The Ministry of Social Affairs

Album: The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016)
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Songfacts®:

  • PJ Harvey wrote the songs for The Hope Six Demolition Project during her travels to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Washington D.C. with photographer/filmmaker Seamus Murphy between 2011 and 2014.

    Harvey sings here of an ominous, imposing government body. She drew inspiration from Murphy's photograph of a derelict government building in Afghanistan - official title The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled. Harvey recalled to Uncut that outside the building, "an amputee and a pregnant hound sit by the young man with withered arms."
  • The song opens with a sample of Jerry McCain And His Upstarts 1956 track "That's What They Want."

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