Twenties

Twenties by Ghost serves as a scathing political satire and a grim social commentary on the state of the world in the 2020s. The song operates on the core premise that history is cyclical, drawing a direct and terrifying parallel between the societal conditions of the 1920s—which eventually led to the rise of fascism and the horrors of the 1930s—and the political turbulence of the modern era. The thematic elements of the album Impera revolve around the inevitable rise and fall of empires, and this track represents the grotesque peak of an empire's hubris, led by a populist demagogue.

Through the lyrics, lead singer Tobias Forge adopts the persona of an authoritarian ruler delivering a twisted pep talk to his followers. The explicit meaning of the song presents a leader promising his loyal subjects vast wealth, power, and freedom, urging them to crush their enemies and dismantle the educated elite. However, the implicit meaning reveals a deep contempt for the very people being manipulated. The ruler is effectively feeding his followers poisoned air, stoking their anger, and promising them a completely worthless reign of pennies while driving society toward war and self-destruction.

The narrative heavily relies on real-world political rhetoric, particularly mimicking the vulgarity and anti-intellectualism of modern populist leaders. By utilizing phrases that echo the speeches and attitudes of recent political figures, the song mocks the absurdity of demagoguery and warns of the catastrophic consequences of blindly following hateful, authoritarian ideologies.

The narrative begins with a commanding, authoritative voice directly addressing a hatchet man, a loyal enforcer who is explicitly ordered to set the controls for the very heart of the land. The speaker, acting as a ruthless and power-hungry demagogue, declares that the time has finally come for this enforcer to take their rightful place as the next in the chain of command. The narrator operates as a ghostly apparition, actively steering their blindly loyal followers on a direct course for a violent collision with their enemies. They actively encourage the growth of deep suspicion and paranoia among the populace, explicitly stating that this societal division is entirely necessary for their Reich to come to full fruition.

The vision for the near future, set specifically in the decade of the twenties, is then laid out as a twisted, dystopian utopian promise that is actually a nightmare in disguise. The leader promises that the followers will be singing in a glorious reign of pennies, a deceptive illusion of wealth, and soaring through the skies while hidden in disguise. They demand absolute subservience, picturing a dark future where everyone is happily smooching at the feet of the ultimate ruler and grinding in endless piles of money.

The narrative then dramatically shifts to a much more aggressive, vulgar, and combative rallying cry. The leader explicitly commands the attention of the crowd, violently turning their vitriol toward the educated elite, dismissing them as Ivy League dopes who do nothing but mock the common people. The leader insists that the current state of affairs is an all-out war, aggressively proclaiming that anyone who refuses to fight is merely a sucker. The commands become increasingly violent and unhinged: the followers are instructed to assassinate their targets, gather the necessary tools to completely disintegrate the opposition, and actively feed their own endless hatred. The speaker proudly acknowledges their own moral corruption, urging the crowd to reap the seeds of society as absolute reprobates. Establishing a clear, unquestionable, and tyrannical hierarchy, the leader states their dominance and manipulates religious fervor by declaring that they have a lot of God's work to do.

As the grand, terrifying promises for the decade continue to escalate, the leader boasts that they will take absolutely no disrespect from anyone, using highly vulgar language to describe exactly how they will aggressively overpower their enemies and seize complete control. They paint a chaotic picture of dancing in the so-called fields of freedom, but this freedom is purely destructive in nature. It is the unchecked freedom to completely crush and dismantle the established laws of the land, simply because the new dictatorial regime has decided they no longer need them. The ultimate, chilling goal of this sweeping authoritarian takeover is revealed at the very end of the address: the leader fully intends to carry this massive momentum of power, destruction, and unquestioned dominance all the way through the twenties and directly into the thirties, plunging the world into total darkness.

The creation of Twenties is rooted in the conceptual development of Ghost's fifth studio album, Impera, released on March 11, 2022. Mastermind Tobias Forge sought to create a record that explored the cyclical nature of empires, heavily influenced by the book The Rule of Empires. The specific musical direction for Twenties was sparked when Forge worked on a cover of Metallica's Enter Sandman and subsequently recruited Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson to perform the rhythm, acoustic, and lead guitars for the new album.

Forge envisioned a track that was highly chaotic and violently aggressive, fundamentally different from Ghost's usual melodic rock sound. He famously described his vision to producer Klas Åhlund as an amalgamation of thrash metal and early 2000s hip-hop, pitching it as "Slayer meets some sort of Missy Elliott thing." This led to the song's most defining feature: a heavy, syncopated reggaeton drum beat underlying distorted metal riffs and a frantic brass section. The song was released as the album's third single on March 2, 2022, and its highly experimental, genre-blending nature immediately made it one of the most polarizing and discussed tracks in the band's history.

