Madagascar

Produced by

The title of the song along with lyrics in chorus draw a parallel with the island of Madagascar off the coast of eastern Africa and a general feeling of being outcast from… Read More

Nov. 23, 20081 viewer14.8K views

Madagascar Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I won't be told anymore
That I've been brought down in this storm
And left so far out from the shore
That I can't find my way back, my way back anymore
Oh, no, I won't be told anymore
That I've been bought down in this storm
Ooh, and left so far out from the shore
Oh, that I can't find my way back, my way anymore, no

[Chorus]
Oh, I
I

[Verse 2]
Forgive them that tear down my soul
And bless them that they might grow old
And free them so that they may know
That it's never too late
For the many times, what seemed like a memory
I searched and found the ways you used to lure me in
Oh, I found the ways
Ooh, why it had to be mired in denial, and so afraid

[Chorus]
If we ever find it's true
That we have the strength to choose
Oh, freedom, or the chains
We have together

[Bridge/Guitar Solo]
(I'm gonna tell you a story)
(Stand up for righteousness)
(Eh, what...)
(Stand up for justice)
(Eh, what...)
(Stand up for truth)
(How can a person grow up with all this around them?)
(You gotta call on that something...)
(Where does it come from?)
(...That can make a way out of no way!)
(All this hatred)
(What we've got here is...)
(Fear)
(That power that can make a way out of no way)
(Failure to communicate)
(I tell you I've seen a lightning flash, I've heard the thunder roar)
(Everybody's acting that we can do anything and it don't matter what we do, maybe we gotta be extra careful, because maybe it matters more that we even know)
(Sometimes)
(Hatred isn't something you're born with...)
(I feel discouraged)
(..it gets taught)
(Sometimes I feel discouraged)
(I felt this...fear)
(He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No, never alone, no, never alone)
(Let's get sometin' straight alright)
(He promised never to leave me)
(This whole thing is fucked up!)
(Never to leave me alone)
(Well, all men betray, all lose heart)
(I don't wanna lose heart! I wanna believe!)
(Black men and White men together, at the table of brotherhood, I have a dream!)
(Free at last, free at last)
(Thank God almighty, We are free at last!)

[Outro]
Oh, I won't be told anymore
(If we ever find it's true)
That I've been brought down in this storm
(That we have the strength to choose)
And left so far out from the shore
(Oh, freedom, or the chains)
That I can't find my way back, my way anymore
(We have together)
Oh, no, I won't be told anymore
(If we ever find it's true)
Ooh, that I've been brought down in this storm
(That we have the strength to choose)
Oh, and left so far out from the shore
(Oh, freedom, or the chains)
That I can't find my way back, my way anymore
(We held together)

About

The title of the song along with lyrics in chorus draw a parallel with the island of Madagascar off the coast of eastern Africa and a general feeling of being outcast from the society at large. The lyrics are largely a commentary on hope and managing seemingly hopeless situations. The sampled quotes drive the point home from various real life (or movie plot) perspectives. The main message clearly being self-reliance and the importance of not listening to the nay-sayers.

The song has a co-writing credit by Martin Luther King Jr. because that was the only way his estate would allow two of his sermons to be sampled.