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.
(Steady repetition is a compulsion mutually re-enforced
Now what does that mean?
Is there a just contradiction?
Nothing much.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord, hesitate)
Got to punch right on target
Twisting tongues, gotta stripe down his back
All nine yards down her back
Give me a couple
Don\'t give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies and conversation fear
Got to punch right on target
Twisting tongues, gotta stripe down his back
All nine yards down her back
Give me a couple
Don\'t give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies and conversation
What is in my mind?
What is in my mind?
(Steady repetition is a compulsion mutually re-enforced.
Now what does that mean?
Is there a just contradiction?
Nothing much.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, oh come on, hesitate Hesitate)
Got to punch right on target
Twisting tongues, gotta stripe down her back
All nine yards down his back
Give me a couple
Don\'t give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies and conversation fear
Conversation fear, conversation fear
Conversation fear
Now what does that mean?
Is there a just contradiction?
Nothing much.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord, hesitate)
Got to punch right on target
Twisting tongues, gotta stripe down his back
All nine yards down her back
Give me a couple
Don\'t give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies and conversation fear
Got to punch right on target
Twisting tongues, gotta stripe down his back
All nine yards down her back
Give me a couple
Don\'t give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies and conversation
What is in my mind?
What is in my mind?
(Steady repetition is a compulsion mutually re-enforced.
Now what does that mean?
Is there a just contradiction?
Nothing much.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, oh come on, hesitate Hesitate)
Got to punch right on target
Twisting tongues, gotta stripe down her back
All nine yards down his back
Give me a couple
Don\'t give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies and conversation fear
Conversation fear, conversation fear
Conversation fear
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
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Michael Stipe would have fallen within the autistic spectrum if he had been diagnosed as a child, so if you want to understand the arc of their career, you see it as a long arc of Stipe trying to make sense of the world with the mind of a high-functioning autistic (high-functioning because he knew how to speak english, even though he was awful at it for a long time, not to mention he had terrible social skills)
androgybunny already put it succinctly: the song is about being awful in social situations, having so many potentially bright and brilliantly things to say and yet being totally tongue tied and unable to put it out there. Beautifully enough, though, through this song he did put it out there. Music is really good in this song as well: Sonic Youth totally borrowed from this palette.
@bernlin2000 <br /> disagree with your Sonic Youth idea- they were Branca/No Wave influenced <br /> <br /> One of REMs best, though