The Torture Playlist
Posted by Mike E on April 11, 2009
Click>> audio of Justine’s discussion & listen-able playlist of the songs themselves (from Mother Jones).
Reporter Justine Sharrock uncovered details of the use of American popular music to torture U.S. captives. She describes which songs are used, and speculates on why they were picked (including Neil Diamond, Eminem, Metallica, Bee Gees, Bruce Springsteen,e Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Don McLean, Lil’ Kim, Limp Bizkit, Matchbox 20, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tupac Shakur and a comedy tape by Janine Garafalo.
She also discusses that some musicians protested the use of their music for torture (including Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine). (See also article below in this post)
From the AP:
For many detainees who grew up in Afghanistan—where music was prohibited under Taliban rule—interrogations by U.S. forces marked their first exposure to the pounding rhythms, played at top volume. The experience was overwhelming for many. Binyam Mohammed, now a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, said men held with him at the CIA’s “Dark Prison” in Afghanistan wound up screaming and smashing their heads against walls, unable to endure more. “There was loud music, (Eminem’s) ‘Slim Shady’ and Dr. Dre for 20 days. I heard this nonstop over and over,” he told his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith. “The CIA worked on people, including me, day and night for the months before I left. Plenty lost their minds.”
Meanwhile James Hetfield of Metallica expressed a mix of pride and apparent marketing concern on the use of “Enter the Sandman” for torture:
”“If the Iraqis aren’t used to freedom, then I’m glad to be part of their exposure… [Enter the Sandman is] strong; it’s music that’s powerful. It represents something that they don’t like — maybe freedom, aggression… I don’t know… freedom of speech. And then part of me is kind of bummed about it that people worry about us being attached to some political statement because of that. We’ve got nothing to do with this and we’re trying to be as apolitical as possible, ’cause I think politics and music, at least for us, don’t mix. It separates people, [and] we wanna bring people together. So, so be it. I can’t say ‘Stop.’ I can’t say ‘Do it.’ It is just a thing — it’s not good or bad.”while others (Metallica) felt honored to be part of the “war on terror.”
for the list of songs:
1. Fuck Your God – Deicide
2. Die MF Die – Dope
3. Take Your Best Shot – Dope
4. White America – Eminem
5. Kim – Eminem
6. “I Love You” – Barney The Dinosaur
7. Bodies – Drowning Pool
8. “Enter Sandman” – Metallica
9. Meow Mix TV commercial
10. “Sesame Street” Theme
11. “Babylon”– David Gray
12. Born In The USA – Bruce Springsteen
13. Shoot To Thrill – ACDC
14. Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
15. All Eyes On Me – Tupac
16. Dirrty – Christina Aguilera
17. America – Neil Diamond
18. Bulls On Parade – Rage Against The Machine
19. American Pie – Don McLean
20. Click Click Boom – Saliva
21. Cold – Matchbox 20
22. Swan Dive – Hed P.E.
23. Raspberry Beret – Prince
24. “Dirrty,” Christina Aguilera
25. “Shoot to Thrill,” AC/DC
26. “We are The Champions,” Queen
27. Britney Spears “…Baby One More Time”
28. Barry Manilow “Mandy”
29. Captain & Tennille “Muskrat Love”
30. Twisted Sister “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
31. Neil Diamond“America”
32. Meat Loaf “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”
* * * * *
Stop the music torture, rock bands tell U.S. military
Dec 10 2008 WalesOnline
Rock musicians have joined British activists to demand US military interrogators stop using their songs as weapons to disorient terror suspects and other prisoners.
A campaign organised by UK law group Reprieve has brought together groups including Massive Attack and musicians such as Tom Morello, who played with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave and is now on a solo tour.
It will feature minutes of silence during concerts and festivals, said Chloe Davies of Reprieve, which represents dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees.
The tactic of auditory assaults has been common in the US war on terror, with forces systematically using loud music on hundreds of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, the then US military commander in Iraq, authorised it on September 14 2003, “to create fear, disorient … and prolong capture shock”.
FBI agents stationed at Guantanamo Bay reported numerous instances in which music was blasted at detainees, saying they were “told such tactics were common there”.
According to an FBI memo, one interrogator at Guantanamo bragged he needed only four days to “break” someone by alternating 16 hours of music and lights with four hours of silence and darkness.
Ruhal Ahmed, a Briton captured in Afghanistan and later released without charge in 2004, described excruciating sessions at Guantanamo Bay in which his hands were shackled to his feet, which were shackled to the floor, forcing him into a painful squat for periods of up to two days.
Mr Ahmed told Reprieve the agony was compounded when music was introduced because “before you could actually concentrate on something else, try to make yourself focus on some other things in your life that you did before and take that pain away…it makes you feel like you are going mad”.
