A very special THANK YOU to Chindem for compiling this work exclusively for the site
Let He Who Is Without Sin...
Taking cue from, oft-admired industrial forefathers, Front Line Assembly, the mighty
“Madagascar” embraces Axl’s love for movies and his natural inclination toward telling personal
stories. Showcased in the middle of this epic tale is a tapestry of speech and movie samples
stemming from seven sources -- Braveheart, Casualties of War, Cool Hand Luke, Mississippi
Burning, Se7en, “Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool,” and “I Have A Dream” – each deeply rooted
in the fundamentals of freedom.
This tapestry, upon first listen, takes on a confusing and chaotic shape. Yet upon further review
these samples are quite carefully interwoven to produce what I can only describe as a crisis of
human conscience wherein two distinct halves compete. The first half teems with a disquietingly
darkened perspective laden by hatred, fear, and question whereas the second half abounds with
an overly exuberant outlook empowered by words of strength, hope, truth, righteousness, and
justice. Taken individually each half represents an extreme. Yet put together they create an
honest albeit awkward balance:
I'm gonna tell you a story
–FBI Agent Monk (portrayed by Badja Djola), Chapter 35–A Razor Sharp Confession–1:40:06;
Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
Stand up for righteousness!
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
What?
--Road Prison 36 Captain (portrayed by Strother Martin), Cool Hand Luke, 1967; written by
Donn Pearce
Stand up for justice!
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
What?
--Road Prison 36 Captain (portrayed by Strother Martin), Cool Hand Luke, 1967; written by
Donn Pearce
Stand up for truth!
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
How can a person grow up with all this around them?
–Detective William Somerset (portrayed by Morgan Freeman), Chapter 19; Se7en, 1995; written by Andrew Kevin Walker
You got to call on that something
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
Where does it come from?
– FBI Agent Alan Ward (portrayed by Willem Dafoe), Chapter 6–“where does it come from, all
this hatred?”–00:20:25; Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
That can make a way out of no way
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
All this hatred?
–FBI Agent Alan Ward (portrayed by Willem Dafoe), Chapter 6–“where does it come from, all
this hatred?”–00:20:25; Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
What we've got here is
--Road Prison 36 Captain (portrayed by Strother Martin), Cool Hand Luke, 1967; written by Donn Pearce
Fear
–Detective William Somerset (portrayed by Morgan Freeman), Chapter 19; Se7en, 1995; written by Andrew Kevin Walker
That power that can make a way out of now no way
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
Failure to communicate
--Road Prison 36 Captain (portrayed by Strother Martin), Cool Hand Luke, 1967; written by
Donn Pearce
I tell ya I seen the lightning...I've heard the thunder roll
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
Everybody's acting like we can do anything and it don't matter what we do. Maybe we
gotta be extra careful because maybe it matters more than we even know.
--Private Eriksson (portrayed by Michael J. Fox), Casualties of War, 1989; written by Daniel Lang
Sometimes...
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
Hatred isn’t somethin’ you’re born with
–Mrs. Pell (portrayed by Frances McDormand); Chapter 29–Mrs. Pell Gives the Vital
Information-- 1:29:22; Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
I feel discouraged
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
It gets taught
–Mrs. Pell (portrayed by Frances McDormand); Chapter 29–Mrs. Pell Gives the Vital
Information–1:29:22; Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
Sometimes I feel discouraged
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
I felt this fear
–Detective William Somerset (portrayed by Morgan Freeman), Chapter 19
Se7en, 1995; written by Andrew Kevin Walker
He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone, no never alone, no never alone.
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
Let's get something straight, alright?
–Agent Rupert Anderson (portrayed by Gene Hackman), Chapter 27-- Ward and Anderson’s
Frustration –1:24:58; Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
Promised never to leave me
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
This whole thing was fucked up
–Agent Rupert Anderson (portrayed by Gene Hackman), Chapter 27-- Ward and Anderson’s
Frustration –1:24:58; Mississippi Burning, 1988; written by Chris Gerolmo
Never to leave me alone
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool, (Delivered at Mount Pisgah
Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967)
All men betray. All lose heart
--The Leper / Robert the 16th Earl of Bruce (portrayed by Ian Bannen), speaking to his son,
Robert the 17th Earl of Bruce in a scene concerning the betrayal Robert the 17th Earl of Bruce
committed toward William Wallace; Chapter 15–Lands of Death–2:13:57; Braveheart, 1995;
written by Randall Wallace
I don't want to lose heart!...I want to believe
--Robert the 17th Earl of Bruce, (portrayed by Angus McFadyen) responding to his father (The
Leper / Robert the 16th Earl of Bruce)’s nonchalant attitude toward betrayal; Chapter 15–Lands of
Death–2:14:02; Braveheart, 1995; written by Randall Wallace
Black men and white men
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have A Dream, (Delivered as the keynote speech at the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963; written by Julian Bond)
Together at the table of brotherhood
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have A Dream, (Delivered as the keynote speech at the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963; written by Julian Bond)
I have a dream
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have A Dream, (Delivered as the keynote speech at the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963; written by Julian Bond)
Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty we are free at last!
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have A Dream, (Delivered as the keynote speech at the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963; written by Julian Bond)
It is by no coincidence these samples were used. The song, named after the relentlessly storm-battered country of Madagascar, serves to dramatize the shameful conditions in life wherein the
spiritual must overcome the physical. As best exemplified by the renowned Dr. Martin Luther
King, jr. in his “I Have A Dream” speech, “Some of you have come from areas where your quest
for freedom left you battered by storms of persecution,” “Madagascar” is a rallying cry meant to
stir the emotions within Rose himself against the multitudes who aim to persecute him for
actions he may or may not have committed. For him to share it with those who care to listen is
but an invitation for us to seek and achieve our own personal liberation.
Chindem-
A considerable amount of Chindems time and finance went into locating these samples, please respect her work.!
(Odyssey Site team)