In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Cyborg, android, d-boy, decoy
Water, wisdom, tightrope, vision (oh, these dreams are forever)
Insight, stronghold, heartless, ice cold (if you leave now or never)
Mystery, mastery (mastery), solar (solar), battery
Some will pull the gun because they want to be stars (stars)
Snatching up your life into the blink of an eye (eye)
And if you see your cloning on a street walking by (by)
Keep on running for your life 'cause only one will survive (survive)
(Oh, these dreams are forever)
War is in the streets and it's an eye for an eye (eye)
Run on for your life or you can dance, you can die (die)
(If you leave now or never)
She's praying in the sand like she's the last samurai ('rai)
It's a stick up, stick up and a pick up, pick up
Telling lies and telling lies will put your face on fire (fire)
Run and tell your friends to never dream, never win (win)
Ghettos keep on crying to the streets full of zombies (zombies)
Kids are killing kids and then the kids join the army (army)
Rising and a waking, yes, sir, here comes the sun (sun)
March into the war and with the kick of the drum (drum)
The wiser simians have got the bombs and the guns (guns)
So you might as well keep dancing if you're not gonna run
A long, long way to find the one (forever, forever)
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever
Oh, these dreams are forever
And if you wanna wake the sun (forever, forever)
Just keep on marching to the drums (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever
Oh, these dreams are forever (oh, these dreams are forever)
Now, now, now I'm not saying it's better to bailar ('lar)
You can pull the trigger or you build you an ark (ark)
My words are rather kind, you keep them held in contempt ('tempt)
Looking for a nine and then a droid you can tempt (tempt)
Zombie, zombie, zombie, where do dreams come from? (From)
A little bird keep chirping and she's singing a song (she's singing a song)
She's shaking 'em and waking 'em and giving 'em mas (mas)
As the clock tick tocks and the bodies drop (drop)
I'm gonna lay myself so far way down right in your chops (chops)
Modern day example of a wolf vs flock (flock)
Freedom necessary and it's by any means (means)
Frozen, they were stolen all the kings and the queens (queens)
Sudanese and Congolese who put the roll in the rock (rock)
From here to Sudan, Metropolis to Iraq ('Raq)
It's a minute to the dawn and yet the sun ain't back (back)
It's a war in all the stress and, yes, freaks will dance or die
A long, long way to find the one (forever, forever) (dance)
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever) (comes)
These dreams are forever (yeah)
Oh, these dreams are forever
And if you wanna wake the sun (forever, forever) (sun)
Just keep on marching to the drums (forever, forever) (drums)
These dreams are forever (drums)
Oh, these dreams are forever (oh, these dreams are forever)
Angel, blossom, gunshot, dodging
Dream, bright, beat, light
Breathe, live, help, give
Focus, trance, wake up, dance
I'm praying for the man sitting without much time (yup)
May he understand the clock will never rewind (yup)
Wisen him and sharpen him and give him a motto (motto)
Hate no more, said he must hate no more
You see the daylight comes into the kingdom, but the
Kingdom's full of ignorant men (men)
Just keep rebelling away, you gotta dream it away ('way)
Because the weatherman you seein' ain't creating the weather (weather)
This man wants to see a jubilation (yup)
And that man wants us in emancipation (yup)
And then there is the man who wants a stronger nation (yup)
But you see we really got to and I think that we ought to
Protect your mind from degradation ('tion)
Sow in the seeds of education ('tion)
They run from us, are we that dangerous?
There's a war in all the streets and, yes, the freaks must dance or die
(Ohh)
(Ohh)
A long, long way to find the one
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever (forever)
Oh, these dreams are forever (forever)
And if you wanna wake the sun (dancing)
Just keep on marching to the drums (keep on dancing)
These dreams are forever (keep on dancing)
Oh, these dreams are forever (ohh)
Water, wisdom, tightrope, vision (oh, these dreams are forever)
Insight, stronghold, heartless, ice cold (if you leave now or never)
Mystery, mastery (mastery), solar (solar), battery
Some will pull the gun because they want to be stars (stars)
Snatching up your life into the blink of an eye (eye)
And if you see your cloning on a street walking by (by)
Keep on running for your life 'cause only one will survive (survive)
(Oh, these dreams are forever)
War is in the streets and it's an eye for an eye (eye)
Run on for your life or you can dance, you can die (die)
(If you leave now or never)
She's praying in the sand like she's the last samurai ('rai)
It's a stick up, stick up and a pick up, pick up
Telling lies and telling lies will put your face on fire (fire)
Run and tell your friends to never dream, never win (win)
Ghettos keep on crying to the streets full of zombies (zombies)
Kids are killing kids and then the kids join the army (army)
Rising and a waking, yes, sir, here comes the sun (sun)
March into the war and with the kick of the drum (drum)
The wiser simians have got the bombs and the guns (guns)
So you might as well keep dancing if you're not gonna run
A long, long way to find the one (forever, forever)
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever
Oh, these dreams are forever
And if you wanna wake the sun (forever, forever)
Just keep on marching to the drums (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever
Oh, these dreams are forever (oh, these dreams are forever)
Now, now, now I'm not saying it's better to bailar ('lar)
You can pull the trigger or you build you an ark (ark)
My words are rather kind, you keep them held in contempt ('tempt)
Looking for a nine and then a droid you can tempt (tempt)
Zombie, zombie, zombie, where do dreams come from? (From)
A little bird keep chirping and she's singing a song (she's singing a song)
She's shaking 'em and waking 'em and giving 'em mas (mas)
As the clock tick tocks and the bodies drop (drop)
I'm gonna lay myself so far way down right in your chops (chops)
Modern day example of a wolf vs flock (flock)
Freedom necessary and it's by any means (means)
Frozen, they were stolen all the kings and the queens (queens)
Sudanese and Congolese who put the roll in the rock (rock)
From here to Sudan, Metropolis to Iraq ('Raq)
It's a minute to the dawn and yet the sun ain't back (back)
It's a war in all the stress and, yes, freaks will dance or die
A long, long way to find the one (forever, forever) (dance)
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever) (comes)
These dreams are forever (yeah)
Oh, these dreams are forever
And if you wanna wake the sun (forever, forever) (sun)
Just keep on marching to the drums (forever, forever) (drums)
These dreams are forever (drums)
Oh, these dreams are forever (oh, these dreams are forever)
Angel, blossom, gunshot, dodging
Dream, bright, beat, light
Breathe, live, help, give
Focus, trance, wake up, dance
I'm praying for the man sitting without much time (yup)
May he understand the clock will never rewind (yup)
Wisen him and sharpen him and give him a motto (motto)
Hate no more, said he must hate no more
You see the daylight comes into the kingdom, but the
Kingdom's full of ignorant men (men)
Just keep rebelling away, you gotta dream it away ('way)
Because the weatherman you seein' ain't creating the weather (weather)
This man wants to see a jubilation (yup)
And that man wants us in emancipation (yup)
And then there is the man who wants a stronger nation (yup)
But you see we really got to and I think that we ought to
Protect your mind from degradation ('tion)
Sow in the seeds of education ('tion)
They run from us, are we that dangerous?
There's a war in all the streets and, yes, the freaks must dance or die
(Ohh)
(Ohh)
A long, long way to find the one
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever (forever)
Oh, these dreams are forever (forever)
And if you wanna wake the sun (dancing)
Just keep on marching to the drums (keep on dancing)
These dreams are forever (keep on dancing)
Oh, these dreams are forever (ohh)
Lyrics submitted by dejavula, edited by smallwonderrobot
Dance or Die Lyrics as written by Janelle Monae Charles Joseph
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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