The village
Wrabel Lyrics
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And your dad don't get it
Uncle John don't get it
And you can't tell grandma
'Cause her heart can't take it
And she might not make it
Cutting off your long hair"
You do as you're told
Tell you, "Wake up, go put on your makeup
This is just a phase you're gonna outgrow"
There's something wrong in the village
In the village, oh
They stare in the village
In the village, oh
There's nothing wrong with you
It's true, it's true
There's something wrong with the village
With the village
There's something wrong with the village
Feel the rumors follow you from Monday all the way to Friday dinner
You got one day of shelter,
Then it's Sunday hell to pay, you young lost sinner
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chair
Whispering that same prayer half a million times
It's a lie, though buried in disciples
One page of the Bible isn't worth a life
There's something wrong in the village
In the village, oh
They stare in the village
In the village, oh
There's nothing wrong with you
It's true, it's true
There's something wrong with the village
With the village
There's something wrong with the village
There's something wrong in the village
In the village, oh
They stare in the village
In the village, oh
There's nothing wrong with you
It's true, it's true
There's something wrong with the village
With the village
There's something wrong with the village
Wrabel's song "The Village" speaks to the struggles of feeling different and not being accepted by the people around you. The opening lines in the song describe the challenge of trying to express your true self when your family won't understand. This can be particularly challenging for queer people who are not accepted by their parents or extended family members who hold traditional views of gender and sexual orientation. Wrabel captures the tension and anxiety that builds up when you can't be yourself around the people who should love you unconditionally. The pressure to conform can be suffocating, and the young person in the village feels trapped by everyone's expectations.
The chorus repeats the phrase that "something's wrong in the village." The lyrics suggest that the problem is not with the individual but with the community around them. The people in the village stare and judge, making the young person feel like they don't belong. Wrabel challenges the idea that it's the young person who needs to change, saying "there's nothing wrong with you, it's true, it's true." Instead, he suggests that the village needs to change, to learn to accept and love people who don't fit their narrow definition of "normal."
The second verse speaks to the sense of isolation that comes from being ostracized by your community. The rumors and gossip follow the young person everywhere they go, and even their family dinners become fraught with tension. Wrabel captures the sense of desperation and hopelessness that can arise when you're constantly judged and criticized for who you are. He also critiques the way in which religion can be used to justify discrimination or violence, noting that even the Bible can be selectively cited to support harmful beliefs. Ultimately, Wrabel's song is a plea for empathy and understanding. He asks the listener to recognize that everyone deserves love and acceptance, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or any other aspect of their identity.
Line by Line Meaning
No, your mom don't get it
Your mother does not understand how you feel about your life.
And your dad don't get it
Your father does not understand how you feel about your life.
Uncle John don't get it
Your uncle John does not understand how you feel about your life.
And you can't tell grandma
You cannot share your feelings with your grandma.
'Cause her heart can't take it
Sharing your true feelings may harm your grandma's health.
And she might not make it
Your grandma's health might get affected if you share your true feelings.
They say, 'Don't dare, don't you even go there
They advise you not to do something out of the ordinary.
Cutting off your long hair'
Specifically, they forbid you from cutting your hair.
You do as you're told
You are expected to comply with their wishes.
Tell you, 'Wake up, go put on your makeup
They want you to put on a façade for others to see.
This is just a phase you're gonna outgrow'
They believe that your uniqueness will fade with time.
There's something wrong in the village
There is something inherently flawed in the society you live in.
In the village, oh
Your community is where these problems primarily exist.
They stare in the village
They scrutinize your every move.
There's nothing wrong with you
You are not the problem.
It's true, it's true
You must realize this fact.
There's something wrong with the village
The major issue lies within the society you live in.
With the village
The society as a whole is the root of the problem.
Feel the rumors follow you from Monday all the way to Friday dinner
You are constantly under the microscope and are constantly being judged, even by family members.
You got one day of shelter,
You might get relief from the scrutiny for a day or two.
Then it's Sunday hell to pay, you young lost sinner
But you return to your regular life, being accused of being an outsider or not conforming.
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chair
The artist has felt the same way.
Whispering that same prayer half a million times
The singer has asked for change over and over again with no reply.
It's a lie, though buried in disciples
The current way of thinking is based on falsehoods.
One page of the Bible isn't worth a life
You cannot base your whole life on one page of a book.
