This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
What do you know?
What do you know?
The birds and the bees they are wise to the lies (what do you know?)
So they took to the trees and took to the skies (what do you know?)
On top of the chain and safe from the rain (what do you know?)
Whatcha' know about the ways of the underside? (What do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and hip to the lies (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Whatcha' know about the ways on the underside? (what do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Droppin' bombs from above cut ya all down to size (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and they're hip to the lies (what do you know?)
Yeah, the streets rose in two perfect waves in the night (what do you know?)
Crashes on my left and one on my right (what do you know?)
It's all fire and brimstone baby, so let's go outside (what do you know?)
It's all fire and brimstone baby, I got my brand new pistol baby (what do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Droppin' bombs from above cut ya all down to size (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and they're hip to the lies
And they're hip to the lies
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Right in front of your eyes, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Whatcha' know about the ways on the underside? (What do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Droppin' bombs from above cut you all down to size
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and they're hip to the lies
And they're hip to the lies
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Right in front of your eyes, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
What do you know?
What do you know?
What do you know?
What do you know?
What do you know?
The birds and the bees they are wise to the lies (what do you know?)
So they took to the trees and took to the skies (what do you know?)
On top of the chain and safe from the rain (what do you know?)
Whatcha' know about the ways of the underside? (What do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and hip to the lies (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Whatcha' know about the ways on the underside? (what do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Droppin' bombs from above cut ya all down to size (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and they're hip to the lies (what do you know?)
Yeah, the streets rose in two perfect waves in the night (what do you know?)
Crashes on my left and one on my right (what do you know?)
It's all fire and brimstone baby, so let's go outside (what do you know?)
It's all fire and brimstone baby, I got my brand new pistol baby (what do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Droppin' bombs from above cut ya all down to size (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and they're hip to the lies
And they're hip to the lies
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Right in front of your eyes, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Whatcha' know about the ways on the underside? (What do you know?)
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up (what do you know?)
Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny (what do you know?)
Droppin' bombs from above cut you all down to size
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up (what do you know?)
'Cause they're hip to the bull and they're hip to the lies
And they're hip to the lies
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Right in front of your eyes, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
Now answer the lies, it's time to get up
Our turn to decide who lives and who dies
What do you know?
What do you know?
What do you know?
What do you know?
Lyrics submitted by Universal Ash, edited by Sean19a7x, Rokken, myenemyisnear
The Mission [(M Is for Milla Mix)] Lyrics as written by Daniel Patrick Lohner Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I hear "The birds and the bees GOT wise to the lies". I could be wrong.
And could he be possibly saying " WHADDYA know about the ways on the underside"? To me it seems to make more sense since he keeps asking "What do you know?".
I love the way Maynard sings "Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea". Overall this is an excellent song. Have no idea what it could be about though.
RE:"Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea". <br /> <br /> Maynard lived in Boston for a while. The "North End" is a Boston neighborhood...where alot of (a big majority possibly) Italians reside. In high school I and my homies would make a late June journey to buy illegal fireworks from a guy that knew a guy. Fireworks aren't the only thing you can buy on the street there, gats, most deff. <br /> <br /> So a guy buyin an illegal handgun on the street may help put the song in context.
I hear 'Ante up with your ass' rather than 'ended up with your ass'.. anyone else with me?
Yea I hear that and it makes more sense.<br /> <br /> I also hear "Our turn to decide, who lives and who dies" instead of "All turning aside"
I also hear 'our turn to decide' rather than 'all turning aside' and it works in terms of making sense of the lyrics.<br />
Ya, thanks a lot for the revisions. You get so used to hearing it one way you can't hear anything else.
I actually hear "ante up with your eyes"
I always heard 'ante up with your eyes' but the more I listen to it I think it is 'ante up with your ass'. I think I like 'ass' better in this context anyway.
