1. Gospel's meaning is very clear to most of us. Gospel is originated from Christianity. It is like a standard of living a good life. It also means something good, even holy that everyone should look up to it.
Tupac uses Gospel word in his lyrics and combines the word with the word Ghetto. It doesn't completely change the meaning of the word. It gives the word a darker meaning. Ghetto gospel is a doctrine of living of all African American in the US. It contains all of the hardships and struggles during their daily lives. It gives the younger better understanding what the previous generations have been through. The younger make mistakes and learn from them like Tupac says: "I make mistakes, I learn from everyone. And when its said and done, ill be called a better one."
2. The writing of the lyrics doesn't give me a very much different picture of the Ghetto neighborhood, but it does give me a more detailed picture of their daily lives. The music video shows a life of a young man who gets killed for selling drugs. It is probably the reality of the Ghetto life. You sell drug for a living, and sometimes either you kill or get killed for it. But the poem/ lyrics gives me a bigger picture. It tells me that not only one life is ruined like that, but many lives for many generations are ruined. That's the Ghetto gospel. Day by day, drug and violence are like water and rice. They happen all the time whether you like it or not. The younger can look up to the previous generation's lives, and try not to go on the same path. They can try, but the reality may pull them in against their will.
3. "We out of the projects/ Jumped into another form of slavery" gives us the truth of the Ghetto destiny. Yes, now they are free from slavery after many years of fighting. And yes now they are into drug and crime. Whether it is against their will or not, drug and crime beslave the Ghetto not just physically, but emotionally. When they sell drug and get involved in crime, they also sell theri souls.
4. Hughes "Night funeral in Harlem" describes a simple matter of what happens in the Ghetto neighborhood. They are so poor to the extent that they struggle a lot to bury their loved ones. Financial problems happen all the time. "Old preacher man preached that boy away - charged five dollars. His girl friend had to pay."
Tupac "In the event of my demise" gives us an inner picture of a young man who feels desperate for not accomplishing anything before he dies. He feels as if his life is nothing. He has done nothing to leave a remarkable memory for his family and friends. I think he just so depressed of his current way of living that he forgets that his family and friends just love him the way he is, and not for the outside rewards.
There is only one word appearing in my mind when I am reading these poem: hopeless. I feel their hopelessnesses. They want to change their lives, but they just can't.
5. Blue music is well known for its repetive effects and the down feelings it gives the audience. Hughes "Weary Blues" is an example of both. You can feel the drowsy feelings for the entire poem. The repitions in line 6,7, 11, 16, 25,26,27 and 28 give us even worse feelings. That's effect of the repetitions.
Tupac Shakur
In the Event of My Demise
In the event of my Demise
when my heart can beat no more
I Hope I Die
For A Principleor A
Belief that I had Lived 4
I will die Before My Time
Because I feel the shadow's Depth
so much I wanted 2 accomplish
before I reached my Death
I have come 2 grips
with the possibility
and wiped the last tear from my eyes
I Loved All who were Positive
In the event of my Demise
Langston Hughes Poetry
"Night Funeral in Harlem "
Night funeral
In Harlem:
Where did they get
Them two fine cars?
Insurance man, he did not pay--
His insurance lapsed the other day--
Yet they got a satin box
for his head to lay.
Night funeral
In Harlem:
Who was it sent
That wreath of flowers?
Them flowers came
from that poor boy's friends--
They'll want flowers, too,
When they meet their ends.
Night funeral
in Harlem:
Who preached that
Black boy to his grave?
Old preacher man
Preached that boy away--
Charged Five Dollars
His girl friend had to pay.
Night funeral
In Harlem:
When it was all over
And the lid shut on his head
and the organ had done played
and the last prayers been said
and six pallbearers
Carried him out for dead
And off down Lenox Avenue
That long black hearse done sped,
The street light
At his corner
Shined just like a tear--
That boy that they was mournin'
Was so dear, so dear
To them folks that brought the flowers,
To that girl who paid the preacher man--
It was all their tears that made
That poor boy's
Funeral grand.
Night funeral
In Harlem.
Tupac: Ghetto Gospel Lyrics
Ghetto Gospel:
If I could recollect before my hood dayz
I would sit in bliss and reminis on the good dayz.
I stop and stare at the younger, my heart goes to'em
They stressed and goin under.
