{"id":44367,"date":"2025-06-06T13:02:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idea.membrane.com\/songwriter\/?p=44367"},"modified":"2025-06-06T13:02:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:02:37","slug":"crusade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/2025\/06\/06\/crusade\/","title":{"rendered":"Crusade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Crusade-Best-Of.mp3\">Crusade-Best-Of.mp3<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Crusade-Best-Of.mp4\">Crusade-Best-Of.mp4<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Crusade.mp3\">Crusade.mp3<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Crusade.mp4\">Crusade.mp4<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Crusade-intro.mp3\">Crusade-intro.mp3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[Verse 1]<br \/>\nWaging war<br \/>\nIn the name of peace<br \/>\nSay no more<br \/>\nAt the very least<\/p>\n<p>[Chorus]<br \/>\nToday the crusaders<br \/>\nCrusade against aid<br \/>\nSpiritual raiders<br \/>\nPrefer throwing their shade<\/p>\n<p>[Verse 2]<br \/>\nBattle, massacres<br \/>\nStarvation, disease<br \/>\nNothing will please<br \/>\nNo love occurs<\/p>\n<p>[Chorus]<br \/>\nToday the crusaders<br \/>\nCrusade against aid<br \/>\nSpiritual raiders<br \/>\nPrefer throwing their shade<\/p>\n<p>[Bridge]<br \/>\nVote for famine<br \/>\n(Again and again)<br \/>\nPro-starvation<br \/>\n(Anti-rationalization)<\/p>\n<p>[Chorus]<br \/>\nToday the crusaders<br \/>\nCrusade against aid<br \/>\nSpiritual raiders<br \/>\nPrefer throwing their shade<\/p>\n<p>[Outro]<br \/>\nEvangelical<br \/>\n(Nonsensical)<\/p>\n<p>ABOUT THE SONG<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"344\">The Crusades, which took place roughly between 1095 and 1291 (with some later campaigns continuing into the 15th century), were a series of religious and military campaigns launched by European Christians, primarily against Muslims in the Holy Land but also targeting Jews, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and heretical Christian groups in Europe.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"346\" data-end=\"370\">Estimated Death Toll<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"372\" data-end=\"533\">There is no precise number of how many people were killed during the Crusades, but historians estimate the death toll to be <strong data-start=\"496\" data-end=\"521\">1 to 3 million people<\/strong>, including:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"535\" data-end=\"741\">\n<li data-start=\"535\" data-end=\"570\">\n<p data-start=\"537\" data-end=\"570\"><strong data-start=\"537\" data-end=\"570\">Muslim civilians and soldiers<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"571\" data-end=\"596\">\n<p data-start=\"573\" data-end=\"596\"><strong data-start=\"573\" data-end=\"596\">Christian crusaders<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"597\" data-end=\"679\">\n<p data-start=\"599\" data-end=\"679\"><strong data-start=\"599\" data-end=\"679\">Jews (notably during pogroms in Europe, especially during the First Crusade)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"680\" data-end=\"741\">\n<p data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"741\"><strong data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"741\">Byzantine Christians and others caught in the crossfire<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"743\" data-end=\"830\">These numbers account for deaths in battle, massacres, starvation, disease, and sieges.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"327\">The song <strong data-start=\"9\" data-end=\"22\">&#8220;Crusade&#8221;<\/strong> serves as a sharp, poetic critique of modern-day far-right movements\u2014particularly among some Evangelical Christians and nationalist political factions\u2014who advocate for <strong data-start=\"191\" data-end=\"262\">anti-humanitarian, anti-immigrant, and anti-social welfare policies<\/strong>. Here&#8217;s a thematic interpretation of the lyrics in that context:<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"334\" data-end=\"351\"><strong data-start=\"338\" data-end=\"351\">[Verse 1]<\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote data-start=\"352\" data-end=\"423\">\n<p data-start=\"354\" data-end=\"423\"><em data-start=\"354\" data-end=\"423\">Waging war \/ In the name of peace \/ Say no more \/ At the very least<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"425\" data-end=\"755\">This verse calls out the <strong data-start=\"450\" data-end=\"463\">hypocrisy<\/strong> of those who claim to act in the name of morality or peace\u2014often invoking religious or patriotic language\u2014while actually promoting divisiveness, cruelty, or war. It&#8217;s an allusion to <strong data-start=\"646\" data-end=\"666\">&#8220;moral crusades&#8221;<\/strong> that justify inhumane policies under the guise of protecting values or &#8220;saving&#8221; society.