Annotations
[Verse 1]
There's no difference between you ...: Though it’s easy to distance yourself from the random acts of violence that happen on TV and in the news, these victims are everyday individuals too. The lyrics imply that it could be anyone dying in their place, and that it’s important for individuals to come together as a community.
Credtis: Genius.com
hashtag,: The first thing that often happens with police brutality is the appearance of a hashtag. If victims of police brutality are even mentioned on news stations, they’re often mentioned as “the victim,” especially when they are Black. Say Her Name, immortalized as #SayHerName, was created to remember Black women victimized by police brutality, and a similar thread is often seen in online circles surrounding other victims of police brutality. Unfortunately, these hashtags are sometimes the only way to get that information into the mainstream.
Credits: Genius.com
bodybag: Most of the victims of police brutality die, and so, they end up in a bodybag.
Toe tag: A toe tag is often used in morgues to identify a body. Coroners are in charge of determining how someone died, and are consulted in police investigations. However, as worries about police brutality have mounted, the objectivity of these decisions have come into question. Once the individual has been enshrined in the public conscience and has died, their case is looked at by individuals who are often controlled by the group that caused the death.
Credits: Genius.com
Shot in the chest: The fact that “shot in the chest” comes last may reference how the true cause of death is often hidden by the media until it is too late to do anything about it. Police assaults will often be miscategorized as the very vague term “assault.” In some circumstances, they may be covered up entirely, with details only released as public pressure mounts.
Credits: Genius.com
Till we get reciprocity
How can we stand by?: Reciprocity is officially defined as:
a mutual exchange of privileges
or
mutual dependence, action, or influence
Grandson is saying that people need to put genuine effort into leveling the playing field against certain privileges. No one can just stand by and watch these things happen without intervening.
Credits: Genius.com
Yesterday, I turned on the TV
I saw another man ...: Grandson explains how often we see dead bodies or hurt people caused by police brutality on the news.
He was screaming
He can't breathe no more: This is a reference to Eric Garner’s death, a 2014 incident of police brutality that was incredibly influential in terms of bringing police brutality fully into the public eye.
“I can’t breathe” became a rallying cry after Eric Garner’s death was filmed, with his last words, “I can’t breathe,” being stated 11 times before he was strangled to death.
Credits: Genius.com
But another case can be related to "He can't breath no more". Even tho the song was released on 2016, we can make a reference to the death of the african american George Floyd happened in 2020. A video shows an officer having his knee on Floyd's neck for so long it cause his death.
Almost a year after the officer responsible of his death was judge and held guilty.
He held his hands high: This references another well-known police shooting, that of Michael Brown.
“Hands up, don’t shoot” became a rallying cry for many Black activists after Michael Brown’s death, as it was frequently claimed that Michael Brown had his hands up in a gesture of surrender he was shot. Though a grand jury was not able to decisively determine whether his hands were up before he was shot, the phrase remains ingrained in the public conscience, as it echoes other concerns over police brutality.
Credits: Genius.com
I saw the body drop
On the 6 o'clock: 6:00 is referring to the breaking news people often watch after a day of work so they can be aware of what happened today.
Except that nowadays, we see more cases about police brutality than anything else that it almost became a common thing to see on TV.
We all just looking for a piece of the pie: Grandson says that everyone is looking for something that could take some benefits from themselves, and only for themselves, not caring for their neighbors.
Even if this results and cause violence.
We went blind, going eye for an eye: “An eye for an eye” means to enact revenge upon those who have wronged you. However, a longstanding folk interpretation of the phrase – “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” – implies that constantly trying to enact revenge will only harm people.
This is also potentially a biblical reference, which is in keeping with some of grandson’s other work. In Matthew 5:38-41, Jesus is quoted as saying:
" You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
Credits: Genius.com
I won't give no fucks
I won't take no ...: This is a bit of wordplay that hinges on the meaning of "give" and "take" in this context.
Earlier in the song, Grandson references the phrase "an eye for an eye", a "give and take" phrase that is very quietly echoed here.
To "give a fuck" colloquially means to not care.
To "take a shit" colloquially means to refuse to tolerate individuals who do you harm. This isn't a common usage of either "give" or "take", but juxtapose the two nonetheless.
Credits: Genius.com
Try to burn me down
Get this whole place lit: Again, a piece of wordplay that parallels two words used unconventional ways: "burn" and "lit".
To burn someone down would be to keep them quiet, potentially even to the point of murder, a point Grandson also raises in Stigmata.
However, by burning him down, those who are dissatisfied with his message will just cast light on their inequities, bringing these into the light.
It's also worth saying that "lit" is slang term that has come to mean "exciting" or "excellent", and is often used in the context of parties or events. Thought people may not be "excited", per se, at the notion of police brutality, Grandson wants to rile people into action in the same way a party might, regardless of the potential social consequences.
Credits: Genius.com
Song details
