Childish Gambino released this music video in 2018 without any warning of release, while he was a host on "Saturday Night Live". There was no prier advertising or promotion before the release of the song. Childish Gambino and the director of the music video, Hiro Murai, didn't explain a lot about the meaning behind the song lyrics or elements in the video. They wanted people to keep talking about it for a long period of times, they wanted people to take what they personally felt from the song/video while they were watching it, even though some elements are obvious in their meaning. This music video was in planning for a long time and a lot of thought went into it. Some references are obvious, some are free for individual interpretation. This song will still be relevant for a number of decades, sadly.
Genre of song:
-Afro-beats
-Caribbean style of music
-rap
LYRICS:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Party just for you
We just want the money
Money just for you
I know you wanna party (yeah)
Party just for free
Girl, you got me dancin' (girl, you got me dancin')
Dance and shake the frame
We just wanna party (yeah)
Party just for you (yeah)
We just want the money (yeah)
Money just for you (ooh)
I know you wanna party (yeah)
Party just for free (yeah)
Girl, you got me dancin' (girl, you got me dancin')
Dance and shake the frame (ooh)
Don't catch you slippin' now
Don't catch you slippin' now
Look what I'm whippin' now
This is America (woo)
Don't catch you slippin' now
Don't catch you slippin' now
Look what I'm whippin' now
Don't catch you slippin' now (ayy)
Look at how I'm livin' now
Police be trippin' now (woo)
Yeah, this is America (woo, ayy)
Guns in my area (word, my area)
I got the strap (ayy, ayy)
I gotta carry 'em
Yeah, yeah, I'ma go into this (ugh)
Yeah, yeah, this is guerilla, woo
Yeah, yeah, I'ma go get the bag
Yeah, yeah, or I'ma get the pad
Yeah, yeah, I'm so cold like yeah (yeah)
I'm so dope like yeah (woo)
We gon' blow like yeah (straight up, uh)
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me
Get your money, black man (get your money)
Get your money, black man (get your money)
Get your money, black man (get your, black man)
Get your money, black man (get your, black man)
Black man
Don't catch you slippin' now (woo, woo, don't catch you slippin', now)
Don't catch you slippin' now (ayy, woah)
Look what I'm whippin' now (Slime!)
This is America (yeah, yeah)
Don't catch you slippin' now (woah, ayy)
Don't catch you slippin' now (ayy, woo)
Look what I'm whippin' now (ayy)
I'm so fitted (I'm so fitted, woo)
I'm on Gucci (I'm on Gucci)
I'm so pretty (yeah, yeah)
I'm gon' get it (ayy, I'm gon' get it)
Watch me move (blaow)
This a celly (ha)
That's a tool (yeah)
On my Kodak (woo, Black)
Ooh, know that (yeah, know that, hold on)
Get it (get it, get it)
Ooh, work it (21)
Hunnid bands, hunnid bands, hunnid bands (hunnid bands)
Contraband, contraband, contraband (contraband)
I got the plug on Oaxaca (woah)
They gonna find you like blocka (blaow)
(America, I just checked my following list and)
You go tell somebody
(You mothafuckas owe me)
Grandma told me
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Black man (one, two, three, get down)
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me, "Get your money, " black man
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Black man
You just a barcode, ayy
You just a black man in this world
Drivin' expensive foreigns, ayy
You just a big dawg, yeah
I kenneled him in the backyard
No proper life to a dog
For a big dog
The video was filmed in an empty ware house/factory. This might symbolise the decline of the American industry, which affected especially the American working class.
At the beginning we hear an upbeat cheerful, soothing melody, which originated from the Caribbean. A guitarist appears happy and cheerful while playing the guitar. But after, he has a bag over his head, the guitar taken from him (stripped off his passion) and shot by Childish Gambino in the head from the back, this is when the music changes from Caribbean afrobeats into strong, powerful rap music. The guitarist is brought back during the video, even though he was shot in the head at the beginning I don't personally understand the meaning of that moment or for what reason he was brought back into the video. This guitarist shows a big contrast in his portrayal, at first he's happy enjoying the music of his origin as he plays the guitar. After he is shown strapped to a chair, with a sack over his head, with no shoes on and without his guitar. This could mean that he was perhaps stripped of his passion and of made him happy. America suppresses the culture of black African-American citizens, and how American society/government position the black community in America.
Children in uniforms - (African school children) - they were all dancing main stream/viral trend dances, that have been used as cultural appropriation over the years. Some of these dance moves trace directly back to Africa, they got to America through aid workers learning how to do a specific cultural dance. with children, local people. The black community doesn't get recognised as creators of these moves in the world. We could say that they were almost as stolen from them and their culture.
The Chorus is a representation of
Jim Crow's character is a big representation in this video, he is a symbol of 'Slavery after slavery ended.'
The Jim Crow persona is a theater character by Thomas D. Rice and a racist depiction of African-Americans and their culture. The character was based on a folk trickster named Jim Crow that had long been popular among black slaves. Childish Gambino's movement in the video is very obviously inspired by this character: movement, walk, facial expressions, and he winks in an unusual way. The movement can also represent 'Cake walk'. Cake walk was a type of dance that was happening during slavery, the slaves were forced to compete in special dance competitions by their owners/masters.
A lot of the camera shots are wide and long, they put the main focus on Childish Gambino, and around him all the references are very visible. The camera moves forward and backwards in a the shots, the movement is smooth and long/ mid angle.
Other references:
-contraband, money, guns, drugs
-gun references, semi automatic weaponry in households
-police references
-"You are the statistic of the problem or you become the problem."
-Masculinity that is required in certain neighbourhoods to fit in. Not necessarily want to be.
-Childish Gambino criticises white Americans and black Americans (specifically young males)
-Social Media moment: this is Gucci, I'm so pretty... stop taking selfies, look around at what is happening.
-Social Media is a mass distraction.
-'Celly'... phone reference... 'tool of good, but are we using it for good?'
-mentioning other artists: referencing people who contributed to the track, cross referencing
-death of American car industry-this gave a lot of jobs to the black community in America
-barcode- numbering in the prison.
-Confederate trousers- army uniform KKK during the civil war
-young children: exposed to violence from a young age, it becomes a part of their daily lives and just drift through the video
-raps about money-2 guys steel a car
-white horse with a hooded figure... kkk/ the hooded guitarist
-scream-shooting ... silence
-James Brown reference - Childish Gambino dancing on the car (cheep cars)
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