This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
See I was resting at the park minding my own
Business as I kick up the treble tone
On my radio tape player box, right
Just loud enough so folks could hear it's hype, see?
Outta nowhere comes the woman I'm dating
Investigation maybe she was demonstrating
But nevertheless I was pleased
My day was going great and my soul was at ease
Until a group of brothers started bugging out
Drinking the 40 oz, going the nigga route
Disrespecting my black queen
Holding their crotches and being obscene
At first I ignored them cause see I know their type
They got drunk and got guns and they wanna fight
And they see a young couple having a time that's good
And their egos wanna test a brother's manhood
So they came to test Speech cause of my hair-do
And the loud bright colors that I wear
I was a target cause I'm a fashion misfit
And the outfit that I'm wearing brothers dissing it
Well I stay calm and pray the niggas leave me be
But they're squeezing parts of my date's anatomy
Why, Lord, do brothers have to drill me?
Cause if I start to hit this man he'll have to kill me
I am everyday people
I told the niggas please let us pass, friend
I said please cause I don't like killing Africans
But he wouldn't stop and I ain't Ice Cube
But I had to take the brother out for being rude
And like I said before I was mad by then
It took three or four cops to pull me off of him
But that's the story y'all of a black man
Acting like a nigga and get stomped by an African
I am everyday people
Business as I kick up the treble tone
On my radio tape player box, right
Just loud enough so folks could hear it's hype, see?
Outta nowhere comes the woman I'm dating
Investigation maybe she was demonstrating
But nevertheless I was pleased
My day was going great and my soul was at ease
Until a group of brothers started bugging out
Drinking the 40 oz, going the nigga route
Disrespecting my black queen
Holding their crotches and being obscene
At first I ignored them cause see I know their type
They got drunk and got guns and they wanna fight
And they see a young couple having a time that's good
And their egos wanna test a brother's manhood
So they came to test Speech cause of my hair-do
And the loud bright colors that I wear
I was a target cause I'm a fashion misfit
And the outfit that I'm wearing brothers dissing it
Well I stay calm and pray the niggas leave me be
But they're squeezing parts of my date's anatomy
Why, Lord, do brothers have to drill me?
Cause if I start to hit this man he'll have to kill me
I am everyday people
I told the niggas please let us pass, friend
I said please cause I don't like killing Africans
But he wouldn't stop and I ain't Ice Cube
But I had to take the brother out for being rude
And like I said before I was mad by then
It took three or four cops to pull me off of him
But that's the story y'all of a black man
Acting like a nigga and get stomped by an African
I am everyday people
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
People Everyday Lyrics as written by Todd Thomas
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Hayalperest
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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
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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.
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.