In 1992, a Minneapolis band - which had been together since 1983, but nobody had ever heard of - struck gold with their hit single "Runaway Train." Soul Asylum's sixth studio and triple-platinum album Grave Dancers Union brought the band to the limelight and made them a household name. The following year the alternative rock/grunge band which began in a garage, played President Bill Clinton's inauguration… quite a huge step up.

"Runaway Train" appears as the third track on the album and it overshadows every other song, in spite of the fact that most of the album contains deep gems (ex. "Homesick," "New World," "Sun Maid"). The second cut, "Black Gold," is layered in meaning, as many of the grunge acts of the early '90s incorporated socio-political messages in their music - a tactic they might have picked up from '80s acts like U2 and The Boomtown Rats.

Full of allegory, the true meaning of the lyrics in "Black Gold" have been a point of speculation since GDU's release. Some fans believe in the literal interpretation, "Two boys on a playground, tryin' to push each other down," and "That side's yours, this side's mine." However, listeners with a bit more imagination believe the two boys are symbolic of two warring superpowers: The United States and Iraq. "Keeps the kids off the streets gives 'em, something to do… something to eat," could very well be a reference to America's impoverished youth joining the military and the fight instead of continuing with their lack of direction and ambition while at home.

The Gulf War - codenamed Operation Desert Storm (and Shield) - was a 1991 conflict that arose when Iraq annexed the tiny nation of Kuwait, for those of you who either don't remember or are too young to know. The cease fire came a mere 100 hours after the initial ground campaign began with coalition forces pushing the Iraqi National Guard out of Kuwait and back across the border. From the capital city of Baghdad, tyrannical dictator Saddam Hussein claimed victory for the Iraqi people following the cease-fire agreement.

Baghdad is the capital and largest city in Iraq, as well as the second largest city in the Arab world, behind Cairo in Egypt. Located along the Tigris River in the historic Fertile Crescent - aka Cradle of Civilization - it has existed since the 8th century about 130 kilometers north of where the Biblical city of Babylon (and fabled Tower of Babel) existed. And much like the ancient tower, the capital, in recent times, has been severely damaged. Between the Gulf War of '91 and the end of the Iraq War in 2011, the metropolis has been bombed by the U.S. military and subjected to attacks of local insurgents; the constant strife has made Baghdad one of the least hospitable places to live in the entire world. It's very possible the city will never fully recover to its previous glory.

Dave Pirner, lyricist for "Black Gold," sings, "This spot was a playground. This flat land used to be a town." He was being both figurative and literal when he chose the word "playground," as it kept with the imagery of two boys fighting, but also referenced the massive destruction taking place all over Kuwait and Iraq. Pirner, and the rest of America, watched the Gulf War unfold before our very eyes on televisions across the country. CNN viewership rose to record numbers as the 24-hour news network broadcast live footage of bombs dropped on the front lines. Due to the barrage of violent images, the war is often referred to as the Video Game War.

Perhaps the most obvious symbolism is in the title itself. Black gold is a euphemism for oil and many people believe the reason for all the fighting in the Middle East is centered around this precious and quickly depleting resource. Kuwait is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of crude oil production and the economic benefits of controlling such a rich region justifies Hussein's attempt at annexation. Additionally, it took a decade for millions of Americans to realize the major reason for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 had more to do with oil rights than it did retaliation over the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Pirner and Soul Asylum were simply ahead of the curve.

Justin Novelli
November 17, 2014 Black Gold Songfacts
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