With a lot of the US (and beyond) divided on “that Kanye nonsense” (IMHO), it wasn’t ready for the bitchslap of reality known as “This Is America” when Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino, but we’ll stick with Donald here) performed the song on Saturday Night Live (which you can find here if you’re too sensitive for the official video) and sent the controversial video live on May 5th. It rocked the internet.
The video and Donald Glover’s performance blew my fucking mind.
And I cannot put into words how much the official video drove some of the many the important points home for me. The official video is now at 50 million views. In four days. It deserves to be seen by everyone. I don’t care if it makes you uncomfortable. That is exactly the point. If you don’t feel uncomfortable at the end of the video and focused more on the “OMG he can dance??”…..then you might be part of the problem now. This video (and song) is for you.
It’s equally important to look at the words in this song. I know we are a short attention span kind of society, but you need to not just absorb the visuals and the sounds. You need to really let the verbal message sink in too (please feel free to let me know if you see an error in the lyrics. Not outside of the lyrics, though- I’m aware my typing is garbage). I could spend all day trying to dissect my observations with the visuals, but you can find me on social media for that.
Please do yourself a favor and take the time to read, watch, observe, reflect and discuss.
I want to know what you think of the lyrics and what they represent to you! Leave a comment, check out the Virtual Black History Museum page on Facebook, or find me on Twitter.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahYeah, yeah, yeah, go, go awayYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahYeah, yeah, yeah, go, go awayYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahYeah, yeah, yeah, go, go awayYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahYeah, yeah, yeah, go, go awayWe just wanna partyParty just for youWe just want the moneyMoney just for youI know you wanna partyParty just for meGirl, you got me dancin’ (yeah, girl, you got me dancin’)Dance and shake the frameWe just wanna party (yeah)Party just for you (yeah)We just want the money (yeah)Money just for you (you)I know you wanna party (yeah)Party just for me (yeah)Girl, you got me dancin’ (yeah, girl, you got me dancin’)Dance and shake the frame (you)This is AmericaDon’t catch you slippin’ upDon’t catch you slippin’ upLook what I’m whippin’ upThis is America (woo)Don’t catch you slippin’ upDon’t catch you slippin’ upLook what I’m whippin’ upThis is America (skrrt, skrrt, woo)Don’t catch you slippin’ up (ayy)Look at how I’m livin’ nowPolice be trippin’ now (woo)Yeah, this is America (woo, ayy)Guns in my area (word, my area)I got the strap (ayy, ayy)I gotta carry ’emYeah, yeah, I’ma go into this (ugh)Yeah, yeah, this is guerilla (woo)Yeah, yeah, I’ma go get the bagYeah, yeah, or I’ma get the padYeah, yeah, I’m so cold like yeah (yeah)I’m so dope like yeah (woo)We gon’ blow like yeah (straight up, uh)Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebodyYou go tell somebodyGrandma told meGet your money, Black man (get your money)Get your money, Black man (get your money)Get your money, Black man (get your, Black man)Get your money, Black man (get your, Black man)Black manThis is America (woo, ayy)Don’t catch you slippin’ up (woo, woo, don’t catch you slippin’, now)Don’t catch you slippin’ up (ayy, woah)Look what I’m whippin’ up (Slime!)This is America (yeah, yeah)Don’t catch you slippin’ up (woah, ayy)Don’t catch you slippin’ up (ayy, woo)Look what I’m whippin’ up (ayy)Look how I’m geekin’ out (hey)I’m so fitted (I’m so fitted, woo)I’m on Gucci (I’m on Gucci)I’m so pretty (yeah, yeah)I’m gon’ get it (ayy, I’m gon’ get it)Watch me move (blaow)This a celly (ha)That’s a tool (yeah)On my Kodak (woo, Black)Ooh, know that (yeah, know that, hold on)Get it (get it, get it)Ooh, work it (21)Hunnid bands, hunnid bands, hunnid bands (hunnid bands)Contraband, contraband, contraband (contraband)I got the plug in Oaxaca (woah)They gonna find you like blocka (blaow)Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebodyAmerica, I just checked my following list andYou go tell somebodyYou mothafuckas owe meGrandma told meGet your money, Black man (black man)Get your money, Black man (black man)Get your money, Black man (get your, Black man)Get your money, Black man (get your, Black man)Black man(One, two, three, get down)Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebodyYou go tell somebodyGrandma told me, “Get your money”Get your money, Black man (Black man)Get your money, Black man (Black man)Get your money, Black man (Black man)Get your money, Black man (Black man)Black manYou just a Black man in this worldYou just a barcode, ayyYou just a Black man in this worldDrivin’ expensive foreigns, ayyYou just a big dawg, yeahI kenneled him in the backyardNo probably ain’t life to a dogFor a big dog
Lyrics- This Is America
Childish Gambino
Produced by Childish Gambino & Ludwig Göransson
Album CG4*
