The music has a reggae sound that is catchy in its beat. The lead singers voice is raspy and pleasant but it’s the words that carry the message of the evils of censorship. In the opening lines of the song the lead singer for Rancid sings, “Out in the open, they ain't gonna hide, police state upon us, prepare to collide”. He doesn’t hide what the song is about or use allegory to get his message across. He just says straight out there is a police state upon us so get ready. This blunt assessment works well for a limited audience but does little to sway those outside who already don’t like this type of …show more content…
In “Liberty and Freedom” we are treated to an image of violence when the lead singer sings, “They’re gonna keep you down, step on your neck”. In further refrain he states, “If your ideas are suspect, now you’re in contempt. Report to the committee”. One can see shades of Orwell’s “1984” or even darker, the Nazi’s treatment of people who disagreed with their philosophy during WWII. Although these images relate a message, they are somewhat over the top. These lyrics leave one with a somewhat haunted feeling but little else. One might get angry but not have the faintest idea about one got that