19-2000 (Soulchild remix) by Gorillaz Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Ultimate Groove
Lyrics
Body Movin’
It’s the music that we choose x 4
The world is spinning too fast
I buy lead Nike shoes
To keep myself tethered
To the days I tried to lose
My mama said to slow down
You must make your own shoes
Stop dancing to the music
Of gorillas in a happy mood
Keepin’ my groove on
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
Here you go!
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
There’s a monkey in the jungle
Watching a vapor trail
Caught up in the conflict
Between his brain and his tail
And if time’s elimination
Then we got nothing to lose
Please repeat the message
It’s the music that we choose
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
They do the bump
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
They do the bump (x 8)
(It’s the music that we choose) (x 4)
Ok bring it down y’all and comprehend
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(Na na na na na na na)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(Na na na na na na)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool!
(It’s the music that we choose)
Get the cool shoeshine!
(It’s the music that we choose)
The Gorillaz, a band eternally cloaked in digital mystique and drawn from the mind of Damon Albarn and the pen of Jamie Hewlett, have long been known for their innovative fusion of music and visual art. Their track ’19-2000′ has a special place in the hearts of fans, and even more so, its Soulchild remix, which took the existential musings of the original and injected an upbeat vigor into it. A song that captures the zeitgeist of both the turn of the millennium and today’s continued societal fast-paced rhythm, it’s a musical concoction that speaks to our souls.
Beyond its catchy tune, the song’s lyrics provide a plethora of layers waiting to be peeled back by the eager listener. It challenges us to contemplate the pace of the modern world, the commercial influences on our daily lives, and the ultimate choice of the soundtrack to our existence — the music that we choose.
A Sonic Rollercoaster: Understanding the Beat
The Soulchild remix turns the introspection of ’19-2000′ into an anthem for the energized and the restless. Its pace is relentless, a mirror to the ‘world spinning too fast’ that the lyrics describe. When examining the high-octane rhythm and the catchy chorus, it’s easy to see why this version finds its home on dance floors and in the headphones of those hustling through city streets.
But this isn’t just an auditory experience — it’s a sonic manifesto. The overlay of the simple message, ‘It’s the music that we choose,’ onto this frenetic soundscape becomes a mantra that we’re dared to live by. As we unpack the driving beat, we’re invited to explore the pace we live at and how we choose to soundtrack our race against time.
The Gravity of Choice in a High-Speed World
The lyrics ‘The world is spinning too fast / I buy lead Nike shoes / To keep myself tethered / To the days I tried to lose,’ unveil a deep-seated anxiety about the relentless march of time and consumer culture’s iron grip. It’s a poetic expression of the human need to ground oneself in an increasingly hectic society where brand names and material symbols dictate the trajectory of our individual journeys.
There’s an inherent tension between the desire to lose one’s self in the past and the push to move ever forward, capturing the essence of the millennial apprehension as we catapult into the future. The journey to find balance between these forces is a dance — sometimes literally, to the music of our choosing. This tension is at the core of what makes ’19-2000 (Soulchild remix)’ so relatable and enduring.
Shoe-Shining Moments: The Lyrics That Stick
The recurring chant ‘Get the cool shoeshine’ strikes a chord within the encumbering context of consumerism. In its repetition, there’s a sense of hypnotic inculcation — a subliminal directive to keep up appearances amidst societal pressures. The simplicity of the chorus is in stark contrast with the complexity of the verse, allowing it to become a memorable hook. This line plays on the superficial measures of ‘cool,’ suggesting a satirical take on the shallowness of material symbols.
Yet, within this simplicity, there is a profound message: in a world where surface often trumps substance, the ‘cool shoeshine’ becomes a symbol for the empty allure of consumerism that the song subtly criticizes. The catchiness of the chorus belies its critical undertone, leaving listeners humming a tune that begs a second thought.
The Hidden Message Amongst Primal Beats
A monkey caught in a vaporous mess of thought and instinct — ‘There’s a monkey in the jungle / Watching a vapor trail / Caught up in the conflict / Between his brain and his tail’ — acts as a metaphor for the internal clash we face in discerning our desires from our needs. This battle, set against a soundscape that is instinctual in its rhythms, represents the primal dance between our evolved self-awareness and our innate, tail-chasing impulses.
The Soulchild remix emphasizes this primal urge through its amplified tempo and danceability. But it’s the ‘elimination of time’ and the sentiments of having ‘nothing to lose’ that reverberate throughout the song, urging listeners to consider what remains when the constructs we’ve created fall away. The monkey, both chained and enlightened by its awareness, represents humanity’s paradoxical nature and our quest to make meaningful choices amidst the chaos.
Dance or Despair? The Choice is Ours
In its essence, ’19-2000 (Soulchild remix)’ is a song about choice and the freedom that comes with it, or perhaps the illusion thereof. Through the guise of a poppy, pulsating beat, Gorillaz prods us to examine our values, our pace of life, and the music we align with our souls. ‘Keepin’ my groove on,’ a line interweaved in the fabric of the verses, becomes a reminder to maintain one’s rhythm amidst the changing tempos of the world we inhabit.
The ‘music that we choose,’ then, isn’t simply a soundtrack. It’s a statement of our individuality, our response to the world’s spin, and our dance with destiny. As the song fades out, one is left pondering — are we making the shoes, or have we succumbed to the ‘cool shoeshine’? The subtext of the remix resonates with energy not just to make us move, but to make us think. And in a society obsessed with the next step, that contemplation could be the very thing to keep us grounded.
