"Pull your god damn ass over right now
Aww shit, now what the fuck you pullin me over for?
Cause I feel like it!
Just sit your ass on the curb and shut the fuck up
Man, fuck this shit
Aight, smartass, I’m taking your black ass to jail!"
Once again, probable cause isn't necessary, search warrants aren't necessary, and if you're black, you don't even need to have committed a crime to be stopped, searched, detained, and arrested.
The song itself has many elements that contribute to the emotional response it elicits. Some of which are:
Lyrics- The lyrics, as I’ve stated, are one of the key elements of this song, and for me anyway, are far in away the single most emotionally riveting aspect of it. The lyrics tell an enthralling and haunting story of the realities of being black in America in the 80’s. The lyrics are so powerful in fact, that "Fuck Tha Police" is one of the most used protest songs to date.
Melody- Several interludes of dialogue—Diegesis—interrupt the overall repeating melody of the song in 4/4 measure. The melody is easy to listen to and I find myself tapping my foot along to it rather than the beat, which is rare. It serves as a vessel to deliver a message, the message being the lyrics. Not all songs are like this, many are equally as focused on the melody as they are on the lyrics, or even more so. In this song though, I truly feel it supports rather than detracts from the true message.
Harmony- The harmony is created in this song when you have the overlapping of a completely different note on the first beat of each measure. The stark juxtaposition between the smooth melody sharply imposed upon during the harmonious beat serves to recapture the listeners attention to the meaningful lyrics of the song. Another purpose this beat serves is in creating a catchy, lively beat that brings in more listeners that then hear of the lyrics and the plight that N.W.A. is trying to bring attention to. What better way to broadcast your message than to include it in something that people will actually tune into because of an ear satisfying harmony.
The song was a huge success. It's ranked 425 on the Rolling Stone's list of the
500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was so influential that it prompted the FBI to write to N.W.A.'s record company stating that the song misrepresented police and incited violence. The song was an anthem of the Rodney King Riots (and re-sparked during the George Floyd protests) which only fueled the flames of outrage against police brutality and acquittal. That's the thing about "Fuck Tha Police", sure, it's a song, a damn good one, but it was also a
movement.
The song was so successful in fact, that it inspired a movie based entirely on the development of the song, production, aftermath and fallout of "Fuck Tha Police" called Straight Outta Compton (2015).
The lyrics to this song are amazing. When I first heard this song I was about 12 years old. I never really understood the meaning of the lyrics at the time. Since I was so young but right after the Trayvon Martin shooting happened. I revisited the song since it was shortly after I first to listen to N.W.A. It definitely changed my whole aspect of the police and America. I never thought of the same again. Everytime I see a police car roll by I always think "Fuck the police" haha. The other aspect I love about the song is the real controversy it brought. Where they tried to silence N.W.A. and basically take away their freedom of speech. Like you said this song was a movement and started a ton of protests. Where even bloods, crips, and eses came together to unite for a shot period of time.
ReplyDeleteThis song is a very iconic song of the 90's where the black community were very angry at the police brutality that is taking place even today. I see this as a constructive way to protest rather than violence. I agree with you that there is a lot of overlap in the sounds that makes it a very unique sound that is very catchy. I do also like the lyrics of this song as it is very easy to understand and sends a message. Most rap songs I don't like as they are too fats paced and don't make sense but this one does.
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