The American Rebel Playlist
I had a dream I can buy my way to heaven
When I awoke, I spent that on a necklace. I told God I'd be back in a second, Man it's so hard not to act reckless. To whom much is given much is tested. Get arrested, guess until, they get the message. I feel the pressure, under more scrutiny, and what I do? Act more stupidly. bought more jewelry, more Louis V, my momma couldn't get through to me. The drama, people suing me, I'm on T.V. talking like it's just you and me. I'm just saying how I feel man, I ain't one of the Cosby's I ain't go to Hill man I guess the money should've changed him, I guess I should've forgot where I came from. [Chorus:] La, la, la, la wait till I get my money right la, la, la, la then you cant tell me nothing right Excuse Me, is you saying something? Uh, uh, you can't tell me nothing (Ha ha) you can't tell me nothing Uh, uh, you can't tell me nothing Let up the suicide doors. This is my life homey, you decide yours. I know that Jesus died for us, But I couldn't tell you who decide wars. So I parallel double parked that motherf***r sideways Old folks talking about back in my day But homey this is my day. Class started 2 hours ago, oh am I late? You know I already graduated And you can live through anything if magic made it. |
They say I talk with so much emphasis,
Oh, they're so sensitive. Don't ever fix your lips like collagen Say something were you gone end up apologising. Let me know if it's a problem man, Alright man, holla then. [Chorus] Let the champagne splash, let that man get cash, Let that man get past. You don't need a stop to get gas, If he can move through the rumors, he can drive off the fumes cause How he move in a room full of no's? How he stay faithful in a room full of h**s? Must be the pharaohs, he in tune with his soul, So when he buried in a tomb full of gold. Treasure. What's you pleasure? Life is a, uh, depending how you dress her. So if the devil wear Prada, Adam Eve wear Nada, I'm in between, but way more fresher. With way less effort, 'cause when you try hard, That's when you die hard. Ya homies looking like "Why God?" When they reminisce over you, my god. [Chorus] |
Kanye West's song "Can't Tell Me Nothing" illustrates him as an American rebel. In this song, Kanye appears to be talking to society as he refuses to conform. He says "Excuse me is you saying something? Uh, uh, you can't tell me nothing". Kanye refuses to listen to society trying to tell him to fall into the trap of conformity. He continues to say "This is my life homey, you decide yours". After making this remark, he makes a series of comments about going against the law. Kanye West also extends Henry David Thoreau's claim in "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" that you should always break the law instead of supporting another injustice and that as citizens of this country it is not only our right, but our duty to rebel. Thoreau wrote, "if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law,” (Thoreau 4). Kanye West extends this by saying "Get arrested, guess until, they get the message. I feel the pressure, under more scrutiny, and what I do? Act more stupidly" (West). Kanye says he will continue to get arrested and will act stupider until society gets the message.
OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND THERE AIN'T NO WAY WE'LL LOSE IT THIS IS OUR LIFE, THIS IS OUR SONG WE'LL FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE JUST DON'T PICK OUR DESTINY 'CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW US, YOU DON'T BELONG OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE OH YOU'RE SO CONDESCENDING YOUR GALL IS NEVER ENDING WE DON'T WANT NOTHIN', NOT A THING FROM YOU YOUR LIFE IS TRITE AND JADED BORING AND CONFISCATED IF THAT'S YOUR BEST, YOUR BEST WON'T DO OH..................... OH..................... WE'RE RIGHT/YEAH WE'RE FREE/YEAH WE'LL FIGHT/YEAH YOU'LL SEE/YEAH OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE |
OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE NO WAY! OH..................... OH..................... WE'RE RIGHT/YEAH WE'RE FREE/YEAH WE'LL FIGHT/YEAH YOU'LL SEE/YEAH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT, NO! NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE JUST YOU TRY AND MAKE US WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT COME ON NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT YOU'RE ALL WORTHLESS AND WEAK WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE NOW DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT A PLEDGE PIN NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT OH YOU ON YOUR UNIFORM WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE |
Twisted Sister's song "We're Not Gonna Take It" illustrates the idea of the American rebel just as Kanye West's song does. Their song is about nonconformity that sparked major controversy over it's release in 1984. A Senate hearing was held to decide whether the song was too harmful to children or not. The song depicts the classic teenage rebelliousness and shows the refusal to conform to society by saying "Just you try and make us. We're not gonna take it, come on! No, we ain't gonna take it". Here, Twisted Sister says they are not gonna subject to society anymore or the commands of others. They also say "We've got the right to choose and there ain't no way we'll lose it. This is our life, this is our song. We'll fight the powers that be just don't pick our destiny 'cause you don't know us, you don't belong." Twisted Sister declares this in regard to their freedom saying they will not lose their right choose and society cannot choose their life for them.
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave them kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
[chorus at end by pupils from the Fourth Form Music Class Islington Green School, London]
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave us kids alone
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave them kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
[chorus at end by pupils from the Fourth Form Music Class Islington Green School, London]
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave us kids alone
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
Pink Floyd's song "Another Brick in the Wall" extends Thoreau's position on rebelling against authority figures. Pink Floyd reveals their frustrations with authority in this song. This whole album, "The Wall", is about how Pink builds a mental wall around himself and other people to protect himself from the harsh reality of life. The album focuses on his pain and loneliness and this song tells us about one aspect which caused him pain and that would be the education system and his teachers. He refuses to conform to this system and rebels against the system by saying "We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control . . . Teachers leave them kids alone". Pink Floyd says his experience is "just another brick in the wall" he has built around himself". Pink Floyd rebels against society by isolating himself from it and refusing to conform.