Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon A.F. & A. M

Masonic references in music

There is the music of Freemasonry — hymns and odes written for the ritual and glees written for the festive board — and then there is popular music that mentions Freemasonry. The following list of pop references is not definitive, nor are all entries confirmed.

The hip hop community presents a different perspective and view of Freemasonry and is catalogued on its own page. There is also a small but vocal community that believes that occult symbols can be found in the artwork associated with pop music.

Please forward additional references, with details, to our editor.

Adamski Revolt Acid House 2015 Futurewaltz
Royal Arch symbol on album cover.
Agents of Change 13 Star General Hip Hop 2004 “Thug Life”
“DAMN THIS NATION freemasons and their unconscious creation”
Amsterdam My Father Was A Mason Pop 1999 Townsend
“Live, Left And Covered”
Angels & Airwaves Alternative 2009 Geffen
Use of square and compasses emblem
Anti-Flag State Funeral Hip Hop 2006 “For Blood And Empire” Columbia
“Skull and Bone, Freemason reigns”
Derek Bailey Mirakle Jazz 2000 Tzadik 702397760320
Image of a lodge third degree tracing board on the album cover.
Brian Jonestown Massacre
“interests include a fascination with the Freemasons” Unconfirmed
Brook Benton The Boll Weevil Song Novelty 1961 Mercury Records
“The farmer said to the boll weevil, ‘I see you’re on the square’.” [MISTAKEN REFERENCE]
Irving Berlin Call me up some rainy afternoon Tin Pan Alley 1910 Ted Snyder Co.
“Mum’s the word when we meet / Be a mason, don’t repeat”
Blur Mr Robinson’s Quango Pop 1995 Food/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (FOODLP14)
“He’s a self-professed savior of the dim right wing / He got respiratory problems and a mason’s ring”
Boxcar Freemason Synth pop 1988 Nettwerk/Arista Records
(You broke the promise)
Celtic Connection Raise the Roof Folk/Roots 1997 16024 The Celtic Connection
“We’ll play the Mason’s Apron ’til the sun comes up.”
W. R. Chetwood The Generous Freemason Opera 1731 Neptune’s Masonic Ode
The first masonic opera.
Clutch Pig Fat Pig Hip Hop 2000 “Jam Room” River Road Records
“I am Jason the Freemason, what you’re selling i do not need.”
Nat “King” Cole Straighten Up and Fly Right Pop 1943 Capitol Records
“everything was on the square.”
Common All night long Rap 1997 “One day it will all make sense” Cut 10
“Mason’s building Lodges we be in garages”
Craig’s Brother Masonic Rock 2001 Tooth & Nail Label, 14604
“Lost At Sea” Cut 3
Dead Kennedys Frankenchrist Punk 1985 Alternative Tentacles
Image of a Shriners parade on the album cover.
Deadsy The Key To Gramercy Park Rock 2002 Commencement
square & Compasses in video.
The Doug Anthony Allstars Jason and Kylie Alternative n.d.
“Let’s play freemason. I’ll chase you ’round the house while you wear silly aprons.”
DJ Vadim feat. Phi-Life Cypher Ghetto Rebels Hip Hop 2002 Ninja Tune
“Mankind destroyers, life I’m chasing those freemasons”
DMX Slippin Hip Hop 1998 Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood
“I been through mad different phases like Masons.”
Dream Theatre A Rite of Passage Metal 2009 Roadrunner Records
“Bound by oath and honour / Like the rose and cross.”
Duck Sauce Barbera Streisand House 2010 Spinnin’ Records
Shriner fezes worn in video.
Carlos A. Duque The Super Secret Symphony Ambient 1995 Instinct Ambient
Square and compasses emblem on cover art
Steve Earle Copperhead Road Country 1987
“Bought it at an auction at the Mason’s Lodge.”
Faith Evans Mesmerized Club 2005 Capitol
Freemasons Mix (8:09), Freemasons Club Dub (7:16)
Falco Rock Me Amadeus Techno 1985 A&M
“1784 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart becomes a freemason.”
Fingertwister Mason Groove Ambient 2001 Digital Structures
(5:27) Chillosophy Code: 4 031345 898119
Freemasons feat. Amanda Wilson Love On My Mind house 2005 Skint Records
Gangstar No Games Rap 2003 The Ownerz
“Do the knowledge to the master builder blowing a spliff, the new millennium Hiram Abiff.”
Gong Master Builder Space fusion 1974 Virgin (CAROL 1664-2)
Why don’t you… “You are my Hiram are you”. You
Grateful Dead Mason’s Children Rock 1995 Ice Nine Publishing
A possible reference to Freemasonry: obscure at best.
Hacienda Narrowed Eyes Trip hop 1998 INFRACom!
“Lazy Mason Fills My Bong” (09:46)
George Harrison P2 Vatican Blues Pop 2002 Brainwashed, Capitol
“I’ll confess, own up, let’s face it / In my concrete tuxedo”
Hieroglyphics All Things Hip-Hop 1998 Domino, “3rd Eye Vision”
“Seen a gang of businessmen pilin’ out the Scottish Rite”
House of Pain Jump Around Rap 1992
“Do you know / about the Masons / about their nation?” “To the 33rd degree, you know that’s me.”
The Illuminati The Illuminati EP Thrash 2005 Liquor And Poker Music
“the ancient cabal of Freemasons that has been allegedly controlling the geo-political landscape”
Immortal Technique The Point of No Return Hip-hop 2004 Caught in a Hustle
“The world is volatile and the street is my educationShaping the nation, like the blueprint of a mason”
K-os (Kevin Brereton) Follow Me Rap 2003 Exit (Astralwerks)
“yo, my war’s against the foundation of a global united nation / when you men rule the world by the codes of the freemason / hallucinated, by the quest for domination / an equation, which equals the battle station.”
Leatherface Fill Your Boots Punk 1990 Roughneck Recordings
“Here comes the judge, you can see the freemason in his eyes”
Laura Is there no help for the widow’s son? Post-rock 2006 Alone Again Records
Instrumental piece, running over eight minutes, has no masonic content.
Little Big Town Tornado Country 2012 Capitol Records
In the video, the performers walk past Comer Lodge No. 417.
LCD Soundsystem Pow Pow Dance-punk 2010 DFA/Virgin Records
Video featuring Anna Kendrick
L.O.T.U.G. Here Come The Lords Hip hop 1993 Pendulum Records
Square and compasses emblem in video.
Marilyn Manson King Kill 33° Hard core 2000 Holy Wood
See James Shelby Downard.

