Black Gold (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Black Gold
Artist = Soul Asylum


from Album = Grave Dancers Union
Released = 1993
Format = LP, Cassette, CD
Recorded = 1992
Genre = Alternative rock Post-grunge
Length =
Label = Columbia
Writer = Dave Pirner
Producer = Michael Beinhorn
Certification =
Last single = "Somebody To Shove" (1993)
This single = "Black Gold" (1993)
Next single = "Runaway Train" (1993)"Black Gold" is a 1993 single performed by the Minneapolis rock band Soul Asylum. It, along with the bands more famous hit Runaway Train, helped bring their album, "Grave Dancers Union" to a multi-platinum level.

The song was written by Soul Asylum's lead singer Dave Pirner. It was the second single off of their album ("see Soul Asylum discography").

Track listing

# "Black Gold" - 3:57
# "Black Gold" (Live) - 3:57
# "The Break"

Meaning

The meaning of the song has been the topic of many debates. Some fans state that it simply is about racism and/or black soldiers fighting in a war ("You're a black soldier, white fight"). Other disagree and claim it is about the greed for oil (Black Gold is another term for oil). One other theory maintains that it is about the Gulf War. Many lyrics from the song do match this idea. The lyrics "Two boys on a playground/trying to push each other down" could possibly mean the USA and Iraq fighting over "Black Gold". It has been theorized that the lines "Keeps the kids off the streets/gives 'em something to do, something to eat" could mean young men and women ("kids") joining the military. And there is the fact that at about 1:56 various noises are heard: ambulance sirens, screams, cries, and what appears to be a news cast, which could represent the war.