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.
Yet our best trained, best educated, best equipped
Best prepared troops refuse to fight
As a matter of fact, it's safe to say
That they would rather switch than fight
1989 the number, another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hitting your heart 'cause I know you got soul
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missing y'all
Swinging while I'm singing (hey)
Giving whatcha getting
Knowing what I know in
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhyme rollin'
Got to give us what we want (uh)
Gotta give us what we need (hey)
Our freedom of speech is freedom of death
We got to fight the powers that be
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm's designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the pride's arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make ya tough
From the heart
It's a start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothing's strange
People, people we are the same
No, we're not the same
'Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved let's get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
Bum-rush the show
You gotta go for what you know
To make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
We've got to fight the powers that be
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most but he
Elvis was a hero to most (yeah)
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant sh-- to me you see
Straight out racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motherf--- him and John Wayne
'Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready, I'm hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look, bet you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for four hundred years if you check
Don't worry, be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn, if I said "You can slap me right here"
(Get it) let's get this party started right
Right on, c'mon
What we got to say (yeah)
Power to the people, no delay
Make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
Fight the power (yes, yes, yes, yes y'all)
Fight the power (yes, yes, yes, yes y'all)
Fight the power (yes, yes, yes, yes y'all)
Fight the power (yes, yes)
We've got to fight the powers that be
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (yeah, yeah, yeah)
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (come on)
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (yeah, yeah, yeah)
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (come on)
Yo, check this out man
Ok, talk to me about the future of Public Enemy
The future of Public Enemy gotta
Best prepared troops refuse to fight
As a matter of fact, it's safe to say
That they would rather switch than fight
1989 the number, another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hitting your heart 'cause I know you got soul
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missing y'all
Swinging while I'm singing (hey)
Giving whatcha getting
Knowing what I know in
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhyme rollin'
Got to give us what we want (uh)
Gotta give us what we need (hey)
Our freedom of speech is freedom of death
We got to fight the powers that be
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm's designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the pride's arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make ya tough
From the heart
It's a start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothing's strange
People, people we are the same
No, we're not the same
'Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved let's get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
Bum-rush the show
You gotta go for what you know
To make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
We've got to fight the powers that be
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
(Lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
Fight the power (lemme hear you say)
Fight the power (lemme hear you)
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most but he
Elvis was a hero to most (yeah)
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant sh-- to me you see
Straight out racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motherf--- him and John Wayne
'Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready, I'm hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look, bet you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for four hundred years if you check
Don't worry, be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn, if I said "You can slap me right here"
(Get it) let's get this party started right
Right on, c'mon
What we got to say (yeah)
Power to the people, no delay
Make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
Fight the power (yes, yes, yes, yes y'all)
Fight the power (yes, yes, yes, yes y'all)
Fight the power (yes, yes, yes, yes y'all)
Fight the power (yes, yes)
We've got to fight the powers that be
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (yeah, yeah, yeah)
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (come on)
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (yeah, yeah, yeah)
What have we got to say? (Yeah)
Fight the power (come on)
Yo, check this out man
Ok, talk to me about the future of Public Enemy
The future of Public Enemy gotta
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Looks like you and Mr. Foxman got it wrong JimDurb.
"Swindlers Lust" contains lines such as "Mo dollars, mo cents for the Big Six/ Another million led to bled claiming their innocence." Chuck D has said the "Big Six" refers to the six major music corporations — Sony, Time Warner, EMI, BMG, Universal and PolyGram (now known as the Big Five after last year's merger of Universal and PolyGram) — and Atomic Pop Vice President Liz Morentin explained that the "million" lyric was a nod to the Million Man March of 1995.
Probably need to check your facts before you start to pontificate about specters and apparitions of divisiveness and bigotry. P.E. probably should have done this as well.