Thieves (Ministry song)

"Thieves"
"Thieves"
Promotional single by Limp Bizkit
Released	November 1, 2013
Recorded	2012–2013
Genre	Groove metal, industrial metal
Length	5:31
Label	Cash Money
Songwriter(s)	Al Jourgensen; Paul Barker; Chris Connelly; Nivek Ogre;
Limp Bizkit chronology

"Thieves"
"Thieves"
Song by Ministry
from the album The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste
Recorded	1989
Studio	Chicago Trax Studios
Genre	Industrial metal
Length	5:02
Label	Sire; Warner Bros.;
Songwriter(s)	Al Jourgensen; Paul Barker; Chris Connelly; Nivek Ogre;
Producer(s)	Hypo Luxa; Hermes Pan;

"Thieves" is a song by American industrial metal band Ministry. It was released as the opening track from the band's fourth studio album, The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989),^[4] as well as the B-side from its single, "Burning Inside".^[5] The song's lyrics deal mainly with political corruption. The song includes dialogue samples from R. Lee Ermey's drill instructor character in Full Metal Jacket. Ministry's version was featured in the 1992 science fiction film Freejack, also in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.

Overview

The chorus of "Thieves" is influenced by "Mr. Suit" by the English band Wire.

The song is based on a harmonic stasis. It features the extensive use of E minor chord. 118 out of 138 measures of the song are based on the same E minor chord, while the rest are F minor chords. Al Jourgensen sings only the G note, while the song "shifts gears rhythmically" through its sections and quadruples its tempo.^[6]

Tom Moon, the author of 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, wrote, "At the two minute mark of "Thieves" and several times later in the song, Ministry's pulse is bolstered by what sounds like a whirring pneumatic drill. It's not a gimmick—it almost functions as a solo guitar, adding punctuation."^[7]

Personnel

Ministry

Al Jourgensen – vocals, guitars, programming, production
Paul Barker – bass, programming, production

Additional personnel

William Rieflin – drums, programming
Joe Kelly – backing vocals

Limp Bizkit cover

American rap rock band Limp Bizkit covered parts of this song during Woodstock 99^[8] as well as releasing their cover version of "Thieves" as a single via Twitter on November 1, 2013 for free download.^[9]^[10] Limp Bizkit performed it throughout many of the band's live sets since 1997, but the band did not release a studio version until 2013.^[11] Limp Bizkit's version does not include the samples that are on Ministry's version.

Personnel

Limp Bizkit

Wes Borland – guitars
Fred Durst – vocals
John Otto – drums
Sam Rivers – bass

Footnotes

^ Nivek Ogre was credited by his legal name, Kevin Ogilvie, in the liner notes of The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste.^[2] In the liner notes of an audio version of the live album In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up, Bill Rieflin was credited as a co-writer, instead of Ogre.^[3]

References

^ Greg Prato. "Twitched – Ministry". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 4, 2017. While nothing here is exactly on par with such industrial metal classics as 'Stigmata' or 'Thieves,' you can certainly see that the seeds for future triumphs are planted on the album-opening 'Just Like You' and the Nine Inch Nails-esque 'We Believe.'
^ "Track listing". The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (CD booklet). Ministry. Sire Records. 1989. 9 26004-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Track listing". In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (CD booklet). Ministry. Sire Records. 1990. 9 26266-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. ABC-CLIO. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-313-36599-7. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
^ Byrom, Cory D. (January 8, 2006). "Ministry: Rantology". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
^ Reed, S. Alexandre (2013). Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music. Oxford University Press. pp. 257. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ Moon, Tom (2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing. p. 505. ISBN 978-0-7611-5385-6. Retrieved August 25, 2018 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Limp Bizkit – Full Concert – 07/24/99 – Woodstock 99 East Stage (OFFICIAL)". youtube. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
^ Barkan, Jonathan (November 1, 2013). "[Free Download] Limp Bizkit Release Their Cover Of Ministry's "Thieves"". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
^ Túlio, Marcelo (November 1, 2013). "New Limp Bizkit song "Thieves" is out now!". Retrieved March 15, 2013.
^ "LIMP BIZKIT: Cover Version Of MINISTRY's 'Thieves' Available For Free Download". Blabbermouth.net. November 4, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.

[4] Nivek Ogre was credited by his legal name, Kevin Ogilvie, in the liner notes of The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste.^[2] In the liner notes of an audio version of the live album In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up, Bill Rieflin was credited as a co-writer, instead of Ogre.^[3]

[1] Greg Prato. "Twitched – Ministry". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 4, 2017. While nothing here is exactly on par with such industrial metal classics as 'Stigmata' or 'Thieves,' you can certainly see that the seeds for future triumphs are planted on the album-opening 'Just Like You' and the Nine Inch Nails-esque 'We Believe.'

