November Has Come by Gorillaz Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Seasons of Change
Lyrics
No split clown bum
Your old hit sound dumb
Hold it now, crown ‘I’m
Where you found them at
Got ’em ’round town
Coulda drowned in it
Woulda floated bloated
Voted sugar coated
Loaded hip shooter
Draw for the poor
Free coffee at the banks
Hit through the straw
None more for me, thanks
That blanks the raw
That dang sure stank lit
Sank passed the pit for more hardcore prank spit
Crank it on blast
Roll past front street
Blew the whole spot
Like some old ass with skunk meat
These kids is too fast
Juiced off a junk treat
Who could get looser off a crunk or a funk beat?
Something is starting today
Where did he go why you want it to be?
Well you know November has come
When it’s gone away
Something is starting today
Where did he go why you want it to be?
Well you know, November has come
When it’s gone away
Baha
Can you dig it like a spigot
My guess is yes you can
Like, can I kick it?
Wicked
Liquor shot
If you happy and you know it
As you clap your hands to the thick snot
Of a poet flowin’
Broke a pen and I’m in cope hymen
Dope or rhymin all worth it then
The Hope Diamond
Required off the blackmarket
Or wire tappin’
Couldn’t target a jar of spit
The rapid fire spark lit
Zzzz!
A rapper bug zapper
And it don’t matter after if they’s a thug or a dapper
Plug yer trap or it’s maximum exposure
The beast got family in numbers asking ’em for closure
Aw, send ’em a gun and tell ’em clean it
Then go get the nun who said her son didn’t mean it
She wore a filled-in thong
A billabong
And said, nah, fo’realla
The Villain on a Gorilla jawn?
Something is starting today
Where did he go why you want it to be?
Well you know November has come
When it’s gone away
Something is starting today
Where did he go why you want it to be?
Well you know, November has come
When it’s gone away
When it’s
When it’s gone away
At first glance, Gorillaz’s ‘November Has Come’ might simply seem like an eclectic mash-up of hip-hop, alternative rock, and the animated band’s signature sound. However, beneath its seemingly chill exterior lies a deep reservoir of metaphor and meaning, layered with social commentary and introspection. The track, featured on their 2005 album ‘Demon Days’, effortlessly melds the iconic Gorillaz soundscape with the enigmatic lyrical prowess of the legendary MF DOOM.
This song can be perceived as a commentary on the passage of time and the inevitability of change. November, a month that heralds the transition into winter, symbolizes such changes—both in the environment and within society. By deciphering the cryptic verses and exploring the symbolism, listeners might find themselves peering into a narrative that speaks to the human condition, the voracious nature of consumerism, and the cyclical patterns of the world.
Deciphering DOOM’s Dense Verse: A Lyrical Breakdown
MF DOOM’s contribution to ‘November Has Come’ is a high-speed lyrical onslaught that requires a magnifying glass to fully appreciate. His verses are a pastiche of cultural references, internal rhymes, and satirical plays on words. Each line crackles with the energy of subverted expectations, the imagery vivid—’the beast got family in numbers asking ’em for closure’—perhaps referencing the inescapable nature of societal issues and the personal demons that haunt families.
DOOM often takes the adverse and flip comments on its head, leaving the listener ruminating on the seduction of vices (‘liquor shot / If you happy and you know it’) and issues like gun violence, all while weaving a poetic tapestry so dense it feels like navigating through the socially-charged cobwebs of the urban landscape.
The Chilling Winds of Change and Transition
When they muse ‘Something is starting today,’ Gorillaz not only ponders the cyclical and transient nature of seasons but also introspects on beginnings disguised as endings. November marks the conclusion of autumn’s vibrancy, yet it stands as the harbinger for winter’s reflection and renewal. The repetition of the line ‘Well you know, November has come / When it’s gone away’ hits listeners as a reminder—time is fleeting, and the moments we’re in are both an ending and a start of something new.
The song captures the melancholic realization that with each passing year, the innocence of youth is further behind us. ‘These kids is too fast / Juiced off a junk treat’ might suggest how quickly children grow up in a society laden with temptations and distractions, maturing at a pace that is as alarming as it is inevitable.
The Perpetual Cycle of Social and Personal Ruts
A notable aspect of ‘November Has Come’ is its take on routines and ruts, both personally and societally. The mention of ‘free coffee at the banks’ juxtaposed with ‘none more for me, thanks’ might be unpacking the superficial incentives offered by institutions and the consumer’s eventual weariness of these empty gestures.
This notion is magnified by DOOM’s line ‘Draw for the poor,’ inferring a mocking charity that runs parallel to the song’s overarching theme of disenchantment with societal norms. The ‘crunk or a funk beat’ represents both the escape and the trap—music as a means of liberation that can also lull into complacency, a sentiment echoed throughout the ‘Demon Days’ album.
Unmasking the Hidden Meaning: A Tussle with Fame and Anonymity
‘November Has Come’ can also be perceived as an allegory for the struggle between fame and anonymity. Gorillaz, as an animated band, inherently plays with these concepts, concealing real identities behind a veil of virtual avatars. Lines like ‘The Villain on a Gorilla jawn?’—with ‘the Villain’ being one of DOOM’s monikers—suggest an introspective query on the nature of the persona one dons in the limelight versus who they are beneath the surface.
MF DOOM himself, known for his iconic mask, rarely performed without it, preserving his privacy amidst his fame. This dynamic can be extrapolated to reflect society’s broader preoccupation with image and reputation, suggesting a contemplation on integrity and the essence of self when faced with the pressures of societal recognition.
Memorable Lines that Echo Beyond the Beat
‘November Has Come’ is replete with lines that linger long after the music stops. The masterful imagery in ‘Where you found them at / Got ’em ’round town / Coulda drowned in it’ pokes at the ubiquity of the issues presented in the song—inescapable and all-encompassing. MF DOOM’s rhetorical phrasing ‘Who could get looser off a crunk or a funk beat?’ call into question the nature of freedom through music and work to engage listeners in a dialogue with the song itself.
But perhaps it’s the song’s unresolved tension, notably in the refrain, that encapsulates its central theme best—desperate for change yet doomed to repeat the cycle as ‘November has come when it’s gone away.’ These words reverberate, challenging the listener to confront the somber beauty of transformation, even when it feels painfully transient.
