The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Urban Struggle Anthems
Lyrics
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
Broken glass everywhere
People pissin’ on the stairs, you know they just don’t care
I can’t take the smell, can’t take the noise
Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice
Rats in the front room, roaches in the back
Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat
I tried to get away but I couldn’t get far
‘Cause a man with a tow truck repossessed my car
Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to lose my head, ha-ha-ha-ha
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
Standin’ on the front stoop, hangin’ out the window
Watchin’ all the cars go by, roarin’ as the breezes blow
Crazy lady, livin’ in a bag
Eatin’ outta garbage pails, used to be a fag hag
Said she’ll dance the tango, skip the light fandango
A Zircon princess seemed to lost her senses
Down at the peep show watchin’ all the creeps
So she can tell her stories to the girls back home
She went to the city and got so-so siditty
She had to get a pimp, she couldn’t make it on her own
Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to lose my head, ha-ha-ha-ha
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
My brother’s doin’ bad, stole my mother’s TV
Says she watches too much, it’s just not healthy
All My Children in the daytime, Dallas at night
Can’t even see the game or the Sugar Ray fight
The bill collectors, they ring my phone
And scare my wife when I’m not home
Got a bum education, double-digit inflation
Can’t take the train to the job, there’s a strike at the station
Neon King Kong standin’ on my back
Can’t stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliac
A mid-range migraine, cancered membrane
Sometimes I think I’m goin’ insane
I swear I might hijack a plane
Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to lose my head
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
My son said, “Daddy, I don’t wanna go to school
‘Cause the teacher’s a jerk, he must think I’m a fool”
And all the kids smoke reefer, I think it’d be cheaper
If I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper
Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet
Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps
‘Cause it’s all about money, ain’t a damn thing funny
You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey
They pushed that girl in front of the train
Took her to the doctor, sewed her arm on again
Stabbed that man right in his heart
Gave him a transplant for a brand new start
I can’t walk through the park ’cause it’s crazy after dark
Keep my hand on my gun ’cause they got me on the run
I feel like a outlaw, broke my last glass jaw
Hear them say, “You want some more?”
Livin’ on a see-saw
Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to lose my head, say what?
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under
A child is born with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smilin’ on you but he’s frownin’ too
Because only God knows what you’ll go through
You’ll grow in the ghetto livin’ second-rate
And your eyes will sing a song called deep hate
The places you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alleyway
You’ll admire all the number-book takers
Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money-makers
Drivin’ big cars, spendin’ twenties and tens
And you’ll wanna grow up to be just like them
Huh, smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers
Pickpocket peddlers, even panhandlers
You say I’m cool, huh, I’m no fool
But then you wind up droppin’ outta high school
Now you’re unemployed, all non-void
Walkin’ round like you’re Pretty Boy Floyd
Turned stick-up kid, but look what you done did
Got sent up for a eight-year bid
Now your manhood is took and you’re a Maytag
Spend the next two years as a undercover fag
Bein’ used and abused to serve like hell
‘Til one day, you was found hung dead in the cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young
So don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to lose my head, ha-ha-ha-ha
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under, ha-ha-ha-ha
It’s like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under, ha-ha-ha-ha
When Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five released ‘The Message’ in 1982, they didn’t just drop a track; they unleashed a social commentary that would reverberate throughout the streets and eventually, the world. The song stands as a pioneering force in the canon of hip-hop, offering a stark portrayal of life in urban America, far from the glitz and glamour often showcased in the media.
‘The Message’ isn’t merely a song; it’s a raw, unfiltered narrative set to an infectious beat. It was a clarion call that broke barriers, bringing hip-hop into the consciousness of mainstream America and setting the stage for it to become a platform for social and political expression. With a haunting chorus reminding listeners of the lurking despair, the song echoes the troubles faced by many and offers a vivid snapshot of struggling inner-city life.
A Vivid Portrait of Urban Decay
The opening lines paint a picture of the relentless nature of the urban jungle while highlighting the ever-present risk of succumbing to its pressures. In contrast to the serene connotations of a jungle, ‘The Message’ uses this setting as a metaphor for chaos and survival. Its imagery of ‘Broken glass everywhere’ and the indifference to squalor exposes listeners to the apathy and resignation that pervades the environment.
Within this bleak landscape, the issues are palpable — crime, poverty, and drug addiction — depicted through the harsh reality of ‘Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat’ and the personal account of a repossessed car. Through storytelling, the song presents the gritty details that urban dwellers navigate daily, forging an emotive connection with the listener.
Teetering on the Brink – The Precarious Balance of Mental Health
The recurring hook, ‘Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge,’ speaks to the mental and emotional tension inherent in the struggle to stay afloat amidst chaos. It’s a cry for understanding, a warning of the thin line between stability and breakdown that so many walk each day.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five don’t just depict the external pressures; they highlight the internal war, the laughter in the face of adversity, and the creeping insanity that touches those who battle daily in an unrelenting environment. The song becomes an anthem for emotional resilience, resonating with anyone who has ever felt pushed to the brink.
The Urban Societal Microcosm: Characters in Crisis
From the perspective of an overheated stoop-side observer to the tragic tales of lost souls in the city, ‘The Message’ introduces characters that represent the collateral damage of systemic failures. A crazy lady who once danced the tango, a son disillusioned with education, a displaced girl forced into the seedy underworld — these vignettes showcase the diverse and devastating impacts of neglect and poverty.
In the verses, there is a sense of lost dignity, opportunity, and potential. ‘She went to the city and got so-so siditty’ reveals the downward spiral from naivety to exploitation. The lyricism provides a human face to each statistic, imploring empathy and action from the song’s audience.
The Song’s Hidden Meaning: A Call to Consciousness
Beneath the immediately apparent social commentary lies a deeper exhortation—awaken and take note of the inequality and its root causes. ‘The Message’ cleverly weaves in issues such as education, entertainment, and economic disenfranchisement, pointing to them as systemic contributors to this urban malaise.
By referencing mass media’s role, ‘All My Children in the daytime, Dallas at night,’ the song critiques the escapism that often detracts from addressing larger issues at hand. Thus, ‘The Message’ becomes a complex tapestry, indicting various societal constructs for their hand in perpetuating the cycle of poverty and despair.
Memorable Lines That Echo Through Generations
Certain phrases from ‘The Message’ have transcended the song itself, becoming cultural touchstones. ‘It’s like a jungle sometimes, It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under’ is one such line, embedding itself into the lexicon of hip-hop and beyond, laying bare the precarity of survival amidst adversity.
The blunt realism of ‘It’s all about money, ain’t a damn thing funny, you got to have a con in this land of milk and honey’ continues to strike a chord. The song’s enduring relevance speaks volumes about its penetrating insight and the unchanging nature of the issues it addresses. Despite the decades that have passed, ‘The Message’ remains a profound cultural artifact, urging continued introspection and change.
