I am the stone that builder refused
I am the visual
The inspiration
That made lady sing the blues
I'm the spark that makes your idea bright
The same spark
that lights the dark
So that you can know your left from your right
I am the ballot in your box
The bullet in the gun
The inner glow that lets you know
To call your brother son
The story that just begun
The promise of what's to come
And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won
I am the visual
The inspiration
That made lady sing the blues
I'm the spark that makes your idea bright
The same spark
that lights the dark
So that you can know your left from your right
I am the ballot in your box
The bullet in the gun
The inner glow that lets you know
To call your brother son
The story that just begun
The promise of what's to come
And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won
Lyrics submitted by ethanjhayward, edited by Zakariya
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I am the stone that builder refused
- As a few have said, its from the bible. The stone the builder refused would be the African race in reference to the unfair treatment of blacks throughout history.
but they will be made the cornerstone. Hip Hop, sports, entertainment.. see how that works?
I am the visual
- Through what you see, I represent all that was.
The inspiration
That made lady sing the blues
- Billy Holiday, one of the triumphs.. yet one of the tragedies.
I'm the spark that makes your idea bright
- The innovation, music, sports, entertainment..again. the progression, the advancement
The same spark
that lights the dark
So that you can know your left from your right
- to know your left from your right is to have sense, common sense. Evolved into enlightenment. Lighting the dark.
I am the ballot in your box
The bullet in your gun
- Malcom X. The point is to make a choice. Both actions bring upon change.
The inner glow that lets you know
To call your brother son
- The inner glow is the bond between all African Americans, due to the shared struggle. Son is a common slang term used in urban communities. Its a term of endearment of sorts but also fits into the innovation. It catches on.
The story that just begun
- Exactly what it means. People's grandparent's grandparents were slaves. This story has JUST begun.
The promise of what's to come
- The new generation. The boys represented in The Boondocks.
And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won
- This fight isn't over, there is still a lot of f'd up SH!t going on still. I won't forget. I will see this through.
Just my thoughts.
At any rate, when you take the song into context it does have a more central meaning, but it does hold meaning outside of the show, and a good lot.
The first section"I am the stone...builder refused" is symbolic to being a castaway by society because you don't fit the mold. Next comes "I am the visual...sing the blues." The first two lines are obvious, visual...inspiration? He's the physical of what the blues are. The Lady refers to Billie Holiday who was known as "Lady Day" and had a movie made called "Lady Sings the Blues" which was named after her autobiography.
"I'm the spark that makes your idea bright...same spark...left for your right" refers to the ignition of change and that once the "revolution" occurs that those who follow will know what to do.
I'm the ballot in your box...your gun" simple here, Malcolm X's speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet"
"The inner glow...call your brother 'son'" Brother here can be applied not as a sibling but as a spiritual brother, a brother working towards the same end. To call him son would mean to assume leadership. The inner glow is a call to leadership.
"The story that's...of what's to come" This is to the changes that people like Malcolm X, MLK, Gandhi, and all other revolutionaries have started, they never truly got to see them finished, they were only the first chapter, the promise of what's to come.
Last line is fairly straightforward. Keep in mind this is what I get from the song, and I do believe it is fairly accurate interpretation but as with most songs, words can be applied to different things.
Mark 12:10
The inner glow that lets you know
To call your brother "Son"
This either intentionally refers to Christ or the artist is using Christian language to call himself some sort of messiah.
does that ending have a meaning?
it is the height of what a rap can aspire to. clever, poignant, powerful, deeply meaningful, and accessible.
btw, if you havent watched the boondocks, an teletoon(canada) or on cartoon network/adultswim(USA) then ur missing out
This little rap's meaning is pretty obvious and straightforward. It's pretty clear from the beginning that it's a representation of one of the show's main characters, Huey Freeman. He's a radical, left-wing 12 year old black boy who has devoted his life (which is part of the joke--he's only 12, albeit a really smart, perceptive one) towards black rights and justice. Huey does his best in almost every episode to make the other characters quit being stupid, and usually fails, not out of incompetence, but because the other characters are embodiments of society's stereotypes. Anyway, the theme song's actual lyrics don't have much depth, they just represent Huey and his struggle.