Holiday in Cambodia

Dead Kennedys

About Holiday in Cambodia

"Holiday in Cambodia" is a song by American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. The record was released as the group's second single in May 1980 on Optional Music with "Police Truck" as its B-side. The title track was re-recorded for the band's first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980); the original recording of the song, as well as the single's B-side, are available on the rarities album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death (1987). The photograph in the front cover of the single was taken from the Thammasat University massacre in Thailand, and depicts a member of the right-wing crowd beating a hanged corpse of a student protester with a metal chair.  


Year:
1987
3:44
183 
#2

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So, you've been to school
For a year or two
And you know you've seen it all
In daddy's car
Thinking you'll go far
Back east your type don't crawl

Playing ethnicky jazz
To parade your snazz
On your five-grand stereo
Braggin' that you know
How the niggers feel cold
And the slum's got so much soul

It's time to taste what you most fear
Right Guard will not help you here
Brace yourself, my dear
Brace yourself, my dear

It's a holiday in Cambodia
It's tough, kid, but it's life
It's a holiday in Cambodia
Don't forget to pack a wife

You're a star-belly snitch
You suck like a leech
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss ass while you bitch
So you can get rich
While your boss gets richer off you

Well, you'll work harder
With a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers
Till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake

Now you can go where the people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son...
What you need, my son...

Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people are dressed in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll kiss ass or crack

Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot

It's a holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll do what you're told
It's a holiday in Cambodia
Where the slums got so much soul
Pol Pot

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Dead Kennedys

Dead Kennedys are an American hardcore punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk rock community, and were one of the first American hardcore bands to make a significant impact in the United Kingdom. more »

1 fan

Written by: BRUCE SLESINGER, JELLO BIAFRA, KLAUS FLOURIDE, EAST BAY RAY

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Creation
"Holiday in Cambodia" was recorded by Dead Kennedys in 1980, forming part of their debut studio album, "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables."
Lyrics Content
The lyrics of the song are a critique of upper-middle-class American college students, using the backdrop of the Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot's regime as a stark contrast to their perceived comforts.
Music Video
Despite being an early punk rock band, Dead Kennedys created a music video for "Holiday in Cambodia" in 1980. The video was directed by renowned photographer and filmmaker Joe Rees.
Song Popularity
"Holiday in Cambodia" is one of Dead Kennedys' most popular songs. It has been covered by several bands and featured in various media outlets, including video games and documentaries about punk music.
Punk Legacy
The Dead Kennedys, through "Holiday in Cambodia," challenged the punk scene's casual acceptance of far-right imagery and Nazism, emphasizing their own anti-fascist stance.
Bassline Notoriety
The bassline of "Holiday in Cambodia" is extremely well-known and often cited as one of the best in punk rock history.
Difficult Guitar Solo
The song's guitar solo, where the guitarist uses a vibrato technique to create a peculiar "Eastern" sound, is considered quite challenging to play.
Usage in Media
"Holiday in Cambodia" was re-recorded by the Dead Kennedys for the video game 'Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock', with former lead singer, Jello Biafra, being the only band member not participating.
Cover Versions
Metal band Slayer covered "Holiday in Cambodia" for the charity album "Nativity in Black, Vol. 2". Also, the Foo Fighters have regularly performed the song during live shows.
Chart Success
Surprisingly for a hardcore punk song, "Holiday in Cambodia" charted on the UK Singles Chart in 1980, reaching No. 67.

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