The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : The Gitmo Prison Blues

Text Size

The Gitmo Prison Blues

By W. James Antle, III on 10.23.09 @ 3:30PM

Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails are among the recording artists who are rocking mad that their music was used to break prisoners at Guantanamo Bay:

"At Guantanamo, the U.S. government turned a jukebox into an instrument of torture," said Thomas Blanton, executive director of the archive, an independent, nongovernmental research institute

Based on documents that already have been made public and interviews with former detainees, the archive says the playlist featured cuts from AC/DC, Britney Spears, the Bee Gees, Marilyn Manson and many other groups. The Meow mix cat food jingle, the Barney theme song and an assortment of Sesame Street tunes also were pumped into detainee cells.

They probably don't even get royalties.

View all comments (13) | Leave a comment

Tim| 10.23.09 @ 3:50PM

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO GET , HOW TO GET TO SESAME STREET ?

Tim| 10.23.09 @ 3:50PM

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO GET , HOW TO GET TO SESAME STREET ?

Paul McGrath| 10.23.09 @ 4:51PM

Suddenly, waterboarding doesn't seem like such a bad thing.

Paul McGrath| 10.23.09 @ 4:53PM

Actually, the irony is delicious. I'm sure that these esteemed rock artists are outraged by "torture." So . . . is listening to their music torture?

Heh, heh, heh.

Paul McGrath| 10.23.09 @ 5:33PM

The Gitmo Blues

I'm a wicked little prisoner at Gitmo Bay,
Not much fun but the guards are okay.
Actually the truth is, I can't stand them,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY PLAY R. E. M.

They turn the room cold, they turn the room hot;
They make me sleep on a little cot.
I guess I can take it until I am freed;
BUT PLEASE ALLAH PLEASE!!! NO MORE ACDC!

This morning they took me into a room,
And dunked me in water until about noon.
I jeered and scorned and showed them derision,
UNTIL THEY PLAYED MARILYN MANSON.

I'm a wicked little prisoner at Gitmo Bay,
And now I've had enough, that's what I say.
I'll renounce Allah and all that I've done,
BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T BRING IN NEIL YOUNG!

Eric Cartman| 10.23.09 @ 5:45PM

It's short! It's snappy! Has good rhythm! Damn it! I like it!

Eric Cartman| 10.23.09 @ 5:58PM

To The Barney Song:

I hate you! You dunk me!
We are mortal enemies, May Allah
Kill your whole fam-i-ly,
Just don't play more DMC!

Daisy| 10.23.09 @ 10:27PM

Scuzzy dirtbags; though I have to say, their 'music' helps me lift more weight in the gym.

Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 10.24.09 @ 8:51AM

If you really want to torture these Jihadist, play them Jethro Tull's 1970 "one song album" Thick as A Brick, at 43 minutes 41 seconds long, even the strongest man will break. Now personnally, I love it, but then again, I'm very tough!!
As a back up, you could also play Tull's 1973 "one song album" A Passion Play, at 45 minutes 06 seconds long, it's almost as torturous as TAAB, but it's got this little comedy part in the middle, without the music, so it's not that bad.