The Wrong Way

I think the message of this song is similar to the Mos Def album cover that has him wearing blackface. The narrator of the song wakes to find himself as not an individual, but as a black stereotype. The song lists quite a few of them, the acceptable roles for black entertainers in a white society. The narrator rejects these identities, and takes on a highly political one. However, the narrator doesn't take on a peaceful, Martin Luther King-esque political stance; he's not here to:

[Teach] folks the score About patience, understanding, agape babe And sweet sweet amour

Instead, he calls for a more radical stance, and tells the "desperate youths" and "bloodthirsty babes" that the energy they have could be a powerful weapon were they not destroying themselves by living within the confines of white stereotypes. He calls on them, therefore, to turn their guns the other way. The final message reminds me of a line from radical African American poet, Amiri Baraka:

'We have awaited the coming of a natural phenomenon. Mystics and romantics, knowledgeable workers of the land. But none has come. (Repeat) but none has come. Will the machinegunners please step forward?"

I think Ego tripping and acid rain could not be more incorrect in their analysis. This song is also about White cultures misunderstanding of back culture, as well as the unwillingness to want to learn or accept the culture.

The narrator is not taking on the roles mentioned in the song. He is very clearly rejecting them with out trying them on. He does not need to try the roles because he finds them racist and disgusting upon first glance. The racism of lowered expectations is obvious and he will not conform.

this song fucking blows my mind.

I agree. I am amazed. I don't know why so few people have interesting in it.

Im guessing this song is a critisiscm of "black" culture, and there willingness to play the roles society has given them.

Im guessing this song is a critisiscm of "black" culture, and there willingness to play the roles society has given them.

it's trying to find an identity as a black person, i think. the narrator it taking these roles one by one, the 'magic nigger' of a movie, the soulful churchgoer, a 'loiterer' hungry for bling. it's more than just criticism because, although each role is rejected, the idea of moving from one to another illustrates a searching for what defines oneself. in the end, he comes up with something stronger and more independant than any of these cookiecutter roles. faced with a culture 'shooting doves from balconies' and 'shackling the lame,' he's gonna take liberty (the permission he's asking is of niña, a non-english word for 'girl.' the use of non-english indicates she is not white)

This has got to be my favorite song by this band.

blood diamond trade?? it's gotta be - served on severed bloody brown hands -- it's gotta be the blood diamonds

nina, taking her liberty... maybe a reference to mexican immigrants coming to America in search of better jobs and a better way of life and taking it by being here illegally.