomb he talks about how the Western world got themselves into this whole mess int he first place.
You can find the rest of the songs on the youtube UpDaTaqx playlist here. Consider it my Eid present for the Taqwacores. Let me know if I missed any.
Though I think it’s great that these songs exist, I’m still just a little bit irked by the dominance of white males singing these songs. I’m less irked by the fact that most of them are self-aware (at least lyrically) and were giving a voice to a struggle smartly. Most of these punk bands were all around long before any members of current Taqwacore bands were out of Junior High. But I think what is awesome about Taqwacore bands (and songs and lyrics) is that we have Muslim/Brown/Desi/Arab/Taqwacore people giving voice to our own struggles for our own people in our own punk rock way. We are providing our own counternarrative in counterculture, which kind of makes sense in it’s own punk rock way.
Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed is an activist and writer living in Los Angeles. She is the Founder of South Asian American Voting Youth (SAAVY), an aspiring novelist and a long-time blogger for the popular South Asian blog Sepia Mutiny
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How did you find all those?
Washington D.C. hardcore punk band Good Clean Fun covers Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody with its “Bismillah” here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJyvqzgScMM although it’s a disappointingly straight cover, not very punk at all. There might be some punkier one out there somewhere.
“My Exit, Unfair” by mewithoutYou has some Arabic prayer at the end of the song. good band
One of my favourite bands. The new album has a number of duruds that Weiss learned from his Sufi parents.
Although an Evangalist Christian his lyrics are much more confessional documenting his rather tortures relationship with God.
This new album shows are more ‘perennialist’ approach.
Hahah great work! I like the “All Outta Angst” one- it always struck me as a little bit taqx. Their “No Fun in Fundamentalism” also appeals
“there’s no fun in praying on a mat/ there’s no fun in being covered in black clothes in the desert/ Unless you’re goth and into that/ But not if you’re a woman who is treated like dog shit… “
Mildly interesting but smacks a little of “look White people using the word Allah in a decintexrualised manner!’. I like how your conclusion though and I agree with it. But there is still an undercurrent of ‘white validation’ to it all
yes.
yad… can you please release a cd!? i’m into your shit.
Thanks man.
Jahiz is in a bit of a slow down at the moment…only doing some one man shows as Gore Nidal until February while Sas is doing exams.
d0us chiptune cdr coming out in January. Will be popping up a preview on myspace soon with one track that somehow synced Fairuz and Bounty Killer
Choice Apparel Harsh Noise split with Timothy C. Holehouse coming before xmas I think. Keep you posted.
Somebody’s Kid improv EP was released on ZX Tapes. Now sold out. http://www.myspace.com/zxtapes
Online downloads available though.
I think you can ask Jon from ZX real nice and he might do another batch if he gets enough orders!
Have you got UK distro for Al-Thawra’s debut?
ps.
The master for Neuropathy, Jahiz’s release from 2006 (?) I think has disappeared and we only did 50 Cds.
If I find a cd from someone I’ll send that on
“Irked by the dominance of white males singing these songs”
What the fuck is the problem with being a white male? That’s racist bullshit. I’m a white male, a Muslim, a punk, and a Taqwacore Just because a lot of white people are idiots, you shouldn’t generalize. Sure we need more color and other diversity in the punk scene, but your statement is like someone complaining that they like rap, but are tired of all the black people.
@Yassin
People who are affected by white male dominance use the term ‘racist’ very carefully because it has a certain meaning that is now becoming perverted in mainstream parlance, namely by people like you. Racism should be understood as racial prejudice + power. Those who are prejudiced and are able, through their power, to channel that prejudice into oppressing others are racists.
Those who critique racists for their racist acts by calling them out for being “white males” are not racists. It is absurd to even allege that they are.
If you want to stop being a racist Tassin, learn to be a race traitor and give up your white male privilege. There is no other way if you want to be truly in solidarity with the oppressed in this country and around the world.
Perhaps one day you will see the light, until then you will be blinded by your white supremacist mental conditioning.
Check it: I’ve had to live in the streets and eat out of fucking dumpsters, I’ve been thrown in jail and prison, I’ve had the living shit kicked out of me by nazis for being a white guy in a kufi and thawb, I’ve had the shit kicked out be by the cops whose job it’s supposed to be to protect people from said nazis. So far the great power of white privilege isn’t working so well for me. And racism is discrimination based on race. Period.
@Yassin
don’t think she meant it that way. i think she was alluding to the fact that we all wish there were more taqx bands out there.
Personally, I don’t care to co-opt music from bands that use our vocabulary. It’s probably insincere.
Imran, I think your probably right about her intention, I’m just a little sensitive about racism(of any kind) so sometimes when I hear or see something that sets off thet alarm, I kinda fly off the handle. And as far as that critical race guy is concerned, As a Muslim(and a Taqx) Racism fuckin pisses me off, and while Taz probably just used an unfortunate choice of words, Critical is a racist asshole, and no matter what he believes, there is no race/group toward whom predjudice is justified.
Word!
You know what. When I first time read your post about that white band singing “Allah, Allah…”
(mewithoutyou?), I got really irritated and thought “Why the heck are they singing about Allah?
So I found the lyrics, AND is anyone aware of they have great irony in their lyrics? Come on we all know they are not worshiping “Allah”. Dont we?
“In everyone we meet
Allah, Allah, Allah
In everyone we meet
In every blade of grass
Allah, Allah, Allah
In every blade of grass
(…)
Everywhere we look
It’s all crazy
It’s all false”
Comparing Allah with falsness and craziness?
Astakh!
To Yassin, I would say THAT is more offensive than Taz’ statement about being irked of “white male dominance…”.
We all know that the history has been dominated by mostly two things: something “white”…and something “men”.
So no point in saying that it is racist bullshit. Seriously.
@Momina. Your right. That is more offensive. I didn’t catch that at first.
Most of that verse is a a quote/interpretation from Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.
He was calling the material world false.
Helps to do a little research before you start mouthing off
Agree with Momina.
Sarcasm is really an attractive way of expressing, but very dangerous too.
one last thing and I’m off this stream.
Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in God’s sight is that one of you who best performs his duty. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (The Qur’an , 49:13)