We never really went through that Cause we was born
Today things change, it's a shame
They blame it on the youth cause the truth look strange
For them it;s worse, we come from a world that;s cursed
And it hurts.
Cause any day they;ll push the button.
And y;all condemned like malcom x and uncle bob
They died for nothin.
Make the people teary, the world looks dreary
But when you wipe your eyes you see it clearly.
There's no need for you to fear me.
If you take the time to hear me, maybe you can learn to cheer me.
It ain't about black or white, both doin I hope you see the light before it's ruined
My ghetto gospel
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
My ghetto gospel
Tell me do you see that old lady she ain't sad
Living out a bag, in rags, loving the things she has
Over there see that lady, the cracks got her crazy.
And she's gonna give birth to a baby?
I shouldnt let it phase me.
We out of the projects
Jumped into another form of slavery.
And even now I get discouraged.
I wonder if its tooken all back will I still keep the courage.
I refuse to be a role model.
I keep control on the hoes and take out my old bottle.
I make mistakes, I learn from everyone.
And when its said and done, ill be called a better one.
If I strecth you dont stretch.
Never forget, god is gonna finish with me yet.
I feel his hands on my brain.
When I write ryhmes, i go blind, and let the lord do this thing. But am I any less holy, I
choose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies
And then world peace, we tried and failed
Now there's war in the streets
My ghetto gospel
I remember grandmas hands use to hold me
Mold me, I never forget the things she told me
Brothas a butt, and played the big shot
But you know grannys are the only other thing lil ghetto kids got.
Mom's work, and pop's burried.
Drop me off at granny's, left without a heart cause she's worried
And ghetto grannys are like books.
We got some many crooks, so many granny's gettin shook.
And gettin trapped in a nursing home.
Times is hard, and even worse alone
And how could you be so cold,
Youll get your turn, as soon as you turn old.
All they ask of every person,
Is for a brotha to figure whats on his mind when he's cursin.
9 out of 10 youll find them problems.
Time to take listen and see what you can do to solve them. Cause every body needs a little help
On the way of relying on ones self.
And think about it, why 2pac hit you with a little ghetto gospel My ghetto gospel
I wake up stone cold gangsta main
See ya gave me ghetto gospel, i thank you main
Use to roll in the back and do drugs a lot.
Now im bangin the tracks, slangin ryhmes I got.
In this world of greed tryin to succeed on my beliefs.
Now I lay me down to sleep, lord can you hear me speak.
Can you forgive me for my sins
If I had it all to do again, id still play to win I hope the lord can understand me.
A mans gotta do what he can for his family.
And pay the price of being hellbound.
But i ratha see hell later than see hell now.
And the devil aint got nothin on the president.
Cut back and keep us trapped in our residence.
And be like animals in cages.
We can rant and rave about slavery for ages.
Or we can stop makin awful
And hitem with a lil ghetto gospel My ghetto gospel.
If I could recollect before my hood dayz
I would sit in bliss and reminis on the good dayz.
I stop and stare at the younger, my heart goes to'em
They stressed and goin under.
We never really went through that Cause we was born
Today things change, it's a shame
They blame it on the youth cause the truth look strange
For them it;s worse, we come from a world that;s cursed
And it hurts.
Cause any day they;ll push the button.
And y;all condemned like malcom x and uncle bob
They died for nothin.
Make the people teary, the world looks dreary
But when you wipe your eyes you see it clearly.
There's no need for you to fear me.
If you take the time to hear me, maybe you can learn to cheer me.
It ain't about black or white, both doin I hope you see the light before it's ruined
My ghetto gospel
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
My ghetto gospel
Tell me do you see that old lady she ain't sad
Living out a bag, in rags, loving the things she has
Over there see that lady, the cracks got her crazy.
And she's gonna give birth to a baby?
I shouldnt let it phase me.
We out of the projects
Jumped into another form of slavery.
And even now I get discouraged.
I wonder if its tooken all back will I still keep the courage.
I refuse to be a role model.
I keep control on the hoes and take out my old bottle.
I make mistakes, I learn from everyone.
And when its said and done, ill be called a better one.
If I strecth you dont stretch.
Never forget, god is gonna finish with me yet.
I feel his hands on my brain.
