This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Yo, what should I say?
I don't really know what to say
Ruin your idol
I'm glued to the Bible and my rifle
Losing your title, instead of shootin'
You suin' for libel
Everybody hate me cause I stay
True to the facts the Ku Klux Klan hate me
More than Jews and blacks
Yeah, you over for certain
You can pray to whoever
Jehovah, Buddha, Allah, Jesus
Mother Mary the Virgin
Is it the violence that the TV taught us?
I grew up worshipping Charles Bronson
John Rambo and Chuck Norris
Pazienza the Pazmanian Damien
Rapping the pain he in crackin' ya cranium
I'm mackin' Mahogany at the Palladium
I'm Bruce Leroy, you Eddie Arkadian
I got the gat and the black and the Arabian
I'm waterboardin' like Dick Cheney
And ayo, back at the first day of my birth
The moment I was born I was
Condemned by the Catholic Church
Warsaw, battlin' the streets we inhabited
I'm sugar like Ray Robinson
You ain't even saccharine
Leavin' you staggerin', makin' an impact
New York, we created this rap
This a blatant attack
East Coast we takin' it back come on!
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
I'm lettin' these motherfuckers live
It was truly compassion
I brutally bash 'em
'cause I'm steadily losin' my passion
Tell Louie to stab 'em
Or to shoot 'em with two different Magnums
I'm usually packin'
Carry hawks like I'm Julian Jackson
I rob 'em for Gucci, I'm a thief
These are Lucifer's actions
I'm a provider, I'm a messiah
Jesus's assassin
I don't think it's anybody livin'
That truly could match 'em
I slaughter Buddha through the computer
Medusa's companion
A lotta rappers wanna beef with the lion
Ain't too many people that's as
Fucking lethal as I am
I feast 'em and fry 'em
Vinnie so at peace with the violence
I exercise absolute power
Peace to the tyrants
I'm old school like quarter waters
And eatin' in silence
You new school like faggot
Rappers competin' for prizes
I'ma send you to the afterlife
Speak to Osiris and when he ask you why you
There tell him the lethalest virus
Yeah! R-r-ratt!
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
Yeah, Pazienza!
The legendary RA the Rugged Man!
What up, cuzzo? Real rap, lyrical shit!
Philly to New York!
I don't really know what to say
Ruin your idol
I'm glued to the Bible and my rifle
Losing your title, instead of shootin'
You suin' for libel
Everybody hate me cause I stay
True to the facts the Ku Klux Klan hate me
More than Jews and blacks
Yeah, you over for certain
You can pray to whoever
Jehovah, Buddha, Allah, Jesus
Mother Mary the Virgin
Is it the violence that the TV taught us?
I grew up worshipping Charles Bronson
John Rambo and Chuck Norris
Pazienza the Pazmanian Damien
Rapping the pain he in crackin' ya cranium
I'm mackin' Mahogany at the Palladium
I'm Bruce Leroy, you Eddie Arkadian
I got the gat and the black and the Arabian
I'm waterboardin' like Dick Cheney
And ayo, back at the first day of my birth
The moment I was born I was
Condemned by the Catholic Church
Warsaw, battlin' the streets we inhabited
I'm sugar like Ray Robinson
You ain't even saccharine
Leavin' you staggerin', makin' an impact
New York, we created this rap
This a blatant attack
East Coast we takin' it back come on!
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
I'm lettin' these motherfuckers live
It was truly compassion
I brutally bash 'em
'cause I'm steadily losin' my passion
Tell Louie to stab 'em
Or to shoot 'em with two different Magnums
I'm usually packin'
Carry hawks like I'm Julian Jackson
I rob 'em for Gucci, I'm a thief
These are Lucifer's actions
I'm a provider, I'm a messiah
Jesus's assassin
I don't think it's anybody livin'
That truly could match 'em
I slaughter Buddha through the computer
Medusa's companion
A lotta rappers wanna beef with the lion
Ain't too many people that's as
Fucking lethal as I am
I feast 'em and fry 'em
Vinnie so at peace with the violence
I exercise absolute power
Peace to the tyrants
I'm old school like quarter waters
And eatin' in silence
You new school like faggot
Rappers competin' for prizes
I'ma send you to the afterlife
Speak to Osiris and when he ask you why you
There tell him the lethalest virus
Yeah! R-r-ratt!
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
Life is love, death, pain, pain
Nothin' ain't left, ain't nothin' to gain
Yeah, Pazienza!
The legendary RA the Rugged Man!
What up, cuzzo? Real rap, lyrical shit!
Philly to New York!
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.