Cattle Decapitation, Forced Gender Reassignment

In the 24^th edition of Controversial Songs (2025), we explore the controversy behind “Forced Gender Reassignment” by Cattle Decapitation. 

Bring on the controversy! Controversial Songs is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows, stirred the pot, or were banned. The more censorship censor$hit, the better! The records that grace Controversial Songs are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  In the 24^th edition of Controversial Songs (2025), we explore the controversy behind “Forced Gender Reassignment” by Cattle Decapitation.

“Shut up and take it / Just accept your new life / Look at it this way / You’ll make a dashing wife.” Holy shit, or, more appropriately, unholy shit! Cattle Decapitation exemplifies controversial, generally speaking. However, “Forced Gender Reassignment”, the fourth track from their 2012 album, Monolith of Inhumanity, has a strong case as their most controversial song. “As for your new husband,” Travis Ryan sings in unclean fashion, continuing, “We had to perform a hysterectomy / But we managed to save your penis / And stapled it to her pubis…” Yikes! Explicit lyrics detailing this forced gender reassignment and transitioning are one of a plethora of reasons this song is… something else.  

From a musical standpoint, “Forced Gender Reassignment” sounds chaotic from the start. There are all kinds of shifts, with little uniformity, which is intentional and fitting for a song titled “Forced Gender Reassignment.” The guitars sound hellish, jagged, and rhythmic. There is an outstanding, raucous guitar solo. The bass provides a firm foundation, despite sheer chaos.  The drums sound infernal, too. They pummel, hitting you right in the chest.  The tom runs are impressive. Even with the utmost chaos, the musicianship is high-level.  But, we’re all here for the controversy, which runs amok.

“Forced Gender Reassignment” is controversial because of its theme and lyrics, PERIOD. Gender dysphoria, transphobia, and bigotry are addressed boldly: “Hell-bent on ideals instilled since birth” and “Some feel it was simply a choice and use morality / To strengthen their voice.” Ryan criticizes Christians, considering many of them myopic: “Why do we hate what we don’t understand? / Forced into a body and damned with intelligence / Shoved into a soul, wired with circuitry you cannot control.”  Given the anti-Christian stance because of the narrow-minded views of Christians, there is ample blasphemy, led by the likes of, “For this rather Christian indoctrination /… The gimp shall get to know you motherfucking biblically / It’s bound by human leather,” and an insincere “Lord, please forgive them as this is not what they mean…” And, to reiterate, the details of the gender reassignment are, a lot:  “First, we start with your private parts / Snip cremaster, your testes fall apart…” and “A slice up the shaft and around the corona / Unsheathed penile muscle exposing the urethra…” As only Cattle Decapitation can, the lyrics grow even more twisted, unsettling, and not safe for work, or, really, anywhere… Adding to the controversy of “Forced Gender Reassignment” is the music video, which was rejected by YouTube. Fearless, Cattle Decapitation recorded a song that makes valid points regarding how transgender people are viewed, particularly by Christians and conservatives.  The forced gender reassignment may be over the top, but without a doubt, this is art well worth discourse.