Aight, so to me, It's just a simple protest song. There are people whose views are on the far left or the far right of the political spectrum that act like they are wise to the system of oppression and theft, and therefore above the chains that enslave us. They are the birds and the bees (although they are the extreme opposite, they need each other).. both extremes look down at the rest of the people who aren't that hip to it-call em sheep and what not. It doesn't matter though... because the way of the underside (the ruling elite) is to spread misinformation, propaganda, and lies- if they can't keep society in check with that- they drop bombs (aka use violence or state control) to bring every dissent (right or left) to their knees and cut them down to size. Since we don't have the wealth they do to control us- we have to ante up with our bodies and push back, it doesn't matter which ideology has it all figured out- either way- the bottom feeding leeches (the elite) are destroying human lives and the planet. From what ever perspective you look at it-- it's all fire and brimstone- so get up, go outside, and take to the streets with what YOU know - and protest this shit. It's our time to take back the power to decide...
Very well thought out interpretation in my opinion, Killacourt. I'd bet my ass this is close to what Maynard had in mind.<br /> <br /> Peace.
milla jovovich is such a badass. not only is she hot but she puts down some pretty gnarly vocals. what opened my mind as to what it could be were "On top of the chain and safe from the rain. Whatcha' know about the ways of the underside?" meaning the separation of classes. the silver spoon, and the spork.
I LOVE this song...sounds like it's referencing West African oppression to me.
I quite agree. By chance I looked at Damien Marley's song The Mission and the lyrics here seem to be a reply.
My take is that all the What do you know are basically refering to the underside: "Whatcha' know about the ways of the underside?"
The underside could be the secret elite's of our world who run our world. This relates the the lies, this group going to the 'skies' out of harms way to propagate there lies: "The birds and the bees they are wise to the lies So they took to the trees and took to the skies On top of the chain and safe from the rain Whatcha' know about the ways of the underside?"
Now we are waking up to the lies even though they are in the skies: "Our turn to decide, who lives and who dies Now answer the lies it�s time to get up"
This first verse automatically makes me think it's relating to the stock market and the current state of the economy. You can compare it with the all the bailouts and the head of companies like AIG who were "wise to the lies" (aka their financial stability) and "took to the trees" and the "skies" (aka money). They are "on top of the chain" (CEOs, Board of Directors, etc) safe from the rain (they're wealthy enough to survive if the company bankrupts). The last line is a bit tricky. It could either be a question to the government about what do they REALLY know about these companies and what's going on behind the scenes, or it could be a question for the corporation heads asking if they know what it's like to have to financially suffer like the stock holders/pension holders/average Joe who would shed blood to protect their investments.
Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea 'Cause they're hip to the bull and hip to the lies Ante up with your ass 'cause you ain't got a penny Whatcha' know about the ways on the underside?<<<<
The more I think about it I believe the lyrics are a combination of Bush/Iraq War and the economy/stock market. It seems like Maynard sings about the war and Millia takes over and sings about the economy and their meanings overlap as the song progresses since there is a connection between the two.<br /> <br />
I think the song is about an uprising. The "underside" is the repressed. The dominant group is more wealthy and holds more power. They are corrupt and have been lying about injustices done to "the underside" to maintain their status. Normally, the poor are repressed and resort to violence and many times have to give up everything to survive or in this case, fight back, thus "ante up with your ass cause you aint got a penny." The more powerful, wealthy, or higher-class group can be judgemental or ignorant, thus "whatcha know about the ways of the underside?" These people of the underside are "hip to the lies" and ready to fight back."The streets rose in two perfect waves of the night" I think is actually referring to the fight. They all showed up for the fight and the people filled the streets like waves. "It's all fire and brimstone baby, so let's go outside" is saying, let's join the riot and fight for our cause. Make these people who have wronged us face their sins and lies. Buying the gat is preparing for the fight because this person is not going to stand by and continue to be mistreated and repressed and then swept under the rug. This person is going to join the cause and fight. Now it's 'our' turn to decide who lives and who dies. The tides have changed and now we are taking the power we deserve, and we want you to answer to your lies. I think that is why the song is named "The Mission." These people have a mission of truth and equality. Awesome song.
The side that is less desirable, reputable, or noble than the obverse: "hunger, isolation, filth, the underside of [a] hellish regime" (National Review).<br /> <br /> The "repressed" are not the underside.
The start of the song clearly says " The birds and the bees got wise to the lies " yet every single person and website have it either " they all got wise to the lies " or " they are wise to the lies " sometimes you can find both mashed into each other such as " they are all wise to the lies ".
It's really quite irritating to see that about one or two people have a set of ears.
Awesome song.. Love you Maynard!!