Mankind
The public enemy's not the man who speaks his mind
The public enemy's the man that goes and acts blind
Searching for an answer that he'll never find
An action from reaction and you can't make a retraction
Once you've put your head out
And then you're blue in the face
As you try to state your case

You can think with your dick but it can't shout
Yo, I try to understand what the hell is going on
I can't imagine how things ever got so far gone
You separatists, say you want your own state
I'll give them a state, a state of unconsciousness
Retribution, no solution, constitution
Discrimination, through the nation, raining hatred

I yell, when there's schism you must rebel
I yell, so you'll hear
I yell, I refuse to live, in, your hell
I am what you fear
I'm the truth, I don't keep it in the family
Live your life, take someone else

Keep it in the family
The real world's outside your door
You can't keep it in the family
You've got the longest way to fall

Keep it in the family
Don't even try to tell me what you think is right
When to you blacks are niggers and jews are kikes
And you expect to be taken seriously
But your actions, they're more than curiously
Juvenile, you emulate what you hate
And you don't even know why you feel this way
'Cause daddy hated this and mommy hated that
And your own ability to reason's like a tire gone flat
Yo, I try to understand what the hell is going on
I can't imagine how things ever got so far gone
You separatists, say you want your own state
I'll give them a state, a state of unconsciousness
Retribution, no solution, constitution
Discrimination, through the nation, raining hatred

Keep it in the family
The real world's outside your door
You can't keep it in the family
You've got the longest way to fall

When you keep it in the, when you keep it in the
When you keep it in the family

Acting out of pure cold hatred
'Cause of what another's race is
Color of another's face is
Different, and your own frustrations
Taking on a violent nature
Full of hate, so full of hate
You'd kill a man is that your fate
Your street becomes a police state
Why the hell do you hate?
Hate, hate!
I'm not gonna stand for it
Someone's gonna pay for it
I yell, we rebel
We're the truth and we won't keep it in the family
Live your life, take someone else

Keep it in the family
I'm the thing that you most fear
I don't keep it in the family
I am the truth you won't hear

Keep it in the family
You can't keep it in the family
You've got the longest way to fall
Keep it in the family


Lyrics submitted by spliphstar

Keep It in the Family Lyrics as written by Daniel Alan Spitz Charlie L. Benante

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Keep It In The Family song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

7 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    Agh, who the hell can't turn off their caplock?

    Anyway, the song is about Racial Prejudice. Simple eh?

    Prodigalon March 07, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    yeah, this song is about how racist people teach their kids to be racist.

    garrett (THE ZEBRA)on April 29, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think it's about someone who is racist, albeit against blacks, Jews, Spanish, etc, but is wrapped in their culture. For example: someone against blacks who listens to rap and dresses the part.

    YOU EMULATE WHAT YOU HATE AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY YOU FEEL THIS WAY 'CAUSE DADDY HATED THIS, AND MOMMY HATED THAT AND YOUR OWN ABILITY TO REASON'S LIKE A TIRE GONE FLAT

    seriphim fallon July 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    nice song but they guy who printed it down seems to be racistic against small letters ;)

    ENion October 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    stomphead i hope you wrote this solely to annoy. belladonna incorporates something called emotion into his voice - this is what bush appears to be lacking

    james.insalacoon April 17, 2007   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    Perfect song for today with orchestrated hate like "black lives matter" when most know that all lives matter.

    i8u&u812on August 22, 2016   Link
  • -2
    General Comment

    Anyone here heard John Bush's version of this song? Mindblowingly better than Joey Belladonna's; but then again Belladonna couldn't carry Bush's jockstrap let alone match up vocally. Care to comment???

    Stompheadon February 13, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
The song 'Fortnight' by Taylor Swift and Post Malone tells a story about strong feelings, complicated relationships, and secret wishes. It talks about love, betrayal, and wanting someone who doesn't feel the same. The word 'fortnight' shows short-lived happiness and guilty pleasures, leading to sadness. It shows how messy relationships can be and the results of hiding emotions. “I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me,” she kickstarts the song in the first verse with lines suggesting an admission to a hospital for people with mental illnesses. She goes in the verse admitting her lover is the reason why she is like this. In the chorus, she sings about their time in love and reflects on how he has now settled with someone else. “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life,” on the second verse she details her struggles to forget about him and the negative effects of her failure. “Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up / ‘Nother fortnight lost in America,” Post Malone sings in the outro.
Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
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.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.