So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Give it to mama
Give it, give it
Give it to mama, mama (oh)
Give it
Give it to mama, mama
For some strange reason (huh)
You done pleasin' me like it's okay (oh, oh, oh)
Like a perm that's been left too long, it starts to burn
The result is it just won't take (oh, oh, oh)
(I can see) now it's all coming so clear to me now
(I can see) misinterpreted all of my naiveness
Was just thinking if I had no you that I can't do
My stock just went up over two million
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (want to, want to) (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
Give it to mama
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, red light
(Ah) green light
Some see me, say I should be trophied
'Cause it gets no stronger (oh, oh, oh)
Ladies, y'all know (yeah, girl, y'all know)
This pimp-ish gets no older
Is that a threat? (what's another threat?)
Yep (that's another threat)
I'm immune, you can't get no cold, yeah
You got the green light (whoa)
You the king, right? (whoa)
You holdin' up traffic, green means go
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, red light, green light (I said you're holdin' up traffic, green means go)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh) (you got the green light baby)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh) (if you want to)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
(Give it to mama)
Ain't no problem, you can go
I will find somebody else
It's alright, I'll move along
You got the green light, so you can go
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go (red light, green light)
I gave all I could give, my love
My heart (my heart)
Now we're facing the end (the end) of what you did from the start
My love
(You're holdin' up traffic, green means go)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
(Give it to mama)
Ain't no problem, you can go
I will find somebody else
It's alright, I'll move along
You got the green light, so you can go
Go, go, go oh whoa oh (red light, green light)
Give it, give it
Give it to mama, mama (oh)
Give it
Give it to mama, mama
For some strange reason (huh)
You done pleasin' me like it's okay (oh, oh, oh)
Like a perm that's been left too long, it starts to burn
The result is it just won't take (oh, oh, oh)
(I can see) now it's all coming so clear to me now
(I can see) misinterpreted all of my naiveness
Was just thinking if I had no you that I can't do
My stock just went up over two million
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (want to, want to) (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
Give it to mama
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, red light
(Ah) green light
Some see me, say I should be trophied
'Cause it gets no stronger (oh, oh, oh)
Ladies, y'all know (yeah, girl, y'all know)
This pimp-ish gets no older
Is that a threat? (what's another threat?)
Yep (that's another threat)
I'm immune, you can't get no cold, yeah
You got the green light (whoa)
You the king, right? (whoa)
You holdin' up traffic, green means go
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, go, go oh oh oh
Go, go, red light, green light (I said you're holdin' up traffic, green means go)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh) (you got the green light baby)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh) (if you want to)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
(Give it to mama)
Ain't no problem, you can go
I will find somebody else
It's alright, I'll move along
You got the green light, so you can go
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go (red light, green light)
I gave all I could give, my love
My heart (my heart)
Now we're facing the end (the end) of what you did from the start
My love
(You're holdin' up traffic, green means go)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
So if you want to (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
You got the green light (uh, uh, huh, uh, uh)
(Give it to mama)
Ain't no problem, you can go
I will find somebody else
It's alright, I'll move along
You got the green light, so you can go
Go, go, go oh whoa oh (red light, green light)
Lyrics submitted by daylightwraith
Green Light Lyrics as written by Pharrell L. Williams Beyonce Knowles
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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She's saying that her man isn't pleasing her like he used to and is acting like he doesn't want to be with her anymore. Instead of "thinking if I had no you, then I can't do" she reasserts her self-confidence and figuratively throws the door open, like "Nigga, go if you want to! I'ma be fine!" (and we all know B talks like that, come on...)
also: "It's like a burn" should be "It's 'BOUT to burn" and "And you can't ride" should be "You that king, right?"