As an indie, Madden freely and passionately expresses himself. Some of the frequent and recurring themes in his music include heavy anti-war sentiment, anger towards the harm caused by guns and violence, distaste of poverty, a plead for ethics and accountability by politicians and business leaders, need for ethics and welfare of the global community as a whole, and crys against the harm to our environment.
Corporate/Political Greed and Corruption
With the U.S. and global economic collapse in 2008, from the 2006 album,
Gone, Madden presciently writes in the song
What in the World:
Corporate malfeasance is a slickTrick of the books that’s become epidemicBig brotha’s had his dirty hand in the jarFor so damn long ain’t no more cookies
I see the human costLives ruined, jobs lostTo turn it around for the betterWe must act now and come togetherIt’s the same political scam and conIf that ain’t a kick in the pantsWell I’ll be doggoneWhat in the world is goin’ on
On the album’s title track,
Gone, Madden writes:
Blinded by ambition and greedAnd an I, me, mine mentalityUsing hype and deception to satisfyA voracious appetite, bigBusiness is nothin’ but a Ponzi schemeProfit rules over human needsLobbyists lobby, politicians stoopGrovel for dollars of special interest groupsOne day we’re gonna wake upTo the damage that we’ve doneOne day we’re gonna find everything gone
Environmentalism
In the title track
Gone, Madden is tough on politicians and writes:
Mother Earth's a mess from pollution and warPillaged like a disposable whoreEnvironment is a news byte at bestA pile of paper on a bureaucrat's deskOne day we're gonna wake upTo the damage that we've doneOne day we're gonna find everythingGone, gone, gone from the damage done
Guns and Violence
Madden also expresses anger towards the harm caused by guns and violence. From the album
Chillin’ In Hades, in
Here And Now, which debuted on MTV's Real World Boston episode #20, Madden sings about the 1992 Los Angeles riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict: "The verdict wasn’t good / So we burned down the neighborhood."
In
Murder from the album
Samsara's Grip, Madden writes about the alcohol and drug induced hit and run homicide of a child and other acts of violence. In
Fools' Parade, he writes about the frequency of violence in every day life, "It's become a common occurrence / Nobody respecting nobody else."
Poverty and Materialism
Another recurring theme of Madden's is poverty and materialism. In
Here And Now from the album
Chillin’ In Hades, Madden sings "hungry people need jobs and shelter." In
Reconcile, which debuted on MTV's Real World Boston (Episode #14), Madden cautions "And not judge others / By race or wealth." Additionally, in
World Just Is from the album
Samsara's Grip, Madden writes:
Among the dust and ruinAre diamonds in the ashesAnd flowers in the weedsYoung souls in soiled linenOf smiling dirty facesWho dare to believeIn miracles and incredible things
In
Experience, also from the album
Samsara's Grip, Madden writes:
There’s nothin’ reallyTo acquireEverything’s rentedWhen you expireYou don’t needAll this material shitSimplifyGet rid of it
In the album
Gone, he expands his views in
What In The World, "It’s a preoccupation of powerful nations / To award the rich in exchange for donations."
War
Madden actively opposes war in his songs. On the album
Gone, Madden's anti-war sentiments are evident in
Dangerous Game,
Everything And That,
Gone,
Weight of His Words, and
What In The World. In
Dangerous Game, Madden refers to 'black gold' and infers that oil played a larger role than President Bush admits by questioning "How many barrels of blood does it take to fill an SUV these days?" and demanding an honest explanation from the Bush administration as to why America invaded Iraq.
Currently, anti-war sentiments in song are prevalent; however, in 2004, Madden was among the minority of musicians who challenged President George W. Bush’s "You're either with us or against us" rhetoric. Madden spoke out in opposition to the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq in print and on the album
Samsara’s Grip in
Om Tat Sat,
Consequence Of War, and
World Just Is.