Music used as torture device

Some rock bands and other songwriters said last week they were outraged by the government’s use of their songs for “musical torture” of terrorism suspects.

Piping loud music into the cells of detainees —- sometimes the same song for hours or days on end —- has been an approved interrogation technique since September 2003. A declassified Army document approves “yelling, loud music, light control: used to create fear, disorient detainee and prolong capture shock.”

The technique is brutally effective, one inmate says. The man, who was held at the “Dark Prison” in Afghanistan, said repeated plays of rap by Eminem and Dr. Dre left inmates screaming and smashing their heads against the wall.

What sort of music has the United States used to subdue interrogation subjects? Here’s a sampling of lyrics, taken from a variety of Web sites.

“Enter Sandman”

Metallica

Something’s wrong, shut the light

Heavy thoughts tonight

And they aren’t of Snow White

Dreams of war, dreams of liars

Dreams of dragons fire

And of things that will bite

Sleep with one eye open

Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

Off to never never land

“Bodies”

Drowning Pool

This is the end

Skin against skin

blood and bone

You’re all by yourself

but you’re not alone

You wanted in

now you’re here

Driven by hate

consumed by fear

Let the bodies hit the floor

“Hell’s Bells”

AC/DC

I’ll give you black sensations

up and down your spine

If you’re into evil

you’re a friend of mine

See my white light flashing

as I split the night

‘cause if good’s on the left,

then I’m stickin’ to the right

I won’t take no prisoners,

won’t spare no lives

Nobody’s puttin’ up a fight

I got my bell,

I’m gonna take you to hell

I’m gonna get you, Satan get you

“March of the Pigs”

Nine Inch Nails

All the pigs are all lined up,

I give you all that you want,

Take the skin and peel it back,

Now doesn’t that make you feel better?

Shove it up inside!

Surprise!

Lies!

Stains like blood on your teeth!

Bite!

Chew!

“I Love You”

(The Barney Song)

I love you

you love me

we’re a happy family

with a great big hug

and a kiss from me to you

won’t you say you love me too!

“We Will Rock You”

Queen

Buddy you’re a young man

hard man

Shoutin’ in the street

gonna take on the world some day

You got blood on yo’ face

You big disgrace

Wavin’ your banner all over the place

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you

“Stayin’ Alive”

The Bee Gees

Whether you’re a brother

or whether you’re a mother,

You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.

Feel the city breakin’

and everybody shakin’,

And were stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.

Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.

Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive.

The Web site ZerodB.org (for zero decibels) says it is “committed to ending this barbaric practice” and asks users to sign a petition demanding an end to torture by music. The site notes that the U.N. and European Court of Human Rights have banned music torture, “but to this day its widespread use in secret prisons around the world is widespread.” Zero dB is a project of Reprieve, a British law group that represents several inmates at Guantanamo Bay.

WHAT THEY SAID

“I suggest that they level Guantanamo Bay, but they keep one small cell and they put Bush in there … and they blast some Rage Against the Machine.”

—- Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine during a recent concert in San Francisco.

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“We’ve been punishing our parents, our wives, our loved ones with this music forever. Why should the Iraqis be any different?”

—- Metallica co-founder James Hetfield

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“People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that played over and over it can psychologically break someone down. I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.”

—- Drowning Pool bassist Steve Benton, quoted by Spin magazine.

—-

“If I was a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay and they blasted a load of music at me, I’d be like, ‘Is this all you got? Come on.’ I certainly don’t believe in torturing people, but I don’t believe that playing loud music is torture either.”

—- Deicide drummer Steve Asheim, whose band’s song “[Obscenity] Your God” is said to be interrogators’ No. 1 hit.

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“I would rate the annoyance factor to be about equal with hearing my neighbor’s leaf blower. It can set my teeth on edge, but it won’t break me down and make me confess to crimes against humanity.”

—- Bob Singleton, author of the Barney song “I Love You.”

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“I wouldn’t want my music to be a party to that.”

—- “Sesame Street” composer Christopher Cerf