[Lyrical] "Twenties" by Ghost: A Grim Vision of Trumpism

This 2022 song deconstructs the rhetoric and lays bare true motivations

Welcome to Ghost

The world has conspired for four months to have passed since my previous Lyrical post, at the end of which I predicted I'd next be writing about one Epica song or another. Alas, they will have to wait just a little longer (although many of their lyrics are also more apt now than ever).

Today I continue to fixate on, and try to wrap my mind around, the mindset of Trump supporters. Not necessarily the millions who apparently just prioritized economic shake-ups over... everything... but instead his actual cronies and base who have stood with him for eight years now.

Ghost, Meliora Era (Unknown Artist)

But first my favourite band in the whole wide world, Ghost. (If you want a long and confusing introduction to the band, this video does that quite well!) Musically Ghost straddle the line between rock and metal, while thematically they satirize religious (mostly Catholic) institutions, fears and demonization. Their song Cirice is about institutions manipulating people into joining them; Rats about the quicksand our society seems to be built on; Monstrance Clock about the truly Satanic idea of all parties having a good time during sex.

Not every Ghost song is about religion, but I'd argue this one absolutely is:

'Twenties' Lyrics, Meaning & Analysis

First off, I have to mention that I simply love the unique sound of this song. The powerful brass opening and heavy focus on drums throughout evoke a steampunk industrial landscape overlooked by metallic art deco skyscrapers. (Perhaps inspired by the art in the video!) The song was released while I was reading The Books of Babel, and repeated listens have firmly linked the two in my mind.

Listen up hatchet man // Set controls for the heart of the land // Tell 'em all it is time You're the next in the chain of command // (As my) Apparition... (Apparition...) // Direct the course for collision (Grow) Suspicion... (Suspicion...) // For the Reich to come to fruition In the Twenties (Twenties) // We'll be singing in a reign of pennies // In the Twenties (Twenties) We'll be soaring in disguise of bevies // In the Twenties (Twenties) // We'll be smooching at the feet of da rulah In the Twenties (Twenties) // We'll be grinding in a pile of moolah

Hopefully it's already abundantly clear that this is about Trump. This was always the plan: sow discord and suspicion to gain control, claiming he's for the people ('in disguise of bevies') in order to grab absolute power (and moolah) for 'da rulah' and his loyal few in the 2020s.

In the Twenties~ Generated with AI

The first few lines are perhaps the most confusing, but I think they mostly just refer to this not being anything new: Trump is walking in the footsteps (or is the 'apparition') of plenty of living and dead autocrats (the term 'Reich' certainly calls one to mind), and is being commanded to take up the hatchet by the narrator. Either that or this was a truly prophetic glimpse of Trump's successful bid for absolute immunity in office.

Listen up you motherfuckers // Those Ivy League dopes they wanna mock us // Tell 'em all this is war And not fighting a war is for suckers // (Kiss my) Assassinate... (Assassinate...) // Gather the tools to disintegrate (Feed) Hate... (Hate...)

I love the switch to stamping feet in place of instruments for the first few lines here; another excellent nod to the lie that this is in any way a movement for the people. Beyond that we can check the boxes for anti-intellectualism (as I discussed in my last post) and direct calls for violence; also see the gorgeous little reference to Trump's draft-dodging.

The whispered lyrics here are also perfect. Autocrats will conduct their assassinations, and they'll absolutely have the arrogance to tell the world to 'kiss [their] ass' at the same time. Likewise their power is built on hate, but their followers might be blind to just how much they have personally fed that flame.

Reaping the seeds as a reprobate // I'm Number One // You're number two // You've got a lot of God's work to do In the Twenties (Twenties) // We'll be taking no shit from no chulas In the Twenties (Twenties) // We'll be grabbing 'em all by the hoohaas

Here's another line that I'm just fully understanding now. They are literally enjoying the produce of a nation despite being criminals; but the 'seeds' line also leads nicely into the religious theme of doing "God's work". Of course Trump and his elites won't be lifting a single finger, but they can conjure the Protestant work ethic to demand that the people help themselves. (Also, and maybe I'm reading too far into it now, but Trump being 'number one', calling the people 'number two' is another slam dunk double entendre.)

"Chulas" is another line that feels more general, evoking the 'us vs. them' mentality, but could easily have a more particular meaning. As for that final line... oh boy.

We'll be dancing in the fields of freedom // We'll be crushing them laws 'cause we don't need 'em All the way to the Thirties!

Of course 'we' is again just talking about Trump's loyal few; though I suppose the utter entropic collapse of society is a form of freedom. 'Crushing them laws' almost feels optimistic, given the way 2024 has gone and that with control of the Supreme Court, the Presidency, the Senate and the House they can now twist the law to mean whatever they want. And of course, the final line is a triumphant cry that once they have achieved power they will do their best not to let it go into the 2030s and beyond.

Outro

This is obviously all pretty depressing to think about, but I think truly understanding what brought us here is key to both surviving our current situation and hopefully improving the future. Ghost's "Twenties" does a pretty great and entertaining job of summarizing Trump's actions and motivations and goes a way toward explaining why followers continue to buy in, thinking they are along for the joy ride.

Any spots where your interpretation differs? Let me know! Thanks for reading <3