The Message by Grandmaster Flash feat. The Furious Five Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling Urban Plight Through Hip-Hop Storytelling
Lyrics
How I keep from going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
Broken glass everywhere
People pissing 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 the man with the tow-truck repossessed my car
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 going under
Standing on the front stoop, hangin out the window
Watching all the cars go by, roaring as the breezes blow
A crazy lady, livin in a bag
Eating out of garbage piles, used to be a fag-hag
Said, she danced the tango, skipped the light fandango
Was circon princess, seemed to lost her senses
Down at the peepshow, watching all the creeps
So she can tell the stories to the girls back home
She went to the city and got Social Security
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
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
My brothers doin’ bad, stole my mothers t.v.
Says, she watches to much, is 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 midrange migraine, cancered membrane
Sometimes I think I’m going 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 going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going 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
I 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 the 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 the dark
Keep my hand on the gun, cause they got me on the run
I feel like an outlaw, broke my last glass jar
Hear them say you want some more, livin on a seesaw
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 going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
A child is born, with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you, but he’s frowning too
Cause only God knows, what you go through
You grow in the ghetto, living second rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The place, that you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alley way
You’ll admire all the number book takers
Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them
Smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers and even pan-handlers
You say I’m cool, I’m no fool
But then you wind up dropping out of high school
Now you’re unemployed, all null ‘n void
Walking ’round like you’re pretty boy floyd
Turned stickup kid, look what you done did
Got send up for a eight year bid
Now your manhood is took and you’re a may tag
Spend the next two years as an undercover fag
Being used and abused and served like hell
Till one day you was found hung dead in a 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
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
In a pioneering thrust into conscious rap, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s ‘The Message’ isn’t just a catchy tune with a groove that stirs the listener into rhythmic allegiance. It’s a manifesto, a street-corner sermon, a snapshot capturing the grim reality of urban existence amidst the chaos of the early ’80s. It’s here that hip-hop transforms into a medium that mirrors the lives and struggles of many, moving beyond boasting and bravado into social commentary.
With a slick cadence over a beat that’s relentlessly hypnotic, ‘The Message’ delivers a narrative so visceral that one can’t help but be ensnared by its vivid imagery and the potent plea not to be ‘pushed’ over the edge. This song sets itself apart and lays the groundwork for future generations of artists who would use the platform to address the complexities of life in socioeconomically challenged environments.
The Urban Jungle: More Than Just a Metaphor
The recurring chorus claiming, ‘It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under,’ is the stroke that paints a bleak landscape weighted with survival’s burden. This isn’t just poetic for the sake of art; it’s a nuanced metaphor comparing the unforgiving nature of city life to the law of the jungle, where only the strongest or the most cunning make it out alive. The phrase repeats as a somber echo amid the verses, reminding us of the cyclical trap of poverty and violence.
In what’s almost an anthropological study set to music, each line serves as a brushstroke in the portrait of the ‘concrete jungle’. The ‘broken glass everywhere’ and ‘people pissing on the stairs’ set the scene—one where the neglect is palpable, and the residents’ disillusionment and desensitization to their own surroundings spell out a dire need for change.
A Broken System, A Loop of Desperation
The true genius of the track lies in its ability to interweave personal and systemic struggles, portraying a community caught in a constant ‘push’ against forces beyond their control. Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five do not merely tell a story; they bring to light the endless cycle of economic hardship, poor education, drug abuse, and crime that grips the people.
Lines like ‘Got a bum education, double-digit inflation,’ hit hard, laying the blame squarely at the societal framework that perpetuates these cyclical crises. The characters in the song suffer from more than just physical poverty—they are victims of an eroding system that chokes ambition and breeds nihilism.
Crucial Commentary Stitched into Memorable Lines
‘Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge. I’m trying not to lose my head’—arguably one of the most memorable lines in hip-hop, echoes a desperate clinging to sanity amidst burgeoning chaos. This refrain captures the song’s essence: a plea for empathy, an appeal for understanding, and a caution against the breaking point of the human spirit.
Embedded within these lines is a dual message—an external warning to the forces that oppress, and an internal mantra of resilience for those struggling to keep their head above water. This conflict, presented through clever wordplay and relentless flow, makes ‘The Message’ a timeless piece, relevant at the time of its release and a harbinger for future conversations around mental health and socio-economic pressures.
The Unseen Pain Behind the Beat
Going beyond the pulsating funk and synth that dominates ‘The Message,’ there’s an undercurrent of raw emotion that streams through the storytelling. The plight of each character is accentuated by their invisible battles—social invisibility, diminished hope, and the violence that they’re either subjected to or partake in as a means of survival.
From the mother’s TV addiction as an escape from reality to the son contemplating ditching school for the streets, each verse delves into a hidden layer of angst and struggle, capturing the duality of the human condition under duress. ‘It’s like a jungle sometimes’ is a refrain that serves as a reminder that beneath the harsh exterior often portrayed in the media, the real battles are within the walls of the psyche.
The Message’ Today: A Ripple Through Time
Decades on from its release, ‘The Message’ continues to reverberate through the culture and the industry. It’s a track that founders and anchors the ‘conscious rap’ genre, influencing artists who scout the intersections of society, politics, and humanity in their work. This song didn’t just chart—it also charted a course, carving out space for introspection and critique within the frame of hip-hop.
Echoed in the music of rap luminaries like Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar, and many others, ‘The Message’ stands as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling in music. This piece remains a cornerstone in the conversation about art’s role in activism and advocacy, and the undying need for art to reflect the times, making ‘The Message’ as impactful today as it was back in the neon glow of the ’80s.