Writer(s): Stephen Samuel Wrabel, Andrew Jackson, Andrew William Pearson
Contributed by Lillian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thefunland_archives
Hi, I’m Lance, and I know this comment likely won’t be seen among the thousands of others, but I think the most appropriate place to tell my little story is here.
I found this song years ago—I don’t think the exact year it was released, but it was a while ago, I think around 3 or 4 years. I stumbled upon it on Spotify and listened to it on repeat for a while. Every time I listened to it, it made me cry. It still makes me cry, even just looking at the song cover, because no song has ever hit me so hard before.
My grandma and my mom call our Christian family “a village”. I’m not sure why they do, but they do, and it’s become a nickname for our entire family. I think it’s endearing, but it just makes this song that much more impactful. I’ll never be able to genuinely be my true self among “my village” that I love so much, because they’ll alienate and hate me for it. So, I have to live a life of falseness and discomfort, simply because I can’t bear the thought of losing them and being alone. Aside from their obvious flaws, they really are amazing people—especially my mom—and it breaks my heart so fucking much that I’ll never receive the acceptance and encouragement that I wish I’d had from her and the rest of my family since 6th grade. I hate my body, and my personality, and my voice, and it’s all because I have to pretend to be someone I’m not for the rest of my life just for them. It’s so unfair. So fucking unfair. And it’s all because of a belief in a “rule” that may not even be true, and of a god that may not even exist.
I’m agnostic myself. Though I’d rather believe in facts and science, I grew up Christian and just can’t seem to shake my old beliefs. I’ll admit, the bible has some truth to it—but I’ve never understood why a “loving god” would damn people to eternal suffering just for loving.
I’m not sure what else to say, but I appreciate it if you’ve read this far. I hope you all get to live your true lives and have a supportive “village”. Much love to the good Christians on this earth and LGBT+ community alike.
@Ash-hb1cn
To all the other colourful birds with unsupportive parents:
I'm your parent now. You can call me whichever gender-neutral term for parent you want, or you can call me dad if you're more comfortable with that!
You are valid, you are wanted, you are loved, and I will hug you and love you and treat you like the most precious human on earth because you are.
Edit: Breakfast: Monday- pancakes Tuesday- bacon and eggs Wednesday- French toast Thursday- waffles Friday- hash browns and toast Saturday- cereal Sunday- brunch
Lunch: Monday- grilled cheese or any other sandwich I guess Tuesday- burgers (of whichever type you can eat) Wednesday- hot dogs (or tofu dogs) Thursday- Mac and cheese Friday- KFC or Carl’s Jr Saturday- seafood Sunday- brunch
Supper: Monday- ice cream (or if you can’t have ice cream, I can find a substitute that’s just as tasty) Tuesday- we have tacos and burritos because taco Tuesday Wednesday- any fast food of your choice Thursday- we’ll have a salad bar (stuff for fruit salad and taco salad included) Friday- Olive Garden Saturday- you can either make whatever you want or ask me to make whatever you want (my skills are limited to breakfast foods and grilled cheese) Sunday- either Chinese food, pizza, or soup.
*if you don’t like any of these options for can’t eat anything, we can figure something out :) I myself just basically eat instant ramen*
Sincerely,
Ash, your masc non-binary virtual parent
UPDATE: all these comments say Charlie because at the time that's the name I went by. Just to save any confusion
@yolopokecarp4408
I just... I can't stop crying.
And I can't stop my dysphoria.
And I can't stop my dissociating.
And I can't stop having panic attacks looking in the mirror.
But even so, Im still me. Im still a boy. I'm not broken.
@pigeonsunited2578
"Come here princess"
"Its just a phase"
"Don't cut your hair it's cute"
"come on kiley "
To my mother ,
I'm alex , not kiley
Im not your daughter
I cant help it, its who i am
Im sorry your not happy about it
This is who i am
@travismacpherson3318
A child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it's warmth (African Proverb)
@strawberrycow6614
I'm gonna use that!
@jjju3
Thats a good fucking proverb
@strawberrycow6614
@@strongkid2532 r/cursedcomments
@ashercanmakeapun4554
@StrongKid burn them with the fiery emotions of love and affection and understanding*
@ashercanmakeapun4554
And professional help. Burning villages isn’t cool for two reasons
@demonsandevils
I cried when he said trans rights without even saying trans rights
@Langdonnme
Mcaffery Klaus so did i
@wetsocks7871
Aka the whole song ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎
@ArJHill
Ikr