"In a World Gone Mad" by The Beasie Boys

Final Song Analysis:

The Beastie Boys are a punk-turned-hip/hop band who got their start in the early 1980s. Although being mainly of the alternative hip-hop genre, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 due their major success.


The song “In a World Gone Made” was released by the Beastie Boys in 2003 as a free download on their website. The song is socially relevant to the time period of 9/11 and the Iraq War, and is entirely a protest of America’s involvement in the war. Not only is the song a great example of an anti-war protest, but it is also full of poetic devices. The song starts off with the title line stating “in a world gone mad” which is an example of personification. Also in the chorus, there is a paradox in the words “non-violent fight”. In the first verse there is a few allusions and alliteration. The line “You and Saddam should kick it like back in the day” is an allusion to how before 9/11, George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein had gotten along and the U.S. had even helped Iraq out by providing them with weapons in the Iraq/Iran War. The line “cocaine and Courvoisier” is both alliteration and an allusion to both the heavy drug growing and trade in Iraq, and to a brand of alcohol that is somewhat of a symbol in the hip-hop community made famous by stars like P. Diddy. Another allusion, “axis of evil”, references the speech George W. Bush made after 9/11 in which he referred to the countries of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan as such. More alliteration is found in this verse in the line, “build more bombs as you get more bold”.

The second verse of the song also contributes many allusions and alliteration. Some of this alliteration includes, “corporate contributions”, “sleeping on your speeches”, and “alaikum assalam”. Another allusion is of the “oil war”, which relates to the feelings of many Americans at this particular time that America was really only in Iraq because of the oil they had there, and not because the country’s security was at stake. The Beastie Boys also throw a little humor and symbolism into their song with the line “They’re layin’ on the syrup thick/We ain’t waffles we ain’t havin’ it”. The “syrup” symbolizes all of the propaganda promoted by the government that surrounded the Iraq War. In addition, in the song’s bridge there is irony within the lines, “Now how many people must get killed? For oil families pockets to get filled? How many oil Families get killed? Not a damn one so what’s the deal?”. This is ironic because the Beastie Boys are poking fun at how the only people dying in Iraq are the soldiers and civilians who have nothing to do with the oil trade, which the Beastie Boys believe is fueling (no pun intended) the war in Iraq.

In the third and last verse, the Beastie Boys continue on with the allusions, saying that “George Bush you’re looking like Zoo Lander”, which is a reference to a Ben Stiller movie in which his character is sometimes made about to be a foolish model who is brainwashed to do bad things. The line “get your hand out my grandma’s pocket” is figurative language and also symbolism, for it represents the government’s excessive taxing of senior citizens to help pay for the war. Also in the last verse the line “we need health care more than going to war” is an understatement, because it is common sense that our government’s money should be spent on more important things than funding an unpopular war. The last line of the song, “You think it’s democracy they’re fighting for?” is ironic because of America’s representation as a model democratic society that only fights to convert other countries into democracies. Yet the Beastie Boys believe that America is not in Iraq and the Middle East to fight for freedom. The universal relevance of this song catapulted its popularity when it was released, mainly because it speaks out against the government, whom many Americans were beginning to lose faith in during that time.