For many detainees who grew up in Afghanistan – where music was banned under Taliban rule – interrogations by US forces marked their first exposure to the pounding rhythms, played at top volume.
Binyam Mohammed, now a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, said men held with him at the CIA’s “Dark Prison” in Afghanistan wound up screaming and smashing their heads against walls, unable to endure more.
“There was loud music, (Eminem’s) Slim Shady and Dr Dre for 20 days. I heard this non-stop over and over,” he told his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith.
“The CIA worked on people, including me, day and night for the months before I left. Plenty lost their minds.”
Rear Admiral David Thomas, the commander of Guantanamo’s detention centre, said the music treatment was not currently used at Guantanamo but added that he could not rule out its use in the future.
“I couldn’t speculate and I wouldn’t speculate but I can tell you it doesn’t happen here at Guantanamo and it hasn’t happened since I’ve been here,” Rear Admiral Thomas, who has been at Guantanamo for six months, said.
But not all of the music is hard rock. Christopher Cerf, who wrote music for Sesame Street, said he was horrified to learn songs from the children’s TV show were used in interrogations.
“I wouldn’t want my music to be a party to that,” he said.
Some musicians, however, are proud that their music is used in interrogations.
Bassist Stevie Benton, whose group Drowning Pool has performed in Iraq and recorded one of the interrogators’ favourites, Bodies, said: “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 honour to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.”
US military interrogators have often blasted music at detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. According to Reprieve, these are some of the songs they have used most frequently:
:: Enter Sandman – Metallica;
:: Bodies – Drowning Pool;
:: Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC;
:: Hell’s Bells – AC/DC;
:: I Love You, from the Barney And Friends children’s TV show;
:: Born In The USA – Bruce Springsteen;
:: Babylon – David Gray;
:: White America – Eminem;
:: Sesame Street – theme song from the children’s TV show.
Other bands and artists whose music has been frequently played at US detention sites are Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Don McLean, Lil’ Kim, Limp Bizkit, Meat Loaf, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tupac Shakur.
Grumpy Metalhead said
“’cause I think politics and music, at least for us, don’t mix” says Comrade Hetfield. “And Justice for All” was a political album pretty much from start to finish and “Ride the Lightning” also had its political moments. Apparently now that he’s been a rich rock star for years it’s not worth worrying about what’s going on in the world around him. It also seems to be more important to him that his music not be used by file-sharers than by torturers!
saoirse said
Metallica have in fact spoken out against the use of their music to “torture” political prisoners. Metallica have always written political songs though I would never claim they were a left wing or progressive band they have certainly written many songs critical of war religion and authority. The have an entire cd called master of puppets about the theme and notably used the film version of Dalton Trumbo’s antiwar novel Johnny Got his Gun in their video for One. Regardless of what you think of the band and their politics I think they have been consistent with their views for going on 25 years in music.
Correct me if I am wrong but in the documentary Standard Operating Procedure (about Abu Grabib) soldiers state that prisoners seemed to enjoy the metal and hip hop US soldiers played in the prison. It was only when the soldiers played country western that prisoner grew upset and complained.
Mike E said
Saoirse: where?when did Metallica speak out?
we definitely want to get these facts straight.
Bhaskar Sunkara said
“Born in the USA” — damn, poor old Bruce must be upset about how reactionary idiots hi-jacked his song. Did they ever listen to any of the lyrics past the chorus?
saoirse said
Mike I am looking for the exact quotes in response to the above interview. After this interview got press both James and Lars responded critically to the use of their music for the purposes of torture. Though I would add that despite their body of music which I would argue has had a consistent thread of anti-war sentiment, in interviews Metallica have often reverted to a more vocal blue collar style “support the troops” line in response to questions about their politics.
Here is one quote below I was able to find before work. it is certainly not definitive.
May 31, 2003: Commenting on the report that the American forces are subjecting Iraqi prisoners of war to a new kind of torture — METALLICA’s brand of heavy metal — the band’s frontman James Hetfield told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that the whole thing feels “absurd and sad” to him.
VRON said
“Blue collar” means manual labor. Why would you conflate reactionary views with working people? Aren’t we up to your standards?
“damn, poor old Bruce must be upset about how reactionary idiots hi-jacked his song. Did they ever listen to any of the lyrics past the chorus?” The same thing happened with Rock The Casbah and Keep On Rocking In The Free World.
saoirse said
[moderator note: Saoirse's comment now appears on its own thread.]
Zack said
Eh… Metallica sucks shit anyways. Figures.
Kirvo said
No “America, Fuck Yeah” on that list?