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"762\" data-end=\"778\"><strong data-start=\"766\" data-end=\"778\">[Chorus]<\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote data-start=\"779\" data-end=\"874\">\n<p data-start=\"781\" data-end=\"874\"><em data-start=\"781\" data-end=\"874\">Today the crusaders \/ Crusade against aid \/ Spiritual raiders \/ Prefer throwing their shade<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"876\" data-end=\"1331\">Here, &#8220;crusaders&#8221; are no longer knights with swords\u2014they\u2019re modern-day ideologues who <strong data-start=\"962\" data-end=\"983\">fight against aid<\/strong>, attacking welfare, healthcare, food security, and refugee assistance. &#8220;Spiritual raiders&#8221; critiques the <strong data-start=\"1089\" data-end=\"1117\">exploitation of religion<\/strong>, especially Evangelical fervor, to justify policies that hurt the vulnerable. The line &#8220;Prefer throwing their shade&#8221; points to a culture of <strong data-start=\"1258\" data-end=\"1293\">blame, ridicule, and deflection<\/strong>, rather than compassion or solutions.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1338\" data-end=\"1355\"><strong data-start=\"1342\" data-end=\"1355\">[Verse 2]<\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote data-start=\"1356\" data-end=\"1438\">\n<p data-start=\"1358\" data-end=\"1438\"><em data-start=\"1358\" data-end=\"1438\">Battle, massacres \/ Starvation, disease \/ Nothing will please \/ No love occurs<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"1440\" data-end=\"1803\">This verse references the <strong data-start=\"1466\" data-end=\"1493\">real-world consequences<\/strong> of cutting humanitarian aid: widespread suffering and preventable death. It paints a picture of a heartless movement\u2014&#8221;nothing will please&#8221; them\u2014indifferent to the pain they cause. There&#8217;s an intentional echo of medieval Crusade atrocities, now mirrored in policy choices that disregard human life and dignity.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1810\" data-end=\"1863\"><strong data-start=\"1814\" data-end=\"1863\">[Bridge \u2013 \u201cVote for famine \/ Pro-starvation\u201d]<\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote data-start=\"1864\" data-end=\"1945\">\n<p data-start=\"1866\" data-end=\"1945\"><em data-start=\"1866\" data-end=\"1945\">Vote for famine \/ (Again and again) \/ Pro-starvation \/ (Anti-rationalization)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"1947\" data-end=\"2343\">This directly criticizes political behavior\u2014<strong data-start=\"1991\" data-end=\"2030\">voting patterns and party platforms<\/strong> that repeatedly cut food aid, international assistance, or housing support. &#8220;Pro-starvation&#8221; is an intentionally provocative term, challenging the <strong data-start=\"2178\" data-end=\"2200\">irrational cruelty<\/strong> of these choices. The phrase \u201canti-rationalization\u201d implies a rejection of facts, science, or compassion in favor of ideology and demagoguery.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2350\" data-end=\"2365\"><strong data-start=\"2354\" data-end=\"2365\">[Outro]<\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote data-start=\"2366\" data-end=\"2397\">\n<p data-start=\"2368\" data-end=\"2397\"><em data-start=\"2368\" data-end=\"2397\">Evangelical \/ (Nonsensical)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2399\" data-end=\"2654\">The closing line harshly condemns the <strong data-start=\"2437\" data-end=\"2482\">weaponization of Evangelical Christianity<\/strong> when it becomes unmoored from love, charity, or reason. It suggests that using faith to justify inhumane actions is not only <strong data-start=\"2608\" data-end=\"2653\">morally bankrupt but logically incoherent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2661\" data-end=\"2684\"><strong data-start=\"2665\" data-end=\"2684\">Overall Message<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2686\" data-end=\"2978\">&#8220;<strong data-start=\"2687\" data-end=\"2698\">Crusade<\/strong>&#8221; likens today\u2019s political and religious far-right movements to historical crusaders\u2014<strong data-start=\"2783\" data-end=\"2864\">not in their bravery or honor, but in their violence, extremism, and zealotry<\/strong>. The song portrays a modern &#8220;crusade&#8221; not against evil, but against empathy, social aid, and humanitarian values.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2980\" data-end=\"3128\">It&#8217;s a blistering protest song\u2014a warning that when religious nationalism replaces human compassion, <strong data-start=\"3080\" data-end=\"3127\">the results echo history\u2019s darkest chapters<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>From the album &#8220;<a href=\"\/songwriter\/tag\/holy\/\">Holy<\/a>&#8220;<\/h3>\n<h2>Song inspired by <a href=\"http:\/\/everything.membrane.com\/trumpenomics-the-decline-of-the-us\/\">Trumpenomics: The Decline of the US<\/a><\/h2>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/membrane.com\/global_warming\/\">The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment<\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crusade-Best-Of.mp3 Crusade-Best-Of.mp4 Crusade.mp3 Crusade.mp4 Crusade-intro.mp3 [Verse 1] Waging war In the name of peace Say no more At the very least [Chorus] Today the crusaders Crusade against aid Spiritual raiders Prefer throwing their shade [Verse 2] Battle, massacres Starvation, disease Nothing will please No love occurs [Chorus] Today the crusaders Crusade against aid Spiritual raiders [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,14],"tags":[399],"class_list":["post-44367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daniel","category-lyrics","tag-holy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44367"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44387,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44367\/revisions\/44387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}