The rhyme and rhythm of Twenties are essential to its satirical impact. Lyrically, the song utilizes a highly repetitive AABB and AAAA rhyme scheme, particularly in the choruses. Forge intentionally employs simplistic, almost childish slant rhymes—pairing rulah with moolah, and chulas with hoohaas. This deliberate lack of poetic sophistication brilliantly mocks the simplistic, unrefined rhetoric often used by demagogues to manipulate the masses.

Rhythmically, the song is a massive departure from traditional heavy metal. It is set in a 4/4 time signature but is completely driven by a highly syncopated reggaeton groove. This rhythmic complexity forces the aggressively distorted guitars to lock into a bouncing, hip-hop-oriented pocket. The interplay between the fast-paced, rhythmic vocal delivery and the marching snare drum creates a sense of unstoppable forward momentum, perfectly mirroring the chaotic, steamrolling nature of a hostile political takeover.

Ghost employs a myriad of unique literary and musical stylistic techniques to elevate the song's dystopian atmosphere:

• Musical Cross-Pollination: The most notable musical technique is the fusion of heavy metal with a prominent reggaeton tresillo rhythm. This danceable, bouncy beat creates a deeply unsettling juxtaposition against the dark, hateful lyrics, simulating the feeling of a morbid party at the end of the world.
• Instrumentation: The heavy use of a frantic, looping brass section gives the track a chaotic, steampunk-esque, theatrical Broadway villain aesthetic, sounding like a warped military marching band.
• Vocal Delivery: Tobias Forge utilizes a sneering, menacing whisper that frequently erupts into aggressive, barking shouts. This effectively mimics the dynamic, manipulative cadence of a political dictator giving a speech.
• Literary Satire and Irony: The song uses extreme vulgarity and colloquialisms (e.g., moolah, hoohaas, motherfuckers) to satirize the degradation of modern political discourse. The entire song is built on dramatic irony; the upbeat tempo masks a deeply pessimistic message.

Upon its release, Twenties immediately became one of the most heavily debated and culturally significant tracks in Ghost's discography. Because of its explicit political satire and highly experimental reggaeton-metal hybrid sound, it polarized the fanbase—some hailed it as a stroke of avant-garde genius, while others were taken aback by its bizarre lyrical choices and stylistic departures. The song played a crucial role in pushing the Impera album to massive commercial success, including high chart placements globally. Culturally, it cemented Tobias Forge's reputation as a fearless songwriter willing to take massive theatrical and musical risks, openly utilizing Ghost's platform to critique the frightening rise of modern authoritarianism and the decline of civil political discourse.

The lyrics of Twenties are laden with dark symbolism and historical metaphors designed to highlight the dangers of authoritarianism:

• The Twenties and The Thirties: The decades themselves symbolize the cyclical nature of history. The song warns that the political division and populism of the 2020s closely mirror the 1920s, heavily implying that if unchecked, society will once again plunge into the global conflicts and totalitarian regimes of the Thirties.
• Reign of Pennies: This metaphor represents the hollow, worthless promises made by demagogues to the working class. While the followers believe they are being led to vast wealth, they are actually being swindled and handed literal pennies.
• Ivy League Dopes: A symbol of anti-intellectualism. Authoritarian regimes frequently target the educated and academic institutions to sew distrust and manipulate the masses, a tactic the narrator eagerly employs.
• The Hatchet Man: This imagery represents the blind, ruthless enforcers of the regime—those who are willing to execute devastating orders and set controls for the heart of the land without ever questioning the morality of their actions.
• Reich: A direct, chilling historical reference to Nazi Germany, symbolizing the ultimate, terrifying endpoint of the narrator's hateful rhetoric and power grabs.

Several critical motifs anchor the composition of Twenties:

• The Choral Hook: The backing choir of Ghoulettes repeatedly harmonizing the word "Twenties!" serves as the song's primary melodic hook. This high-pitched, enthusiastic chant mimics the sound of a twisted pep rally or a dystopian cheerleader squad, reinforcing the disturbing juxtaposition of horror and celebration.
• In the Twenties: This recurring lyrical phrase grounds the song in its specific temporal setting, constantly reminding the listener of the dual historical timeline being referenced (the 1920s and the 2020s).
• The Brass Motif: A looping, sinister horn melody plays throughout the track. This musical motif acts as an ominous warning siren, symbolizing the creeping, inevitable march of a hostile empire preparing for war.