Childish Gambino - This Is America
This is a song written to expose the reality of the United States for a large population of the people that live here. This song is accompanied by a powerful music video that you can watch here.
Lyrics
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
We just wanna party
Party just for you
We just want the money
Money just for you
I know you wanna party (yeah)
Party just for free
Girl, you got me dancin' (girl, you got me dancin')
Dance and shake the frame
We just wanna party (yeah)
Party just for you (yeah)
We just want the money (yeah)
Money just for you (ooh)
I know you wanna party (yeah)
Party just for free (yeah)
Girl, you got me dancin' (girl, you got me dancin')
Dance and shake the frame (ooh)
(Chorus) This is America
Don't catch you slippin' now
Don't catch you slippin' now
Look what I'm whippin' now
This is America (woo)
Don't catch you slippin' now
Don't catch you slippin' now
Look what I'm whippin' now
This is America (skrrt, skrrt, woo)
Don't catch you slippin' now (ayy)
Look at how I'm livin' now
Police be trippin' now (woo)
Yeah, this is America (woo, ayy)
Guns in my area (word, my area)
I got the strap (ayy, ayy)
I gotta carry 'em
Yeah, yeah, I'ma go into this (ugh)
Yeah, yeah, this is guerilla, woo
Yeah, yeah, I'ma go get the bag
Yeah, yeah, or I'ma get the pad
Yeah, yeah, I'm so cold like yeah (yeah)
I'm so dope like yeah (woo)
We gon' blow like yeah (straight up, uh)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me
Get your money, black man (get your money)
Get your money, black man (get your money)
Get your money, black man (get your, black man)
Get your money, black man (get your, black man)
Black man
Chorus
Look how I'm geekin' out (hey)
I'm so fitted (I'm so fitted, woo)
I'm on Gucci (I'm on Gucci)
I'm so pretty (yeah, yeah)
I'm gon' get it (ayy, I'm gon' get it)
Watch me move (blaow)
This a celly (ha)
That's a tool (yeah)
On my Kodak (woo, Black)
Ooh, know that (yeah, know that, hold on)
Get it (get it, get it)
Ooh, work it (21)
Hunnid bands, hunnid bands, hunnid bands (hunnid bands)
Contraband, contraband, contraband (contraband)
I got the plug on Oaxaca (woah)
They gonna find you like blocka (blaow)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
(America, I just checked my following list and)
You go tell somebody
(You mothafuckas owe me)
Grandma told me
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Black man (one, two, three, get down)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me, "Get your money, " black man
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Get your money, black man (black man)
Black man
You just a black man in this world
You just a barcode, ayy
You just a black man in this world
Drivin' expensive foreigns, ayy
You just a big dawg, yeah
I kenneled him in the backyard
No, probably ain't life to a dog
For a big dog
This song exposes what it’s like to live in the United States as a Black person. Donald Glover talks about violence and racism, which can also be regarded as one issue, as explained by the line, “Police be trippin now”
In recent years, the media has increased reporting of police brutality towards African Americans. However, “This is America” came out in May 2020—even before protests and the Black Lives Matter movement erupted after George Floyd’s murder. Racism and police violence have been issues for centuries. According to the NAACP, the origins of modern-day policing can be traced back to the "Slave Patrol," created in the Carolinas in the early 1700s to establish a system of terror and squash slave uprisings. Tactics included the use of excessive force to control and produce desired slave behavior. Despite how far we’ve come, as this song points out, systems like this are still prevalent in today’s society.
In the music video, scenes of shootings and violence against African American people are very impactful because the United States is often regarded as a free country and a place many people desire to live in. While the “American Dream” has been a desire of people all around the world, this song shows that the harsh reality is that we have many issues that are not properly dealt with. When Glover raps, “Guns in my area (word, my area) / I got the strap (ayy, ayy) / I gotta carry 'em” he also highlights the problems caused by lack of gun control laws. Glover references gun violence in communities, correlating racism and violence, and also showing how detrimental gun violence is when it comes to school shootings across the country. Overall, this song, along with its powerful music video, sheds light on the dangers of living in America—particularly for Black people.