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.
California love!
1-California...knows how to party
California...knows how to party
In the citaaay of L.A.
In the citaaay of good ol' Watts
In the citaaay, the city of Compton
We keep it rockin! We keep it rockin!
Verse One: Dr. Dre
Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west
A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness
The track hits ya eardrum like a slug to ya chest
Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex
We in that sunshine state with a bomb ass hemp beat
the state where ya never find a dance floor empty
And pimps be on a mission for them greens
lean mean money-makin-machines servin fiends
I been in the game for ten years makin rap tunes
ever since honeys was wearin sassoon
Now it's '95 and they clock me and watch me
Diamonds shinin lookin like I robbed Liberace
It's all good, from Diego to tha Bay
Your city is tha bomb if your city makin pay
Throw up a finger if ya feel the same way
Dre puttin it down for
Californ-i-a
(repeat 1)
2-Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it mama
Shake it Cali
Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it shake it shake it...
Verse Two: 2Pac
Out on bail fresh outta jail
California dreamin
Soon as I stepped on the scene
I'm hearin hoochies screamin
Fiendin for money and alcohol
the life of a west side playa where cowards die
Only in Cali where we riot now rallies are live and die
In L.A. we wearin Chucks not Ballies (that's right)
Dressed in Locs and khaki suits and ride is what we do
Flossin but have caution we collide with other crews
Famous cause we program worldwide
Let'em recognize from Longbeach to Rosecrans
Bumpin and grindin like a slow jam, it's west side
So you know the row won't bow down to no man
Say what you say
But give me that bomb beat from Dre
Let me serenade the streets of L.A.
From Oakland to Sacktown
The Bay Area and back down
Cali is where they put they mack down
Give me love!
(rpt 1)
(dre) now make it shake...
(rpt 2)
Outro: Dre, 2Pac
uh, yeah, uh, longbeach in tha house, uh yeah
Oaktown, Oakland definately in tha house hahaha
Frisko, Frisko
(Tupac) hey, you know LA is up in this
Pasadina, where you at
yeah, Ingelwood, Ingelwood always up to no good
(Tupac) even Hollywood tryin to get a piece baby
Sacramento, sacramento where ya at? yeah
Throw it up y'all, throw it up, Throw it up
Let's show these fools how we do this on that west side
Cause you and I know it's tha best side
yeah, That's riight
west coast, west coast
uh, California Love
California Love
1-California...knows how to party
California...knows how to party
In the citaaay of L.A.
In the citaaay of good ol' Watts
In the citaaay, the city of Compton
We keep it rockin! We keep it rockin!
Verse One: Dr. Dre
Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west
A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness
The track hits ya eardrum like a slug to ya chest
Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex
We in that sunshine state with a bomb ass hemp beat
the state where ya never find a dance floor empty
And pimps be on a mission for them greens
lean mean money-makin-machines servin fiends
I been in the game for ten years makin rap tunes
ever since honeys was wearin sassoon
Now it's '95 and they clock me and watch me
Diamonds shinin lookin like I robbed Liberace
It's all good, from Diego to tha Bay
Your city is tha bomb if your city makin pay
Throw up a finger if ya feel the same way
Dre puttin it down for
Californ-i-a
(repeat 1)
2-Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it mama
Shake it Cali
Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it shake it shake it...
Verse Two: 2Pac
Out on bail fresh outta jail
California dreamin
Soon as I stepped on the scene
I'm hearin hoochies screamin
Fiendin for money and alcohol
the life of a west side playa where cowards die
Only in Cali where we riot now rallies are live and die
In L.A. we wearin Chucks not Ballies (that's right)
Dressed in Locs and khaki suits and ride is what we do
Flossin but have caution we collide with other crews
Famous cause we program worldwide
Let'em recognize from Longbeach to Rosecrans
Bumpin and grindin like a slow jam, it's west side
So you know the row won't bow down to no man
Say what you say
But give me that bomb beat from Dre
Let me serenade the streets of L.A.
From Oakland to Sacktown
The Bay Area and back down
Cali is where they put they mack down
Give me love!
(rpt 1)
(dre) now make it shake...
(rpt 2)
Outro: Dre, 2Pac
uh, yeah, uh, longbeach in tha house, uh yeah
Oaktown, Oakland definately in tha house hahaha
Frisko, Frisko
(Tupac) hey, you know LA is up in this
Pasadina, where you at
yeah, Ingelwood, Ingelwood always up to no good
(Tupac) even Hollywood tryin to get a piece baby
Sacramento, sacramento where ya at? yeah
Throw it up y'all, throw it up, Throw it up
Let's show these fools how we do this on that west side
Cause you and I know it's tha best side
yeah, That's riight
west coast, west coast
uh, California Love
California Love
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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This is one of my fave song of all time. I'm a California native myself, and there's no better song to represent the state.
TuPac Amaru Shakur R.I.P. The Real Thug
This was my fave song by him
geez some people get so upset with there comments it a song a bloody good dance song for somone who loves heavy metal this is ok as far as any other type of music.
2pac was shot in nevada not in california, dumb-arse
Shit, this song is fucking awesome... Yo 'pac, your a Legend. You live in your lyrics.
i wrote this ong a long time ago, a real long time ago way back and ninety-foh lol u have to watch chapelles show.....the recors might skip the record might skip see i tol du stop bumping the table....."tupac rest in peace" "ok i will" ah good times good times good song too
Awesome song.
Potential correction - the line in verse 1 sounds, to me, like "we in that sunshine state where the bomb-ass hemp be", rather than what's above. Any thoughts on that?
Shot by Biggie Smalls in Nevada, yup, and some say he's not dead- possibly somewhere in Ghana or Cameroon, maybe mexico.
Foop.