# needed: songs used by the U.S gov't for psychological torture **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945 "2003-07-08T05:02:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Humungus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@The\_Humungus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Humungus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/1 "2003-07-08T05:02:23Z")
I’m interested in finding out what songs have been usedby the U.S. gov’t as a means of psychological torture. The two events that come to mind are the U.S. blasting music to get noriega out of the vatican embassy and when we used a similar tactic of blasting music to try and get people out of the waco compound. I understand that this is not a tactic used often and that the point is to play the same songs over and over again, but so far all i can figure out is that “welcome to the jungle” was played for noriega(this may not even be true). I’m hoping there are other songs that have been played either in these situations or others. I want to know because burning a CD of songs that our gov’t has used as psychological weapons would be…pretty cool. thanks ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/2 "2003-07-08T09:37:15Z")
Once upon a time, I saw a documentary about the Noriega thing. I don’t remember much about it, but one thing I do remember clearly is “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie blasting out of the speakers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@The\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/3 "2003-07-08T11:23:02Z")
I seem to recall that “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus was used at the Waco compound. Gives me chills just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/4 "2003-07-08T11:58:48Z")
I believe Jethro Tull’s “Too Old to Rock’n’Roll Too Young to Die” was on the Noriega setlist. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/5 "2003-07-08T14:02:24Z")
Have you folks been swiping copies of my workout mix? ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/6 "2003-07-08T14:06:25Z")
Here’s the Noriega list: [http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/DOCUMENT/950206.htm](http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/DOCUMENT/950206.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/7 "2003-07-08T16:24:35Z")
I can’t imagine that any human could survive more than one play of “my heart will go on”… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/8 "2003-07-08T19:52:20Z")
I recall a news tidbit that the Andy Williams Christmas Album was on the Noriega playlist. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/9 "2003-07-08T19:54:33Z")
Geeze, some of those songs could be considered lethal just forcing someone to listen twice in a row… ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/10 "2003-07-08T23:22:36Z")
I know AC/DC has been used in the latest Iraq war. Among the sounds blared at Waco were those of dying animals, as well. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/11 "2003-07-08T23:29:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Seeker \* > \*\*I seem to recall that “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus was used at the Waco compound. Gives me chills just thinking about it. \*\* Gah! And “chills” makes me think of “You’re the One That I Want” from the Grease soundtrack. Someone should tell the military to try _that_ to their arsenal, if Geneva will allow it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/12 "2003-07-08T23:42:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Seeker \* > \*\*I seem to recall that “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus was used at the Waco compound. Gives me chills just thinking about it. \*\* My Lord!! The humanity. Did [Human Rights Watch](http://www.hrw.org/) ever get involved??? I think Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots were made for Walking” was played too. “FBI commanders said that nonstop nightly Nancy Sinatra songs, shrieks of dying rabbits, Christmas carols and Tibetan monk chants would increase the Branch Davidians’ discomfort and sleep deprivation . .” [http://prorev.com/waco.htm](http://prorev.com/waco.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/13 "2003-07-09T00:13:59Z")
**Daoloth** , I’m not sure about AC/DC, but I do know that the Army was blasting _Enter Sandman_ by Metallica during prisoner interrogation. [Here’s](http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1472566/20030611/metallica.jhtml?headlines=true) an article about it. Apparently Lars Ulrich wasn’t too happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/14 "2003-07-09T01:35:41Z")
You’d think Kathie Lee Gifford would be enough to break down _any_ resistance. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/15 "2003-07-09T02:36:40Z")
Any song by William Shatner would do, particulary “Mr. Tambourine man”. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/16 "2003-07-09T04:18:08Z")
Celine Dion isn’t _that_ bad. Heck after the stress of a high profile hostage takeover, I might relax by singing along after a while… ---
**Author:** ![Mukluk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@Mukluk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mukluk)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/17 "2003-07-09T04:24:00Z")
I’m sure the Disney tune “It’s a small world after all” would qualify for torture use. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/18 "2003-07-09T04:55:12Z")
Noriega had taken refuge in the elderly Papal Nuncio’s residence at the time. After standing some of the music, the Nuncio asked the USA to ease off. ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/19 "2003-07-09T07:30:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\ ***Daoloth** , I’m not sure about AC/DC, but I do know that the Army was blasting _Enter Sandman_ by Metallica during prisoner interrogation. > > [Here’s](http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1472566/20030611/metallica.jhtml?headlines=true) an article about it. Apparently Lars Ulrich wasn’t too happy about it. \*\* Too bad ST.Anger wasn’t out yet,that album seems to be designed for torture. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945/20 "2003-07-09T07:35:35Z")
Man, I love Welcome to the Jungle. I’ve already listened to it looped for over an hour, ha. And I also love AC/DC and some of the other songs mention; maybe I’m just invincible to this type of torture 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needed-songs-used-by-the-u-s-govt-for-psychological-torture/186945.md?page=2)