Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3 Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Anthem of the Disenfranchised
Lyrics
To the victor belongs the spoils
Why don’t you get the fuck out of here before I shove your quotations book up your fat fucking ass?
At night they hit us
Why can’t this family just get along? (Some people don’t wanna)
When you’re bleeding the guy you don’t squeeze him dry right away
Contrarily, you let him do his bidding suavely
I wish the Lord would take me now
I think it’s time you start to seriously consider salads
There has to be consequences and there will be I hear ya, okay?
Let’s just not overplay our hand
‘Cause if she finds out that we’re powerless we’re fucked
Federal marshalls are so ar up my ass I can taste Brill cream
What is that? (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
Should read Tomato Sauce for Your Ass, it’s the Italian version
Do you think making hamburger out of me would make you feel better?
Mother of Christ, is this a woman thing?
You ask me how I’m feeling, I tell you how I’m feeling
And now you’re gonna torture me with it
Leave the fucking cheese there, alright? I love fucking cheese at my feet
I stick motherfucking provolone in my socks at night
So they smell like your sister’s crotch in the morning
I want you to write that letter (are you threatening me?)
Threat- what threatening? I brought you a ricotta pie and a high school transcript
So you can write a letter of recommendation for my little daughter to Georgetown
You didn’t go to Hell, you went to Purgatory, my friend
You let him hold a gun to your head during sex? I thought you were a feminist
Usually, he takes the clip out
What kind of animal smokes marijuana at his own confirmation?
What did you do with him? (We buried him)
On a hill (oh) overlooking a little river with pinecones all around (you did?)
C’mon Janice what the fuck? What do you care what we did with him?
(You ever wanted to talk) this is who dad is, my friends don’t judge me
And fuck them if they do, I’ll cut them off
They’re dropping like fucking flies (it’s all that charcoal broiled meet you people ate)
Nobody told us ’til the 80’s
You know what Tony? Maybe you should explore your own behavior
Maybe you pass out because you’re guilty over something
Maybe the fact that you stick your dick into anything with a pulse
You ever thought of exploring that as a root cause?
I’m worried about my father, he can’t do this, he’s been retired for seven years
What’s this we’re in, the navy?
What kind of animal smokes marijuana at his own confirmation?
Well, spare me your concern, alright?
And spare me your attitude too or maybe you forgot dads little strip mall
On route seventeen was zoned residential until Tony made a phone call
(How was it?) It was pretty good, they had PlayStation 2 right in the hotel room
That was the sum total of the trip to your nation’s capital?
Your son broke into the school Friday night and vandalized the swimming pool
How do you vandalize the swimming pool?
Sorry, I forgot it’s Mr. Sensitivity who doesn’t have any problems of his own
Carm, you uh, depressed?
I figure in the division of labor around here that’s your job
The boss of this family told you you’re gonna be Santa Claus
You’re Santa Claus, so shut the fuck up about it
The fucking lawyer was finally able to demonstrate I don’t pose a flight risk
Flight risk, I’ve been farting into the same sofa cushion for the last eighteen months
Based on what you’ve just told me it’s all predicated on a lie
Predicated on my ass, what’s the difference?
What struck me most was that she didn’t mince words
Between brain and mouth, there was no interlocutor
The world is a jungle and if you want my advice, Anthony
Don’t expect happiness, you won’t get it, people let you down
And I’m not naming any names but in the end, you die in your own arms
(You mean, alone?) It’s all a big nothing, what makes you think you’re special?
You woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun
Your mama always said you’d be the chosen one
She said, you’re one in a million, you’ve got to burn to shine
But you were born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes
And you woke up this morning
All that love had gone
Your papa never told you about right and wrong
But you’re, but you’re looking good, baby
I believe you’re feeling fine, shame about it
Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes
So sing it now
(Woke up this morning)
Got a blue moon, got a blue moon in your eyes, yeah
(Woke up this morning)
Listen, you woke up this morning
The world turned upside down
Lord above, thing’s ain’t been the same since the blues walked into our town
But you’re, but you’re one in a million, ’cause you’ve got that shotgun shine
Shame about it, born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes, yeah
Woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun (woke up this morning)
Got yourself a gun
Got yourself a gun
The yearning in the human soul for recognition and significance often manifests in art, and Alabama 3’s ‘Woke Up This Morning’ is a musical odyssey into that complex labyrinth of desire and identity. On the surface, the track serves as a sultry serenade from the dark underbelly of society, wielding a storyline that could easily parallel any individual who has woken up to confront a transformed reality.
