A lot of people have been talking about how this is from the Catching Fire soundtrack but I think that just because it is doesn't mean that it doesn't hold other meaning. Personally, I think this is a song about oppression of certain groups (probably about slavery and the groups that were affected by that but it could also be about other groups like that).
First of all, the title automatically suggests a group that can't change themselves and doesn't want to, and applying that to a racial standpoint, most POC are proud of themselves and would like to be themselves without persecution.
Then, the lines:
Up on the mountain,
Down in the king's lair,
Pushing these boxes in the heat of the afternoon.
Oh, afternoon.
suggest that this group is being forced to do something they don't want to do. And while LGBTQ+ groups certainly are, slavery is literally only being forced to do something that you don't want to do.
Also, the lines:
Save us,
What we are,
Don't look clear,
It's all uphill from here.
Ooh.
suggest that no matter what happens to this group, good or bad, it is still going to be a struggle for them. And this definitely applies to any group that's ever been persecuted, but any racial group is still experiencing racism to this day.
There are definitely lines that I can't relate to this, but then again, I suck at picking up metaphorical meanings and can't experience this firsthand (I'm white).
@TheEntireRaena Honestly, it all fits perfectly for me: a group of slaves, after enduring years of forced work and heavy corporal punishments, all while looking at the rich white family that owns them living their best life, comes in contact with a slave freeing group and decide to run away, they are ostracised by the rest of the slaves who don't believe they will succeed but, ultimately they manage to escape and so, they begin the long journey towards the North of the US
@TheEntireRaena Honestly, it all fits perfectly for me: a group of slaves, after enduring years of forced work and heavy corporal punishments, all while looking at the rich white family that owns them living their best life, comes in contact with a slave freeing group and decide to run away, they are ostracised by the rest of the slaves who don't believe they will succeed but, ultimately they manage to escape and so, they begin the long journey towards the North of the US
A lot of people have been talking about how this is from the Catching Fire soundtrack but I think that just because it is doesn't mean that it doesn't hold other meaning. Personally, I think this is a song about oppression of certain groups (probably about slavery and the groups that were affected by that but it could also be about other groups like that).
First of all, the title automatically suggests a group that can't change themselves and doesn't want to, and applying that to a racial standpoint, most POC are proud of themselves and would like to be themselves without persecution.
Then, the lines:
Up on the mountain, Down in the king's lair, Pushing these boxes in the heat of the afternoon. Oh, afternoon.
suggest that this group is being forced to do something they don't want to do. And while LGBTQ+ groups certainly are, slavery is literally only being forced to do something that you don't want to do.
Also, the lines:
Save us, What we are, Don't look clear, It's all uphill from here. Ooh.
suggest that no matter what happens to this group, good or bad, it is still going to be a struggle for them. And this definitely applies to any group that's ever been persecuted, but any racial group is still experiencing racism to this day.
There are definitely lines that I can't relate to this, but then again, I suck at picking up metaphorical meanings and can't experience this firsthand (I'm white).
@TheEntireRaena Honestly, it all fits perfectly for me: a group of slaves, after enduring years of forced work and heavy corporal punishments, all while looking at the rich white family that owns them living their best life, comes in contact with a slave freeing group and decide to run away, they are ostracised by the rest of the slaves who don't believe they will succeed but, ultimately they manage to escape and so, they begin the long journey towards the North of the US
@TheEntireRaena Honestly, it all fits perfectly for me: a group of slaves, after enduring years of forced work and heavy corporal punishments, all while looking at the rich white family that owns them living their best life, comes in contact with a slave freeing group and decide to run away, they are ostracised by the rest of the slaves who don't believe they will succeed but, ultimately they manage to escape and so, they begin the long journey towards the North of the US