Come Around by M.I.A. & Timbaland Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Global Tapestry of Sound and Influence
Lyrics
Sidekick rings, “what’s up? holla!”
Text the address, I’ll see you later
Baby come down
Come down, come down, come down
Run down, run down, run down
Run, make a run, make a run, make a run, make a run, make a run down
A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun
Beat goes on
A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun
Beat goes on
In a faraway land we got shit made
Ray-ban shades, warheads laid
Babies born in air raids
My girls run the everglades
Indian tribesmen gamble spades
Indian chicks, they get men laid
Milk and honey, smoke high-grade
Gold and diamond, gems and jade
Ride up on our tanks, invade
Blow up thing to save our name
Mina, rina, Tina, Sabrina
Being a super Indian babe
We black market, we black made
We hit shit out when it rains
Would you come down and catch my train?
Would you run down and play this game?
Check my coat in and I paid the dollar,
Sidekick rings, “what’s up? holla!”
Text the address, I’ll see you later
Baby come down
Come down, come down, come down
Run down, run down, run down
Run, make a run, make a run, make a run, make a run, make a run down
A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun
Beat goes on
A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun
Beat goes on
Baby girl
You and me, need to go to your teepee
The moon is full, and I’m shining.
Baby, I know you see me.
Put a hump or two on your back
Just like that
Oh girl you’re on fire.
I don’t wanna be in love with you
Imma just break you off and say goodbye
The night is young
Don’t make me wait,
You just might miss your chance.
I’m gon’ tell you the truth
Timbaland, I’m the motherfuckin’ man.
Today’s the day, girl, let me get that
Don’t get mad
In fact, let me hit that
I’ve been overkilling them, I break backs
Come down, run down
Girl, where your place at?
Check my coat in and I paid the dollar,
Sidekick rings, “what’s up? holla!”
Text the address, I’ll see you later
Baby come down
Come down, come down, come down
Run down, run down, run down
Run, make a run, make a run, make a run, make a run, make a run down
A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun
Beat goes on
A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun
Beat goes on
Bounce
Don’t get it twisted baby girl, baby boy ’cause Timbaland ain’t dead
Don’t get it twisted baby girl, baby boy ’cause Timbaland ain’t dead
Don’t get it twisted baby girl, baby boy ’cause Timbaland ain’t dead
Bounce
‘Cause Timbaland ain’t dead
Within the kinetic throes of ‘Come Around,’ M.I.A. and Timbaland weave a sonic narrative that transcends simple musical collaboration. Their 2007 partnership illustrates an extraordinary meeting of eastern rhythms and western production, framing a dialogue that spans continents. The track, nestled in M.I.A.’s album ‘Kala,’ is an anthem of global fusion, replete with cultural commentary and piercing beats.
The collaboration offers a glimpse into the complexities of globalization, not solely in the economic sense but within the intertextuality of music itself. However, there’s something more profound, a deeper connotation and a responsive chord it strikes in the narrative of diaspora and cultural amalgamation. Each verse is a testament to artistry as resistance, to music as a unifying language amid chaos, righteousness, and revelry.
Deciphering Cultural Cross-Pollination
M.I.A.’s verses in ‘Come Around’ suggest a world where borders are as porous as the beats that slip through them. The song’s global references – the warheads in a ‘faraway land,’ the gambles of Indian tribesmen, the activity of the Everglades – draw attention to the amalgamation of sound and society. It’s no longer about appropriating motifs; it’s about understanding the currents that carry these musical and cultural fragments to new shores.
Here is a canvas where the colours of Ray-ban shades and the harsh realities of ‘babies born in air raids’ coexist. It challenges listeners to consider their consumptions of these exoticized references within a musical escape. Are we aware of the realities behind the lyrical illustrations, or do we groove to the rhythm unaware?
Beat Continues: The Mantra of Persistence
The hypnotic refrain, ‘A dun da da dun da da dun da da dun da da dun dun / Beat goes on’, operates as a testament to the endurance of culture and music against the forces that seek to stifle or commercialize them. As M.I.A. and Timbaland chant these lines, they’re not just filling the space with catchy hooks—they’re signalling the heartbeat of tradition, the undying echo of artistic expression.
Timbaland’s mastery of beat construction underlines the unending cycle of creativity, and M.I.A’s punctuated delivery cements the global grit. Each ‘dun’ and each break in the pattern is a nod to resilience—the beat indeed goes on, through censorship, through hardship, through the complex layers of identity.
Unraveling the Song’s Hidden Meaning
Beneath the club-ready exterior, ‘Come Around’ is steeped in political undertones and the realities of cross-border tensions. It unpacks the paradox of enjoying the fruits of a globalized world while being acutely aware of its disparities and injustices. The ‘black market’ and ‘black made’ commentary tells a story of covert economies that thrive alongside sanctioned ones.
M.I.A., with her own background rooted in displacement and the struggle of the Sri Lankan Tamil, doesn’t shy away from presenting a narrative that’s both unique to her experience and universally relatable. Through ‘Come Around,’ she encapsulates the diasporic journey—the clash and blend, the way cultures ‘run down’ and mix in the everyday.
Transcendent Lines: From Hook to Poignancy
In what could be dismissed as catchy and flippant hooks, “Baby come down / Come down, come down, come down / Run down, run down, run down,” carries with them the weight of globalization’s pace. It’s the urgency of being part of the zeitgeist, the call to dive into the whirlpool of a world where everything converges ‘down’ to the common denominator—pop culture.
Yet, Timbaland’s interludes offer a counterbalance—a directness about the music industry’s braggadocio. Here, the ‘motherfuckin’ man’ claims more than just the night or a fleeting tryst; it’s a dedication to his craft and presence, surviving and thriving within the churn of the industry.
Defiant Beats: The Irrepressible Heart of ‘Come Around’
Notably, the outro, ‘Don’t get it twisted baby girl, baby boy ‘cause Timbaland ain’t dead’, smacks of defiance in the face of doubt or irrelevance. It is Timbaland’s rebuke to anyone who suspects the beat-maker has lost his touch, and M.I.A.’s affirmation of survival in a music scene that can be quick to forget.
Symbolically, ‘Come Around’ stands as an anthemic fight song—a reminder that artists like M.I.A. and Timbaland continue to craft narratives, beats and bridges long after the last note fades. They refuse to be hemmed in by genres, much like the ever-pulsing beat, they prove perennially alive, evolving, and indomitable.
