Korn on Obama: 'You Built This House of Shame'

Jonathan Davis, lead singer of the band Korn, is not known for speaking his political mind. In fact, one of the tracks on the band’s 2005 album “See You on the Other Side” was titled “Politics,” in which Davis wrote about not liking to share his views on the subject.

Something between then and now has changed.

In an interview with Billboard.com for the group’s just-released album “Path of Totality,” Davis does not shy away from explaining his thinking behind the new track “Illuminati,” which includes the lyrics, “You rape our hope/Too proud to cope/You built this house of shame.” Explains Davis:

“At the time I’d been really getting into the Illuminati and the whole conspiracy theory, New World Order. It’s entertaining to me. If it’s true, it’s true. If it’s not, it’s not. I don’t care, but it’s been like a little pet project of mine. It was a song that I wrote pretty much about, like, I feel like Obama’s an Illuminati puppet and how it’s basically dragging this country down into the worst it’s ever been, and, um, I mean, I think one of ’em is like ‘you’ve built this house of shame.’

The White House used to be like, everybody looked up at the White House and America and everything, and now I think it’s like a house of shame. It’s like, just hang your head down, just like, I miss the old days when people were proud to be American. For me, you know, studying the Illuminati and what they’re trying to do, if there is an Illuminati, it’s pretty much breaking the people down, breaking the people down, breaking the people down until we just give up and create the North American Union, just like they did in Europe with the European Union. And the Russians and the Asians will have the Asian Union. It’s all coming down to a One World Government. I can see and I read about it and the stuff’s actually starting to happen, and it kind of freaks me out. So I wrote the song about that.”

Undoubtedly, Davis knows the cultural repercussions faced by those who speak ill of the Anointed One, so why did he do it? A better question may be why are others in the music world so afraid to do the same? Musicians had no problem voicing their displeasure with President George W. Bush. At least Bush was proud to be an American and didn’t go on a World Apology Tour after taking office.

What is so different with Obama occupying the White House? We still have freedom of speech in this country, last I checked. Surely musicians can see the political tone throughout the country. Obama’s approval ratings have dropped below that of President Jimmy Carter’s.

So why are so many artists afraid to speak their minds if it isn’t in lock step with the perceived majority of those in the music industry? Most adults in this country are not liberal, and many resent the liberal stranglehold on the entertainment industry.

I’ll never understand why more entertainers are so afraid to speak their minds and choose to side with the minority just because they claim to be in control.

Despite this explanation from Davis, I still don’t know if he’s conservative or liberal, and I’m fine with that. But I am glad he has the courage to speak his mind against Obama even though he probably knows it will not be well received in the music world.

It actually may have won him some new fans.