Barry Manilow has now joined the ranks of Metallica and Barney the Dinosaur. They are all part of that exclusive group of musicians whose songs are used as torture. The controversial practice involves blasting music at ear-splitting volumes for hours on end. A truly annoying song helps. U.S. soldiers have used it on everyone from Manual Noriega to the prisoners locked up at Gitmo. Predictably, most songwriters don't dig this kind of use. It's not the kind of audience they had in mind when hoping for a hit.
The list includes Metallica's "Enter Sandman" as well as Captain and Tenille's "Muskrat Love". US Armed Forces in Panama in late 1989 used Guns-N-Roses blasted at the Vatican Embassy to drive out Manuel Noriega, who had taken refuge there.
I can think of all sorts of songs, but I think "Mandy" by Barry Manilow is ranked far too low as an inflicter of pain. I would also include "The Rose" by Bette Midler. Just thinking of it . . . brrrr . . .
