You in your fancy
Material world
Don't see the links of chain
Binding blood

Our own ancestors
Are hungry ghosts
Closets so full of bones
They won't close

Call it upward mobility
But you've been sold down the river
Just another form of slavery
And the whole man-made white world
Is your master

You in your fancy
Material world
Create in your own image
A supreme god

Your virgin Mary
Your holy ghosts
Claimed to be pure of heart
Have hands that are stained with blood

You in your fancy
Material world
Don't see the links of chain
Binding



Lyrics submitted by Nelly

Material World Lyrics as written by Tracy L Chapman

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Material World song meanings
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3 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    For Passover Jesus ate lamb/goat. If meat is good enough for Jesus, it's surely good enough for me:) As for what the dental profession (Yes, the dental profession) calls the "canine teeth," they are part of evolution. We graduated from eating nuts; berries; leaves etc to meat. Just loved your fruit comment. Yes, it's mighty difficult to rip into a peeled banana or a peach without having pointy teeth;) Not sure about the Barbie reference, but most individuals stop playing with them before they reach adolescence. As for the song, I love the artist but the song is sacreligious and frankly quite stupid. The Virgin Mary is pure. The mother of God is not responsible for how flawed humans choose to live. We have to take full responsiblity for our personal choices. God gave us free will and we often screw it up royally. Quite frankly, your final analysis that this song points to God being a vegan/vegetarian is just plain...well, bananas:)

    interpretationdechansonon June 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song speaks of how we've come to believe in "The American Dream" of materialism. In doing so we often don't see that we've fallen into a (white) man made trap of being a slave to our jobs, corporations and to the idea of "needing" more money

    chungjikon May 05, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not sure what she means when she says:

    Your virgin Mary Your Holy Ghosts Claimed to be pure of heart Have hands stained with blood

    Alot of things point towards Jesus/ Virgin Mary, being vegetarians, or vegans.

    starfaeryon April 02, 2012   Link

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