1. According to Easterncathedral.org, Gospel means the 'good news' about Jesus, as proclaimed in his life and teachings, his resurection as well. The video 'Ghetto Gospel' shows the reality of young boys in the hood and their lifes' experiences from the point of view of another young boy. the only connection I found between these two was that the Gospel teaches about Jesus' life, and his resurection. The video teaches about the realities of some young boys that join gangs, and make drugs part of their lives. Jesus died unfairly but for a reason, and the young boy died unfairly as well. both had an impact on people.
2. The lyrics of the song 'Ghetto Gospel' represent almost the same thing that the video shows.
when Tupac mentions the old lady with the bags, it shown the same thing. The things that I dont find similar are when he says that 'everyone's is ashamed to the youth' I dont see a part similar to this in the video. Another thing is when Tupac is talking about his life, and his grandma, there is no reflection of this on the video.
3."We out of the projects/jumped into another form of slavery" I think that he meant that even though they were set free and slavery ended a long time ago, some people of his race, like the young boys, were becoming slaves of the Ghetto, or slave of the drugs, and bad things in life.
4.Both Tupac and Hughes have the same meaning of a funeral. The dead one, the people mourning, the funeral, etc. all these is reflected on their poems. Tupac talked about his own funeral, which he wanted to be remembered by the people he loved and who loved him, even though he wasnt an accomplished man. And Hughes talks about someone else's funeral, in which the mourners' tears, and the solidarity of those that attended is what made the funeral important.
I felt sorrowful when I read both poems. It makes me sad becuase on Tupac's, he's ashamed he was going to die without achieving his dreams, meaning that he wasnt going to be in peace. I wouldnt like to feel that way. As for Hughes, he shows that the flowers and the coffin are not that important. Only the tears of the mourners were the most significant thing for the dead one. the objects dont matter to the one that is dead, what is important is the love that is shown.
5.Hughes' poem talks about a man playing blues music. He described him as a "negro", and the song he was playing made hughes feel melancholy. According to historyof rock.com, the Blues were started by African-Americans, in the time of slavery. They used call-and-response to communicate while working in the plantations. These call-and-responses had rhythm, and they were about their grief, melancholy, and sad feelings. They tended to repeat whatever they said many times, and thats why it sounded like a song, and it formed a pattern. In Hughes' poem, he uses repetition. He also mentiones the word melancholy, death, trouble, and unhappiness, which are the feelings most Blues songs describe. This proves that his poem complemented the elements that characterize the Blues.
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:
Hi Luisana,
In response to your opinion on the line "we out the projects, jumped into another form of slavery", I think it was interesting how you applied it back to the ghetto. I do agree that although we are free from actual slavery, some of the youth that live in the ghetto are still enslaved. They are still enslaved into the activities of the "ghetto", such as gangs, violence, sex and drugs. It can appear to the youth that they have no choice but to engage in this, and they feel hopeless.
Hi Luisana,
I agree with you that the lyrics of the song gives us a better picture of Ghetto lives. There are more detailed in the lyrics than in the video. But the message is almost the same: the hopelessness of their lives.
Luisana,
Repitition is an important characteristic in Blues music. It's also seen all around the world as a form to emphasize a "Blues" type of genre. Usually the line that is repeated is being restated to make the point a lot stronger.
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