[MIATTT_liner_notes-2] "Track listing". The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (CD booklet). Ministry. Sire Records. 1989. 9 26004-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[3] "Track listing". In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (CD booklet). Ministry. Sire Records. 1990. 9 26266-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[5] Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. ABC-CLIO. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-313-36599-7. Retrieved March 15, 2013.

[6] Byrom, Cory D. (January 8, 2006). "Ministry: Rantology". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 12, 2018.

[7] Reed, S. Alexandre (2013). Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music. Oxford University Press. pp. 257. Retrieved November 1, 2017.

[8] Moon, Tom (2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing. p. 505. ISBN 978-0-7611-5385-6. Retrieved August 25, 2018 – via Internet Archive.

[9] "Limp Bizkit – Full Concert – 07/24/99 – Woodstock 99 East Stage (OFFICIAL)". youtube. Retrieved March 9, 2016.

[10] Barkan, Jonathan (November 1, 2013). "[Free Download] Limp Bizkit Release Their Cover Of Ministry's "Thieves"". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 20, 2014.

[11] Túlio, Marcelo (November 1, 2013). "New Limp Bizkit song "Thieves" is out now!". Retrieved March 15, 2013.

[12] "LIMP BIZKIT: Cover Version Of MINISTRY's 'Thieves' Available For Free Download". Blabbermouth.net. November 4, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.

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v t e Ministry
Al Jourgensen John Bechdel Cesar Soto Paul D'Amour Roy Mayorga Monte Pittman Martin Atkins Paul Barker Max Brody Tony Campos Jason Christopher Chris Connelly Stephen George Zlatko Hukic John Monte Nivek Ogre Casey Orr Paul Raven Bill Rieflin Aaron Rossi Mike Scaccia Louis Svitek DJ Swamp Tommy Victor Rey Washam Derek Abrams Sin Quirin London May
Studio albums	With Sympathy Twitch The Land of Rape and Honey The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs Filth Pig Dark Side of the Spoon Animositisomina Houses of the Molé Rio Grande Blood The Last Sucker Relapse From Beer to Eternity AmeriKKKant Moral Hygiene Hopiumforthemasses
Live albums	In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up Sphinctour Adios... Puta Madres Toronto 1986
Compilations and remixes	Twelve Inch Singles (1981–1984) Tapes of Wrath Greatest Fits Early Trax Side Trax Rantology Rio Grande Dub Ya Cover Up The Last Dubber MiXXXes of the Molé Every Day Is Halloween: The Anthology Undercover
Singles	"I'm Falling/Cold Life" "I Wanted to Tell Her" "(Every Day Is) Halloween" "Over the Shoulder" "Stigmata" "Burning Inside" "Jesus Built My Hotrod" "N.W.O." "Just One Fix" "The Fall" "Lay Lady Lay" "Bad Blood" "No W" "Keys to the City" "Thunderstruck" "99 Percenters" "Double Tap" "PermaWar"
Other songs	"Thieves" "LiesLiesLies"
Related articles	Discography 1000 Homo DJs Acid Horse The Blackouts Defibrillatour Lard Lead into Gold Pailhead Pigface PTP Revolting Cocks Surgical Meth Machine Trax! Box
Category

v t e Limp Bizkit
Fred Durst John Otto Wes Borland DJ Lethal Sam Rivers Rob Waters Terry Balsamo Mike Smith
Studio albums	Three Dollar Bill, Y'all Significant Other Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water Results May Vary Gold Cobra Still Sucks
Remix albums	New Old Songs
Compilations	Greatest Hitz Collected Icon
Live albums	Rock im Park 2001
EPs	The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)
Singles	"Counterfeit" "Nookie" "Re-Arranged" "N 2 Gether Now" "Break Stuff" "Take a Look Around" "My Generation" "Rollin'" "My Way" "Boiler" "Eat You Alive" "Behind Blue Eyes" "Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony" "Shotgun" "Ready to Go" "Endless Slaughter"
Promotional singles	"Faith" "Crack Addict" "Thieves"
Video albums	Greatest Videoz Rock im Park 2001
Tours	Warped Tour 1997 Ozzfest 1998 Family Values Tour Anger Management Tour Unicorns N' Rainbows Tour Gold Cobra Tour
Related articles	Discography Big Dumb Face Black Light Burns La Coka Nostra House of Pain The Damning Well Queen Kwong