What do you think Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums means?

A Perfect Circle: Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums Meaning

Album cover for Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums album cover

Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums Lyrics

Don't fret precious I'm here, step away from the window
Go back to sleep
Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils,
See, they don't give a ---- about you, like I do.

Count the bodies like sheep
Count the bodies like...

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  1. ermes
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     Jan 11th 2010 !⃝

    I think it's simply "..Swinging to the rhytm of the new world order.."

  2. BoonDockSaints
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     Jan 4th 2010 !⃝

    Yeah it might be about addiction controlling a life, religion controlling a life, or anything controlling a life. It sounds like it is written for anyones own interpretation. A song that anyone can relate to with a situation where a single thing is controlling ones life. To me, I see it as religion controlling a life. Religion is powerful, but religion is only faith. Also it is only for the morally week.

  3. anonymous
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     Dec 20th 2008 !⃝

    no no no NO!!!!!!!
    people, ugggggghhh
    look up new world order, please!

    its about controle, almost like there singing in the goverments point of veiw,
    "counting bodys like seep to the rythem of the war drum"
    we're the sheep, they treat us like were stupid animals, cattle.
    they want us to just look the other way, be "ignorant"
    and they want us to beleive that being "ignorant" we'll be safe.
    "pay no mind to the rable.." pay no mind to whats going on
    (turn the other cheek)
    "pay no mind to the reble" pay no mind to the one that stands out, the one that speaks out against them.

    =|
    thats all i got to say



  4. anonymous
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     Oct 14th 2008 !⃝

    Contrary to popular belief, this song is not a remix of the song "Pet". It is a whole different entity in itself highlighted by the entirely electronic/mechanical music.

    While "Pet" is a reflection of the current system that we're in (War, Bush, Sheeple) and is basically about "The New World Order" in general (swaying to the rhythm of the new world order and counting bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums), "War Drums" points more specifically to the fabled war on terror and how the govt and mainstream media can easily fool socially/politically ignorant people into believing everything they say or agree with everything they do.

    "Don't fret, precious. I'm here. Step away from the window. Go back to sleep".

    *Don't worry, we (Govt and the powers that be) are in control. Don't ask no questions. Don't investigate. Stay ignorant and you'll be safe.

    "Counting bodies like sheep"

    *Ignorant people are like sheep. Easily manipulable and scared.

    The official video couldn't be any more dead-on!

    Watch it.

    P.s. The very music for this song has a lot to do with delivering the message. It's repetitive, monotonous industrial/mechanical sound gives it somewhat of a robotic, hypnotized, possessed, controlled, Nazi march or what have you, element to it which makes it more appealing, dramatic and powerful.

  5. Quiranna1986
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     Aug 27th 2008 !⃝

    K....kinda more inclined to agree with Lazarus here...It is called Pet...and it is found on the Thirteenth Step....But I will agree with the multiple personalities...But I don't believe the dominant is violent....he is using metaphors...he is protecting a fragile "child" from the world....seeing in the surroundings all manner of danger...Multiple personalities are often found in victims of abuse, physical and sexual...the war drums could be the steps of the "boogeyman" he talks of. Bodies like sheep could be referring to the other personalities...viewed as weaker and sheep by the all knowing one...Pay no mind to the rabble, pay no mind what other voices say....The dominant is jealous of the times that the others take over....He fears he will be lost with what the others are saying....If the others help the child, there will be mo use for him...The I'll be the one to protect you is saying that he knows all about the child and he will protect him from everything, never letting the child make a mistake.

  6. anonymous
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     Jun 18th 2008 !⃝

    Pet just comes across to me as if he's talking about sheltering a child so it never has to deal with all the bullshit we go through in life. "the lucky son" . I know this is supposed to be about counting bodies but I never really opened myself to that one because I like pet a lot more. And the guy that said you Maynard fans get cooler and cooler is probably listening to phish or some bullshit like that. Tho we may try and look to deeply at these lyrics sometime at least we like artist with substance to their music. So go write a rap song about your t-shirt and sneakers and leave the meaningful thoughts and point of views to people with brains.

