ASSIGNMENT #1: What do you think the composer was trying to say with this song? One page only!Joe Jackson, “Evil Empire” (1989)There’s a country where no one knowsWhat’s going on in the rest of the worldThere’s a country where minds are closedWith just a few asking questionsLike what do their leaders sayIn sessions behind closed doorsAnd if this is the perfect wayWhy do we need these goddamn liesThis doesn’t go down too well"we give you everything and you throw it backDon’t like it here you can go to hellYou’re either with or against us

ASSIGNMENT #1: What do you think the composer was trying to say with this song? One page only!Joe Jackson, “Evil Empire” (1989)There’s a country where no one knowsWhat’s going on in the rest of the worldThere’s a country where minds are closedWith just a few asking questionsLike what do their leaders sayIn sessions behind closed doorsAnd if this is the perfect wayWhy do we need these goddamn liesThis doesn’t go down too well"we give you everything and you throw it backDon’t like it here you can go to hellYou’re either with or against us . . ."There’s a country that’s great and wideIt’s got the biggest of everythingTry to attack it and you can’t hideDon’t say that you haven’t been warnedYou can’t hide in a gunman’s maskOr kill innocent folks and runBut if you’re good at it they might ask -Come on over to the other sideThere’s a country that’s tired of warThere’s a country that’s scared insideBut the bank is open and you can drawFor guns to fight in their backyardI could go on but what’s the useYou can’t fight them with songsBut think of this as justAnother tiny blow against the empireAnother blow against the evil empireJust another blow against the evil empire