16 Military Wives

Album: Picaresque (2005)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A protest song inspired by the Iraq War, this finds songwriter Colin Meloy attacking elements of the American foreign policy under George W. Bush. He told The Sun in a 2015 interview the track was him "trying to make sense of the George W. Bush doctrine at that time."
  • The video was the first ever to be originally released for online distribution via BitTorrent. It was co-produced by Nick Harmer of Death Cab for Cutie who also makes a cameo appearance along with his band mate Chris Walla.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Don Felder

Don FelderSongwriter Interviews

Don breaks down "Hotel California" and other songs he wrote as a member of the Eagles. Now we know where the "warm smell of colitas" came from.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

The revered singer-songwriter talks inspiration and explains why she put a mahout in "Drop the Pilot."