  7. anonymous
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     Mar 18th 2008 !⃝

    If you watch the video it's easy to tell that the song is about Bush keeping us blind and content with the media while he does whatever he wants. If you dont believe me go to youtube and watch the video.

  8. anonymous
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     Feb 14th 2008 !⃝

    This is a political song. The one about over-protection of loved ones is Pet.

    These two songs are not related, it just turned out that some of the lyrics of Pet fit perfectly. The entire album is covers, he just decided to cover and rework one of his own songs. Or two if you count Passive.

  9. anonymous
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     Jul 10th 2007 !⃝

    I'm not 100% sure what the lyrics in this song mean...but I feel that they are the words that a father is saying to his beloved son...trying to explain to him that the world is a very ugly place full of war, but he will always be there to protect him. I got this from the fact that the word 'son' is used in the lyrics, and it sounds very much like a parental type thing because he is reassuring the child and telling him to go back to sleep. Also, just a curious thing that I felt when I was listening to this song though, was that it seemed a lot like a conversation that Nny would have with Squee in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. I'm not saying that's what it means, but I just think it's neat to listen to it and think about it that way.

  10. anonymous
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     Jul 2nd 2007 !⃝

    Given the context of the album it sits on, a very anti-war minded album, I think it's safe to say this song is generally about George Bush's 'Holy Crusade'. However, I've found APC's songs to be as open as the band's minds :) .

    I think though taking the war-context objects in the song can be looked as such:

    The window is one's means to see the outside world, or to see what's going on, so stepping away from it would be like blindfolding ourselves.

    Pain and truth and choice, runs along the idea that gets repeated through this song of 'rely in me (America) and I (we'll) be alright... a general message frequently promoted by Bush to put his citizens at ease.

    I think the rest of the lyrics are fairly easy to identify with given the songs context. To me, the only difference between this song and Pet (oh my favourite song also :) ) is the album it nests in. I think Maynard's perhaps narrowed down the song and reinvented his own creation to suit an anti-war album. I think Pet can be taken with the same meaning, or more loosely than this song.

  11. anonymous
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     Jun 22nd 2007 !⃝

    I can say that the "go back to sleep" line means "go back to your normal, everyday way of ignoring what is really going on in the world." We don't want to really know whats going on, we are much happier just staying in our little worlds. But the government also wants us to stay introverted, they don't want us to see what is happening, we're easily controlled then.

  12. anonymous
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     Jun 15th 2007 !⃝

    First of all I would like to say that although everyone makes good points, everyone has their own views on the song based seemingly on their personality and personal experiences. As an older sibling this song speaks to me about protecting my loved ones. For instance the lines about "Don't fret precious I'm here step away from the window and go back to sleep. Lay your head down child I won't let the boogie man come." sound like a woman soothing her child in a hostile environment. Because I would say things such as that. Such as in an abusive environment. Something about the way Maynard sings and wrote that song sets off protective overtones to me. I don't think it's about Bush because he never protected us, he seems only to want to cover his own ass.

  13. anonymous
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     May 11th 2007 !⃝

    Okay, I have a few things to say. First of all, the difference between Count the Bodies and Pet is the arrangement of the lyrics, plus some lines from pet are omitted in CtB. Next, in the words of Maynard, "The title 'Thirteenth Step' is a joke. It's about how when someone goes through a twelve step and gets to the twelfth step they think they're done, but then they fall off the wagon and have to start over at step thirteen." Ctb and Pet, not really sure as to whether they're about actually war or if it's a slight towards the religious community. Either way it depends on what the interpreter wants to believe, Maynard writes in a style that has some similarities to what SOAD often says, "the songs are a little vague so that each person can interpret them and apply them in their own way."

  14. deadlovelyangel
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     Dec 24th 2006 !⃝

    the song is about how when war arises people seem to go to there childhood state of mind of just being numb and told what to do when to fight when to close ones eyes and about how control during war. He speaks as if he's talking to children.

  15. anonymous
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     Dec 17th 2006 !⃝

    what is main difference to this song, and Pet?

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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