When I write ryhmes, i go blind, and let the lord do this thing. But am I any less holy, I
choose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies
And then world peace, we tried and failed
Now there's war in the streets
My ghetto gospel
I remember grandmas hands use to hold me
Mold me, I never forget the things she told me
Brothas a butt, and played the big shot
But you know grannys are the only other thing lil ghetto kids got.
Mom's work, and pop's burried.
Drop me off at granny's, left without a heart cause she's worried
And ghetto grannys are like books.
We got some many crooks, so many granny's gettin shook.
And gettin trapped in a nursing home.
Times is hard, and even worse alone
And how could you be so cold,
Youll get your turn, as soon as you turn old.
All they ask of every person,
Is for a brotha to figure whats on his mind when he's cursin.
9 out of 10 youll find them problems.
Time to take listen and see what you can do to solve them. Cause every body needs a little help
On the way of relying on ones self.
And think about it, why 2pac hit you with a little ghetto gospel My ghetto gospel
I wake up stone cold gangsta main
See ya gave me ghetto gospel, i thank you main
Use to roll in the back and do drugs a lot.
Now im bangin the tracks, slangin ryhmes I got.
In this world of greed tryin to succeed on my beliefs.
Now I lay me down to sleep, lord can you hear me speak.
Can you forgive me for my sins
If I had it all to do again, id still play to win I hope the lord can understand me.
A mans gotta do what he can for his family.
And pay the price of being hellbound.
But i ratha see hell later than see hell now.
And the devil aint got nothin on the president.
Cut back and keep us trapped in our residence.
And be like animals in cages.
We can rant and rave about slavery for ages.
Or we can stop makin awful
And hitem with a lil ghetto gospel My ghetto gospel.
Hughes "Weary Blues"
Weary Blues
1 Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,
2 Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,
3 I heard a Negro play.
4 Down on Lenox Avenue the other night
5 By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light
6 He did a lazy sway ....
7 He did a lazy sway ....
8 To the tune o' those Weary Blues.
9 With his ebony hands on each ivory key
10 He made that poor piano moan with melody.
11 O Blues!
12 Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool
13 He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.
14 Sweet Blues!
15 Coming from a black man's soul.
16 O Blues!
17 In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone
18 I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan--
19 "Ain't got nobody in all this world,
20 Ain't got nobody but ma self.
21 I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
22 And put ma troubles on the shelf."
23 Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.
24 He played a few chords then he sang some more--
25 "I got the Weary Blues
26 And I can't be satisfied.
27 Got the Weary Blues
28 And can't be satisfied--
29 I ain't happy no mo'
30 And I wish that I had died."
31 And far into the night he crooned that tune.
32 The stars went out and so did the moon.
33 The singer stopped playing and went to bed
34 While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.
35 He slept like a rock or a man that's dead.
1 Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,
2 Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,
3 I heard a Negro play.
4 Down on Lenox Avenue the other night
5 By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light
6 He did a lazy sway ....
7 He did a lazy sway ....
8 To the tune o' those Weary Blues.
9 With his ebony hands on each ivory key
10 He made that poor piano moan with melody.
11 O Blues!
12 Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool
13 He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.
14 Sweet Blues!
15 Coming from a black man's soul.
16 O Blues!
17 In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone
18 I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan--
19 "Ain't got nobody in all this world,
20 Ain't got nobody but ma self.
21 I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
22 And put ma troubles on the shelf."
23 Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.
24 He played a few chords then he sang some more--
25 "I got the Weary Blues
26 And I can't be satisfied.
27 Got the Weary Blues
28 And can't be satisfied--
29 I ain't happy no mo'
30 And I wish that I had died."
31 And far into the night he crooned that tune.
32 The stars went out and so did the moon.
33 The singer stopped playing and went to bed
34 While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.
35 He slept like a rock or a man that's dead.
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3 comments:
Hey Thuy,
The line about jumping into another slavery is definitely emotional. It's also mental. These young men become slaves to the money, clothes, women, liquor, and sometimes the drugs. The allure of the life is insane, i'm from that sort of lifestyle, so I have an idea of what the feeling is when you're living that life. It is a form of mental slavery, and if you're not strong or smart enough, you won't survive.
I agree with you regarding Hughes Blues music. Hughes diction and rhymes of the poem made one feel as if you were being bombarded by blues lyrics. It war truly dreary and had an air of melancholy.
Hey Thuy,
It's very true that we all learn from our mistakes. and thanks to our mistakes we get to be better people.
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