“You will not replace us.”
The white supremacists rallying cry expresses a paranoia that the white male Christian power structure is under attack. Racists, homophobes and misogynists want to preserve the oppressive status quo, which benefits them at the expense of the marginalized.
The Seattle-based queer dreampunk band Dark Smith tackles these narrow-minded bigoted views on their latest album Degressive.
Two tracks that challenge these racists and patriarchal power structures are “Killer Whale” and “Sadfluid.”
“Killer Whale” directly addresses the “You will not replace us” crowd with the counter-point argument, “I’ve got a message for the master race. You’re about to be replaced.”
The lyrics also addresses governmental authorities. “I’ve got a message for the man in charge. You’re about to be discharged.”
The band makes it clear that hateful institutions, ideologies and those that promote them, need to be dismantled or replaced.
“Sadfluid” takes aim at those who “got the fear of a female planet” and indignantly cries, “fuck your fear cause it’s not your planet.”
The lyrics address homophobia. One of the poignant lines is, “You play with guns. I play with Barbies,” which highlights the ridiculous hypocrisy of vilifying the LGBTQ community, given the dangers of gun-toting white heterosexual males.
The dangers of toxic masculinity are further addressed later in the song.
“You say I’m gay. I say you’re boring. You hate yourself because you’re horny. You’re so confused because you adore me. Don’t kill yourself it’s hunky dory.”
Part of what contributes to incel culture and high suicide rates among males are the out-of-date philosophies of what it means to be a man.
Both “Sadfluid” and “Killer Whale” are rousing statements on the importance of fighting against the oppressive societal norms.
For the good of humanity, power and ideological shifts will need to happen. Dark Smith tells us that true freedom comes from embracing the change.