The concept behind this song is fairly simple. People have the capacity to rationalize and justify themselves for doing almost anything. They can lie, steal, cheat and murder and it’s all fine as long as they have a rationale or an excuse.
“That guy did me wrong.” So, therefore — I can do him wrong.
Absolute morality is fungible. It’s all a matter of perspective. It’s all from a “certain point-of-view” — which is typically self-serving and convenient. “Truth” is a matter of opinion. “Facts” are optional. “Reality” is open to interpretation.
I wrote this song years ago. During the late 1990s. One of my main sonic influences was the theme to “90210.” (You can hear it if you listen for it.) But I felt the actual song needed to be more serious than that show. This is a universal axiom.
The Israelis see their homeland one way, as regaining what as once lost long ago. The Palestinians see it differently. The see the occupation of Israel as a theft, an affront and an ongoing war crime. Neither is going to come close to seeing eye-to-eye, but until they do work things out — they will have strife, conflict, death and destruction.
We’ve had other intractable international conflicts of this type. The Troubles of Northern Ireland. The Bosnia Conflict. The Syrian conflict. The Ukraine/Russia War.
Some of those situations were eventually worked out. Sometimes it took a superior outside military force, sometimes it took negotiation and diplomacy. As hopeless and impossible as many situations may seem - they ultimately can be worked out if we stop focusing on just our own perspective, but the perspective of everyone involved and impacted.
The problems can be solved. These questions can be answered. If we’re justified.
Vyan
Original Song - Justified