Yet, as we peel back the layers of its bluesy beats and seductive sounds, the song reveals a tapestry rich with motifs of fate, power, and the innate struggle against the hands one is dealt. This track isn’t just another tune to hum along to; it’s a narrative that demands introspection, simultaneously serving as a mirror to our own lives and a window into souls ensnared by their circumstances.
The Prophetic Overture – Destiny’s Child or Victim of Circumstance?
The repeated phrase ‘You woke up this morning’ isn’t merely a statement of action; it’s a clarion call awakening the listener to a predestined fate. The maternal prophecy of being ‘the chosen one’ juxtaposes the paternal silence on morality, encapsulating a life at the mercy of innate traits over which one has little control. Alabama 3 paints a character born into an ill-omened existence, leaving one to wonder: are we mere puppets in life’s grand play, or do we hold the strings of our destiny?
The reference to a ‘blue moon in your eyes’ carries an air of the extraordinary. In folklore, a blue moon is a rarity, and in the context of the song, it bestows upon the protagonist a sense of uniqueness enveloped in a cosmic enigma. Yet, it is this singularity that burdens rather than liberates, further entrenching the protagonist in the paradox of the ‘chosen one’—destined for greatness or doomed to isolation?
A Sonic Chronicle of Power and Its Pitfalls
Alabama 3 slips into the skin of their narrative subject with musical threads that are both slick and serrated, paralleling the dual nature of power. The choice of weaponry in ‘Got yourself a gun’ isn’t subtle; it’s a potent symbol of authority and the ability to alter one’s course through force. However, it’s this very object of power that casts a shadow, shifting the protagonist’s journey from one of potential triumph to possible tragedy.
This duality is mirrored in the counterbalance of the music—smooth and cool, yet underscored by a brooding beat that warns of the inherent dangers and responsibilities that come with wielding power. As the song unspools, the narrative seems to ask: does having the means to change your stars align you with your destiny, or does it merely invite anarchy into an already chaotic existence?
The Hidden Meaning: An Ode to the Underdog
At heart, ‘Woke Up This Morning’ is a ballad for the underdog, the ones who find themselves in the trenches of life, with every card stacked against them. There’s a rugged resilience in accepting the ‘bad sign’ one is ‘born under’ while continuing to explore the promise of a destiny that shakes off the shackles of victimhood. It is an anthem that resonates with anyone who has ever felt at odds with the world, offering a gritty solidarity.
But the song goes beyond just empathy; it’s a subtle critique on society’s judgment and the predetermined roles it foists upon individuals. Through its lyrics and bluesy undertones, Alabama 3 questions the fairness of a world that is quick to label and slow to lift up, all the while goading the listener to challenge the expectations and write their own story against all odds.
When Lyrics Distill Life’s Bittersweet Symphony
‘You’re feeling fine, shame about it,’—a memorable line playing on the irony of the human condition. Feeling ‘fine’ becomes a fleeting moment, a temporary reprieve in the protagonist’s tumultuous journey. It’s a stark reminder that contentment is often short-lived, and even at our peak, shadows loom, ready to tug us back.
Alabama 3 doesn’t just use words to tell a story; they utilize them to sculpt an existential sculpture that each listener can see a reflection in. The poignant mix of pride and foreboding in this line encapsulates the cruel dance between happiness and sorrow, underlining the transient nature of our emotional states and the relentless pursuit of equilibrium.
Uncovering the Song’s Brooding Legacy and Influence
The haunting refrain ‘Got yourself a gun’ does not merely end the lyrical journey; it also echoes as the defining footprint of a cultural iconography beyond the song’s own life. As the thematic linchpin of a notorious television drama, the song transcends its original narrative, embedding itself in the collective consciousness as a symbol of transformation – often dark and always unequivocal.
But it is within this shadowy eminence that the song’s true genius is unveiled. It becomes an immortal piece of the soundtrack to human complexity, challenging perceptions of right and wrong while blurring the lines between hero and antihero. ‘Woke Up This Morning’ ultimately serves as both a hymn to personal demons and a tribute to the indomitable spirit that dares to rise each morning to face them, gun in hand or not.
