CRITICAL ACCLAIM Critical of Criticizers (try saying that 5 times fast)

By Daniel S.

I had read William F. Buckley Jr.'s "Why Don't We Complain?" and my mind was full of thoughts of how meek we are, accepting things that we shouldn't. Then, I heard this, this song which goes on a complete opposite tangent. If it had been written as an essay, I feel it would have been titled, "Why Do We Complain (Criticize) So Much?"

My curiosity about the meaning was immediately piqued when I first heard the song. After listening to it twice and still unable to completely understand it, I looked up the lyrics and listened to it yet again. My fourth run through brought me to this conclusion, that William F Buckley Jr. was right, yet wrong at the same time.

When he wrote "Why Don't We Complain?," he wrote of speaking up, and making change happen. When Avenged Sevenfold wrote Critical Acclaim, it is my opinion that they were tired of people speaking up, but not making change. With the lyrics: "(Shh, quiet, you might piss somebody off) / Like me motherf***er you’ve been at it for too long." I got the impression that people are complaining/criticizing and they have been for too long, suggesting that instead of following their complaints up with a change being made, they were instead more willing to just continue their bewailing.

Then, when they sing, "So, how does it feel to know that someone’s kid in the heart of America has blood on their hands fighting to defend your rights so you can maintain the lifestyle that insults his family’s existence / Well where I'm from we have a special salute waved high in the air towards all those pompous a**holes who spend their days pointing fingers," it seems as though they are addressing everyone or anyone that criticizes or protests the war in Iraq. I don't think they are for or against the war, but at the very least they should be supportive of the troops for going to defend your rights.

After that, these lines seem important: "All the way from the east to the west we got this high society looking down on their very foundation. Constantly reminding us that our actions are the cause of all their problems. Pointing their fingers in every direction. Blaming their own nation for who wins elections. They never contributed a f***ing thing to the country they love to criticize." I think Avenged Sevenfold is angry with the people who seem to have nothing better to do than just point out mistakes being made and criticizing everything that goes on in the country, when they don't do anything at all to prevent or even take care of afterwards.

Finally, near the end of the song, Avenged Sevenfold states something that I think is one of the most important parts of the song. "Excuse the obscene / Ignore the untrue / Depictions we see / Try and get through / And many mistakes can hurt / I’m not the last, but I sure ain’t the first!" This final verse seems to be the point that they are trying to make. I think that it is the suggestion that everyone who listens to this song should "excuse the obscene," which I think means we should realize that mistakes happen. Then the listener should "ignore the untrue," or get the facts straight and not just make assumptions. After that they should "try and get through," or make their voices heard to those in authority; but "many mistakes can hurt," which in my opinion means that they shouldn't make the mistake of hurting society by just contributing to the whining. The listener should not criticize what is going on, but rather the listener should take action towards the right way of doing things, not necessarily the "right" as the listener thinks it is, but what is best for the whole, so that their "mistake" will not hurt. The ending of the verse suggests to me that Avenged Sevenfold wants their listeners to continue this idea, but not to make the mistake in thinking that Avenged Sevenfold is the first group to have it.

In conclusion, I think that Critical Acclaim is somewhat contradictory in the fact that it seems to be criticizing criticizers, but it is right in the way it is being done because they have suggestions for steps that should be taken instead of just sitting on our butts carping about problems we could have prevented. I suggest that you read the full lyrics to this song, listen to it (right now it's only available on their myspace, which I included a link to), and then post a comment here with your opinion of this song. And by the way, I did censor the lyrics, but you should take care in where you listen to it or who listens to it as they do swear, right away, but I think the message is a good one.

Critical Acclaim by Avenged Sevenfold
http://www.myspace.com/avengedsevenfold
(Shh, quiet, you might piss somebody off)
Like me motherf***er you’ve been at it for too long.
While you feed off all those insecurities, you stand in front of me and bite the hand that feeds.

Self righteousness is wearing thin (lies inside your head, your best friend)
I’ll bleed but not for fellow man (broken glass, you’ll fade reflection)

Telling them it’s all for something real
Don’t respect the words your speaking
Gone too far

So, how does it feel to know that someone’s kid in the heart of America has blood on their hands fighting to defend your rights so you can maintain the lifestyle that insults his family’s existence
Well where I'm from we have a special salute waved high in the air towards all those pompous a**holes who spend their days pointing fingers.

F*** you...

(Shh, quiet, you might piss somebody off)
Like the heartbeat of this country when antagonized too long
I’ll be damned if you count me in as part of your generous hypocrisy; collected and amazed.

Tabloid gossip we roll as real (There’s no need for us to bury you)
Selfish agenda, once again (right this way, you dug your own grave)

Telling them it’s all for something real
Don’t respect the words your speaking
Gone too far

All the way from the east to the west we got this high society looking down on their very foundation.
Constantly reminding us that our actions are the cause of all their problems.
Pointing their fingers in every direction.
Blaming their own nation for who wins elections.
They never contributed a f***ing thing to the country they love to criticize.

Excuse the obscene
Ignore the untrue
Depictions we see
Try and get through
And many mistakes can hurt
I’m not the last, but I sure ain’t the first!

Self righteousness is wearing thin (lies inside your head, your best friend)
I’ll bleed but not for fellow man (broken glass, you’ll fade reflection)

Telling them it’s all for something real
Don’t respect the words your speaking
Gone too far