If you haven’t heard the song:
I like this song a lot because it really makes me think about what it is about. My interpretation is that the song is about progress and power. How do we use knowledge and talent? How do we combine those things with power? WE can create a comic book. We can run a business. We can manipulate people to buy? We can wage war and we can cure folks? And we can even obliterate the world. It’s pretty broad, of course, but I think it is basically saying that there is a continuum of what we can accomplish and it can creep out of our control if we aren’t careful.
Or maybe it is just a rap song.
I’d say it’s more then a rap song, it’s extremely political.
Music videos…
Latest Site Video
Youtube from 2006
Why would that make it not a rap song? Is the song “Ohio” not rock because it’s political?
How did you interpret, “I’d say it’s more then a rap song” to mean “not” [rap]? I never said it wasn’t a rap song due to the politics. Of course it’s still rap.
Look at it this way–the Op stated, “Or maybe it is just a rap song.” I countered that it’s ‘more then just a rap song’ [better then the most rap songs] because of it’s message–is what I meant.
I think the song progresses from the micro to the macro. BTW, here’s a link to the lyrics. Watch for pop-ups, I have all the scripts turned off.
First verse is all stuff he can actually do: ride a bike without handlebars, keep time without a metronome, take apart the remote and almost put it back together.
Second verse is occupations like scientist, businessman and then onto the media: I can do anything with no assistance because I can lead the nation with a microphone.
Third is the power and misuse of by the government:
(I hope that isn’t excessive)
It’s a powerful song and the whole album is very good, political hip-hop accompanied by strings. There’s one track about a woman’s growing awareness of civil rights injustices that always makes me cry.
The song really gets kind of dark and angry when that line hits, doesn’t it?
Thanks, Gangster Octopus, for posting this thread. I’d never heard that song before, and now I’m hooked on it. Great stuff.
ETA:
The best interpretation of the lyrics comes from the YouTube comments:
I interpret it as how children have limitless potential, but it’s up to society to channel that potential… potential for good and bad.