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.
(Huh) my grandmomma was raised on a reservation
(Huh) my great-grandmama was from a plantation
They sang songs for inspiration
They sang songs for relaxation
They sang songs to take their minds up off that
Fucked up situation
I am, yes I am, the descendant (yes, yes)
Of those folks whose backs got broke
Who fell down inside the gun smoke
(Black people) chains on their ankles and feet
I am descendants of the builders of your street
(Black people) tenders to your cotton money
I am Hip Hop
(It's heavy metal for the black people)
I am Rock and Roll (Rock and Roll, rock 'n' roll)
Been here forever
They just ain't let you know (ha)
I said, Elvis Presley ain't got no soul (huh)
Chuck Berry is Rock and Roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain't come up with that style on they own (uh-uh)
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul (hell nah)
Little Richard is Rock and Roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain't come up with that shit on they own (nah-ah)
Guess that's just the way shit goes
You steal my clothes and try to say they yours (yes, they do)
'Cause it's a show filled with pimps and hoes
Trying to take everything that you made or control (there they go)
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Bo Diddley is Rock and Roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain't the first place the credit belongs
Say whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (Jimi Hendrix say)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (Albert King and)
Oh-we-oh (and Motown)
I ain't trying to diss
But I don't be trying to fuck with Limp Bizkit
(The fuck is on your mind?)
When I get down in my zone
I be rockin' bad brains and fishbone
I ain't tryin to slow your groove
But that ain't the way I'm trying to move
I don't turn on Korn to get it on
I be playing Jimi Hendrix 'til the dawn
That's my word is bond
Sitting up on my front lawn
Got the volume turned to ten
Playing Albert King the best again (black)
When the morning in the cooker
Got to turn on some John Lee Hooker
When I want some Rock and Roll
Go to Otis Redding to get some soul (black)
Say, James Brown got plenty of soul
James Brown like to rock and roll
He can do all the shit fo' sho'
That Elvis Presley could never know (black people)
Said, Kenny G ain't got no soul
John Coltrane is Rock and Roll (uh-huh)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they could never ever rock like Nina Simone
Say whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-wee-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Who am I? Huh
Get your punk ass up
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Jimi Hendrix is Rock and Roll
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But everything they did they stole
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Bo Diddley is Rock and Roll
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But we send their punk ass home, said
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll, Rock and Roll)
Who am I?
Say, Rock and Roll
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Get your punk ass up
Company, move
For Harlem, Fort Greene, Compton
East St. Louis, Detroit (brrap, brrap)
Chicago (brrap, brrap), Bed-stuy (brrap, brrap)
Flatbush (brrap, brrap), Brownsville (brrap, brrap)
East New York (brrap, brrap), Newark, New Jersey (brrap, brrap)
Illadelphia, Cincinatti, Atlanta the dirty south
Oaktown, get your punk ass up
9Rock and Roll for the black people0
Hi, ma
Well, that was just wonderful
(Huh) my great-grandmama was from a plantation
They sang songs for inspiration
They sang songs for relaxation
They sang songs to take their minds up off that
Fucked up situation
I am, yes I am, the descendant (yes, yes)
Of those folks whose backs got broke
Who fell down inside the gun smoke
(Black people) chains on their ankles and feet
I am descendants of the builders of your street
(Black people) tenders to your cotton money
I am Hip Hop
(It's heavy metal for the black people)
I am Rock and Roll (Rock and Roll, rock 'n' roll)
Been here forever
They just ain't let you know (ha)
I said, Elvis Presley ain't got no soul (huh)
Chuck Berry is Rock and Roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain't come up with that style on they own (uh-uh)
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul (hell nah)
Little Richard is Rock and Roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain't come up with that shit on they own (nah-ah)
Guess that's just the way shit goes
You steal my clothes and try to say they yours (yes, they do)
'Cause it's a show filled with pimps and hoes
Trying to take everything that you made or control (there they go)
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Bo Diddley is Rock and Roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain't the first place the credit belongs
Say whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (Jimi Hendrix say)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (Albert King and)
Oh-we-oh (and Motown)
I ain't trying to diss
But I don't be trying to fuck with Limp Bizkit
(The fuck is on your mind?)
When I get down in my zone
I be rockin' bad brains and fishbone
I ain't tryin to slow your groove
But that ain't the way I'm trying to move
I don't turn on Korn to get it on
I be playing Jimi Hendrix 'til the dawn
That's my word is bond
Sitting up on my front lawn
Got the volume turned to ten
Playing Albert King the best again (black)
When the morning in the cooker
Got to turn on some John Lee Hooker
When I want some Rock and Roll
Go to Otis Redding to get some soul (black)
Say, James Brown got plenty of soul
James Brown like to rock and roll
He can do all the shit fo' sho'
That Elvis Presley could never know (black people)
Said, Kenny G ain't got no soul
John Coltrane is Rock and Roll (uh-huh)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they could never ever rock like Nina Simone
Say whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-wee-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh (don't take it)
Oh-we-oh (black music)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Who am I? Huh
Get your punk ass up
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Jimi Hendrix is Rock and Roll
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But everything they did they stole
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Bo Diddley is Rock and Roll
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But we send their punk ass home, said
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll, Rock and Roll)
Who am I?
Say, Rock and Roll
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Who am I? (Rock and Roll)
Get your punk ass up
Company, move
For Harlem, Fort Greene, Compton
East St. Louis, Detroit (brrap, brrap)
Chicago (brrap, brrap), Bed-stuy (brrap, brrap)
Flatbush (brrap, brrap), Brownsville (brrap, brrap)
East New York (brrap, brrap), Newark, New Jersey (brrap, brrap)
Illadelphia, Cincinatti, Atlanta the dirty south
Oaktown, get your punk ass up
9Rock and Roll for the black people0
Hi, ma
Well, that was just wonderful
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It's not anti-white. He's saying it because a lot of people ignore the Black roots of rock n' roll, and revere the white roots (Oh, and Elvis sucked. Great voice, horrible music.) Now, I like the Stones, I do, but I like Nina Simone, and Bo Diddley, and John Coltrane (though he was a jazz musician, not a rock and roller, per se) the two can co-exist, he's saying that the musical genre itself was stolen, basically plagiarized, because people don't recognize the Black roots of rock and roll as much as the White roots. Ice-T said the same stuff when he started with Body Count and people were dissing him, calling him a sellout.
I think this is the direction he was going in on my second listening to the song. i definitely think that people deny the fact that Angus Young got the duck walk from Chuck Berry and give all the credit solely to Angus Young. my father has become quite racist as of late and denies the black roots of rock and roll any credit in the classic rock movement. I think Mos Def just wanted that sort of mentality to be brought to the forefront and this "plagiarism," as gofuckyourself so eloquently stated, to an end.<br /> <br /> And upon my third listen I think Mos Def didn't execute this very well saying he won't listen to Elvis or Korn, possibly in an attempt to invalidate their contributions to the genre. <br /> <br /> I think Mos Def ends up losing out in the end, for denying white rock, and we all win for accepting all these contributions and cherishing them for what they are, Beautiful moments in musical history.