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20 Dollar Lyrics

War, war, war!
Talkin' bout y'all's such a bore
I'd rather talk about moi

Like do you know the cost of A.K.'s up in Africa?
Twenty dollars ain't shit to you
But that's how much they are
So they’re gonna use the shit just to get by

Is those diamonds helpin' ya?
Don't you like my bandanna?
My stains hang low on my shirts like aiy aiy aiy
Got monkey brains and banana
I'll hit you with my antenna
Put soap in my eye
Make it red so I look rawr, rawr, rawr

So I woke up with my holy Quran
And found out I like Cadillac
We shooting 'til the song is up
Little boys are acting up
And baby mamas are goin’ crazy
And the leaders all around cracking up
We goat rich, we fry
Price of living in a shanty town
Just seems very high
But we still like T.I.
But we still look fly
Dancin' as we’re shootin' up
and lootin' just to get by

With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head ‘ll collapse when there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself:
"Where is my mind?"

War, war, war!
Who made me like this?
Was it me and God in co-production?
My devil's on speed dial
Every time I take the wrong direction
All I want is one thing and that is what you want
Sometimes I go lose my mind, then I feel numb

There's 24 hours in a day
I used to split it 8-8-8
8 work
8 sleep
8 for play
Now I give it all it takes

Got people on the Internet
A new life for the intellect
People judge me so hard
'Cause I don't floss my titty set
I was born out of dirt like
I'm porn in a skirt
I was a little girl who made good with all what I blurt
I put people on a map that never seen a map
I show 'em something' they've never seen
And hope they make it back

With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head’ll collapse when there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself:
"Where is my mind?"
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38 Meanings

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Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

She's obviously talking about the war in Uganda. The "Invisible Children". The children of Uganda are being kidnapped and are forced to kill people... which includes children, men, and women. The whole thing about diamonds can be referenced to the movie "Blood & Diamonds". That country is corrupt and the cost of diamonds results in blood/slaughter/murder/genocide. The children are the ones that buy the AKs. She's talking about how people ignore it and pretend that it isn't happening. This is a political song about the things that are going on in Africa and about how people just look the other way.

The rest I'm just assuming is how she feels about the whole thing.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

Also, she's not ripping off other music, that's how M.I.A. makes songs, she samples other bands and music for inspiration. It's not stealing either.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

I love the Pixies song "where is my mind" and in $20 M.I.A's use of the lyrics just adds to the point she is trying to get across...Where is my mind?

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

I love the Pixies song "where is my mind" and in $20 M.I.A's use of the lyrics just adds to the point she is trying to get across...Where is my mind?

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

she is just talking about everything that she is about... when she says "People judge me so hard coz I don't floss my titty set" means that people judge her hard cause she is a female that is not talking about sex and popping her female parts.. and the rest is about how it is in the third world.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

I'm sure she says floss my teeth, not flash my titty set.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

These lyrics are way wrong.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

"People judge me so hard coz I don't floss my titty set" titty set=set of teeth.

I don't know the meaning of the song but I love the words anyway, it makes you think and it makes me cry.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

I think this song is about the ignorance of western culture. We ignore all the horrible things going on in the world but we still seem to care about material things.

Cover art for 20 Dollar lyrics by M.I.A.

I think this song is about the ignorance of western culture. We ignore all the horrible things going on in the world but we still seem to care about material things.