So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
And he'll bring out the, out the darkness
Sweet King Martin, sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm, sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary, sweet Father Joseph, sweet Jesus
We made it in America, sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus, we made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus
We made it in America
I told my mama I was on the come up
She said "You going to school I'll give you a summer"
Then she met NO I.D, and gave me his number
Ten years later she driving a Hummer
Niggas hustle every day for a beat from Ye
What I do? Turn around gave them beats to Jay
And I'm rapping on the beats they was supposed to buy
I guess I'm getting high off my own supply
Downtown mixing fabrics trying to find the magic
Started a little blog just to get some traffic
Old folks'll tell you not to play in traffic uh
A million hits and the web crashes, damn!
South Park had 'em all laughing
Now all my niggas designing and we all swaggin'
Ignore the critics just to say we did it
This ain't no fashion show, motherfucker, we live it
Sweet King Martin, sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm, sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary, sweet Father Joseph, sweet Jesus
We made it in America, sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus, we made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America
I pledge allegiance, uh, to my Grandma
For that banana pudding, our piece of Americana
Our apple pie was supplied through Arm and Hammer
Straight out the kitchen, shh don't wake Nana
Built a republic, that still stands
I'm trying to lead a nation, to leave to my little mans
Or my daughter, so I'm boiling this water
The scales was lopsided, I'm just restoring order
Hold up, here comes grandma, what's up YaYa?
What's that smell? Oh I'm just boiling some aqua
No papa, bad Santa
The streets raised me, pardon my bad manners
I got my liberty, chopping grams up
Street justice, I pray God understand us
I pledge allegiance to all the scramblers
This is the Star Spangled Banner
Sweet King Martin, sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm, sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary, sweet Father Joseph, sweet Jesus
We made it in America, sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus, we made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America yes we did
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America yes we did
Sweet King Martin, sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm, sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary, sweet Father Joseph, sweet Jesus
We made it in America, sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus, we made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus
We made it in America
I told my mama I was on the come up
She said "You going to school I'll give you a summer"
Then she met NO I.D, and gave me his number
Ten years later she driving a Hummer
Niggas hustle every day for a beat from Ye
What I do? Turn around gave them beats to Jay
And I'm rapping on the beats they was supposed to buy
I guess I'm getting high off my own supply
Downtown mixing fabrics trying to find the magic
Started a little blog just to get some traffic
Old folks'll tell you not to play in traffic uh
A million hits and the web crashes, damn!
South Park had 'em all laughing
Now all my niggas designing and we all swaggin'
Ignore the critics just to say we did it
This ain't no fashion show, motherfucker, we live it
Sweet King Martin, sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm, sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary, sweet Father Joseph, sweet Jesus
We made it in America, sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus, we made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America
I pledge allegiance, uh, to my Grandma
For that banana pudding, our piece of Americana
Our apple pie was supplied through Arm and Hammer
Straight out the kitchen, shh don't wake Nana
Built a republic, that still stands
I'm trying to lead a nation, to leave to my little mans
Or my daughter, so I'm boiling this water
The scales was lopsided, I'm just restoring order
Hold up, here comes grandma, what's up YaYa?
What's that smell? Oh I'm just boiling some aqua
No papa, bad Santa
The streets raised me, pardon my bad manners
I got my liberty, chopping grams up
Street justice, I pray God understand us
I pledge allegiance to all the scramblers
This is the Star Spangled Banner
Sweet King Martin, sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm, sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary, sweet Father Joseph, sweet Jesus
We made it in America, sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus, we made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America yes we did
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh, oh sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America yes we did
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Sweet King Martin - Martin Luther King Jr. Sweet Queen Coretta - Coretta Scott King Sweet Brother Malcolm - Malcolm "X" Shabazz Sweet Queen Betty - Betty Shabazz Sweet Mother Mary - Mary (Mother of Jesus) Sweet Father Joseph - Joseph (Foster Father of Jesus) Sweet Jesus - Jesus, Our Lord and our Saviour!
"We made it in America Sweet Baby Jesus Oh sweet baby Jesus"
We - Black People - Negroes - Colored People - Once subhuman, once second class citizens - WE made it. We are now top selling artists, scientists, astronauts, teachers, doctors, nurses, the richest woman in America and even the President of the US!
The song is essentially about the black American's struggle and that no matter how much of an unfair race we start with, we can still make it, specifically about Ye (humble beginnings) and Jay's (once drug dealer) and how far they came.
Frank Ocean's expression expression gives it a kind of sermon to the Lord feel and almost like a "Can you believe it?" type of attitude.
The struggle for Black people not only in America, but worldwide, continues. However, just looking at how far we came with such a disadvantage shows just how brighter our future will be.