The Masonics Garage 1991 Hangman Records (UK)
No lyric references cited. See album artwork.

Masonic Abyss Metal 2008 Scotland
Unreleased : Music For The Apocalypse
Nas and 2Pac Thugz Mansion Rap 2004 “Gods Son” Cut 9
“I see faces, cases, judges, masons, lawyers, and cops”
New Bad Things Freemason Love Triangle Alternative 1995 Punk In My Vitamins
PNMV 03-7 7
Paris (Oscar Jackson, Jr.) What Would You Do? Hip Hop 2003 “Sonic Jihad” Guerrila Funk
“It’s the Skull and Bones Freemason kill committee”
Public Enemy Party for your right to fight Rap 1988 It takes a nation of millions to hold us back
“Even Masons, they know it, but refuse to show it”
Penal Colony Freemasons of Enochian Magick Hardcore 1995 5 Man Job (CLP9512)
“We are the sons / The 23 sons /The freemasons of enochian magick”
Rascalz Follow Me Rap 2003 Red1 with K-OS
“Yo, my war’s against the foundation, Of a global united nation, When humans rule the world, By the codes of Freemasons, Hallucinated, by the quest for domination.”
Run-DMC Its Tricky Hip-hop 1986 Arista
A Scottish Rite hat is clearly seen early in the video, although there is no masonic reference in the lyrics.
Scor Zay Zee Great Britain Hip Hop 2004 Out Da Ville
“The Queen wears stolen diamonds, Great Britain
Her husband’s a Freemason, Great Britain”
Secret Lives of the Freemasons This Was Built To Make You Dance hardcore 2005 Astro Magnetics
Soft Cell The Singles Techno 1986 Phonogram Ltd.
“Standing to order at the door of Lodge Pink Flamingo, crying in the rain.” [also see cover art]
Soul Coughing Blue eyed devil Deep Slacker Jazz 1994 Ruby Vroom (Slash/London)
“33 degrees / Six hundred and sixty six / Dig digging it, come on.”
Ray Stevens Shriner’s Convention Comedy 1980 Ahab Music Company, Inc.
“It’s a glorious mess, everybody wears a fez.”
Structure of Lies A Virtue of Silence Metal 2002 “Abacus” Deep Six Records
Misinformed remarks by guitarist Ryan Butler: interview with Roberto Martinelli for Maelstrom
They Might Be Giants She’s an Angel They Might Be Giants 1986 US Bar/None A-HAON 002
I met someone at the dog show
She was holding my left arm
But everyone was acting normal so I tried to look nonchalant.
We both said, “I really love you,”
The Shriners loaned us cars
We raced up and down the sidewalk twenty thousand million times.
Thievery Corporation Warning shots Rap 2005 Cosmic Game
Images of square and compasses in video.
Traditional The Mason’s Apron Irish Reel Trad. Scored for penny whistle
for penny whistle, fiddle and pipes
Albert Von Tilzer Be a Mason
(take it by Degrees)		 Tin Pan Alley 1916 Broadway Music Corporation
“Mister Mason was a Mason and a good one too”
Trooper General Hand Grenade Rock 1975 MCA (Legend) Records Ltd.
Isabella Band Aid /Wavin’ at the Shrine parade /Eatin’ toast and marmalade /And getting sticky hands
Ultravox Hymn New Wave / Pop 1982 Chrysalis Records
Cover art depicts many masonic symbols.
Unknown Freemason (my dream) Techno 2006 LimeWire download
“I don’t need you, telling me what to do.”
“Weird Al” Yankovic Albuquerque Comedy 1999 Running With Scissors
“where the Shriners and the lepers play their ukuleles all day long.”
Vybz Kartel Broad Daylight Hiphop 2009 Day Break Riddim
“Wi reach 33 degrees a masonry / An mi a seh wait / Heights a evil”
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