The Words Behind “This Is America” Matter.

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, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away

We just wanna party

Party just for you

We just want the money

Money just for you

I know you wanna party

Party just for me

Girl, you got me dancin’ (yeah, girl, you got me dancin’)

Dance and shake the frame

We 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 America

Don’t catch you slippin’ up

Don’t catch you slippin’ up

Look what I’m whippin’ up

This is America (woo)

Don’t catch you slippin’ up

Don’t catch you slippin’ up

Look what I’m whippin’ up

This is America (skrrt, skrrt, woo)

Don’t catch you slippin’ up (ayy)

Look at how I’m livin’ now

Police 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 ’em

Yeah, yeah, I’ma go into this (ugh)

Yeah, yeah, this is guerilla (woo)

Yeah, yeah, I’ma go get the bag

Yeah, yeah, or I’ma get the pad

Yeah, 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 somebody

You go tell somebody

Grandma told me

Get 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 man

This 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 somebody

America, I just checked my following list and

You go tell somebody

You mothafuckas owe me

Grandma told me

Get 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 somebody

You go tell somebody

Grandma 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 man

You just a Black man in this world

You just a barcode, ayy

You just a Black man in this world

Drivin’ expensive foreigns, ayy

You just a big dawg, yeah

I kenneled him in the backyard

No probably ain’t life to a dog

For a big dog