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.
Just wake up, I shouted
There's some blood, around her
Clean it up, it's okay
Go get help, it's okay
I'm too young and now it's,
It's gone numb around me
Ambulance in driveway
Speeding up the highway
Suits were made for men, not boys
And this faith that we fake is a choice
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna go
If it means goodbye
And I don't wanna see
I don't wanna be there
If it's the last time
Hold my brother's hand
And I'm his mother stand-in
then the sudden panic,
like a drugless addict
It's too late, the moment
When it runs you over
No one's safe, I need her
No one say it's over
Suits were made for men, not boys
So leave me alone
And this faith that we fake is a choice
So take me (home)
I don't wanna go
And I don't wanna go
If it means goodbye
And I don't wanna go
I don't wanna see her
If it's the last time
There's some blood, around her
Clean it up, it's okay
Go get help, it's okay
I'm too young and now it's,
It's gone numb around me
Ambulance in driveway
Speeding up the highway
Suits were made for men, not boys
And this faith that we fake is a choice
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna go
If it means goodbye
And I don't wanna see
I don't wanna be there
If it's the last time
Hold my brother's hand
And I'm his mother stand-in
then the sudden panic,
like a drugless addict
It's too late, the moment
When it runs you over
No one's safe, I need her
No one say it's over
Suits were made for men, not boys
So leave me alone
And this faith that we fake is a choice
So take me (home)
I don't wanna go
And I don't wanna go
If it means goodbye
And I don't wanna go
I don't wanna see her
If it's the last time
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I love this song. The first verse clearly paints a picture of someone (I'm thinking the mother) dying. The man sees blood, tries to get the woman to wake up. The ambulance comes and drives away.
"Suits were made for men not boys"
I think this means that he feels like he and his brother mentioned later in the song aren't old enough to go to a funeral, much less one for their own mother.
"And this faith that we fake is a choice"
I'm imagining that maybe the family wasn't very religious, but when the mother they had to go to the church and pray anyway.
I think the chorus us him refusing to go to the funeral. He doesn't want to see his mother if it's the last time he'll see her.
The second verse, he is obviously having a hard time dealing with her death, denying that her life is over. And telling people not to say it's over. I think it's interesting that he refers to himself as his brothers "stand in mother." To me, "stand in" makes it sound like he will only be his mother for a short period of time. Just untill his mother comes back.
This song is so chillingly beautiful