First, fol… Read Full Bio ↴There are three artists known under the name of Abdullah.
First, following in the influences of Black Sabbath and Sisters of Mercy, the Richfield, OH-based Abdullah got together in 1998 through drummer and vocalist Jeff Shirilla. Accompanied by guitarist Al Seibert, the duo brought on their hybrid of doom metal from their own Rage of Achilles Records and released their debut EP "Snake Lore" in 1999.
There is also second artist using this name, who released the single "I Comma Zimba Zio (Here I Stand The Mighty One)/"Why Them, Why Me" on Motown Records in 1968.
How the man Joseph McLean recording under his Muslim name Abdullah came to be signed by Motown isn't made clear in the notes, but this was his only record, 'cause he was dropped after charging into a white Motown employees office, calling him a blue-eyed devil and pushing a letter opener up under his chin.
And third is Ahmed Abdullah, real name - Leroy Bland
Jazz trumpet player, born on May 10, 1947, in Harlem, New York, USA.
Played with the Sun Ra Arkestra between 1975 and 1997.
Leroy Bland began performing at age 13 in his native New York City. By the 1970s he was performing in New York's loft scene, and joined the Sun Ra Arkestra in 1976, working there on and off until 1993, when Sun Ra died. During that time Abdullah participated in more than 25 recordings and traveled extensively with Sun Ra. He has performed with Chico Freeman, Charles Brackeen, Steve Reid, John Hicks and Marion Brown, among others. He led his own "Solomonic Quintet" and recorded for Silkheart and Cadence Jazz.
Black Helicopters
Abdullah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will you help me understand?
Disinformation travels through static lines,
Fluorescent lights surrounding this distant shrine
Will you tell me where I am?
Seems it's got to be a new identity,
A brand new energy that transmits through the haze of industry,
Infused in our subconscious through filtered light
With programmed divinations of hybrid design,
This dark intelligence.
Seems it's got to be a system atrophy.
A signal frequency that broadcast from the depths of the abyss.
Will the mainframe systems rot?
Will you intercept our thoughts?
Black helicopters circle just overhead.
Artificial spirits mingle among the dead.
Will technology decay?
Seems it's got to be mystic technology,
A new divinity,
The lights shine down on a frenzied parade again,
I can show you the way.
The skyline fades like synthetic decay again,
I can show you the way.
I will come through, I will show you.
I can cure you
Meet me up in the sky
Meet me up in the burning sky
Take me up to the sky
Take me up to the burning sky
The axis turns and the temples will burn again,
I can show you the way
The symbols show how the earth will erode again,
I can show you the way
The lyrics of Abdullah's song "Black Helicopters" seem to speak about confusion, disorientation, and fear caused by new technology and a changing world. The singer of the song feels lost, not knowing who they are or where they stand in the face of "disinformation" that travels through "static lines." The imagery of "fluorescent lights" and "distant shrines" portrays a cold, artificial world, where even spirituality is mediated through technology. The idea of a "new identity" and a "brand new energy" that transmits through the "haze of industry" suggests that the singer is struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing global economy, where old ways of life are being uprooted and new ways are emerging.
The song suggests that this disorientation is not accidental but the result of a deliberate "dark intelligence" that is "infused in our subconscious through filtered light." This "programmed divinations of hybrid design" could be interpreted as a critique of consumerism, where marketing strategies shape our desires and expectations, leading us to consume products that have little to do with our actual needs and desires. The idea of "artificial spirits" and "black helicopters" hovering overhead creates a sense of paranoia and fear, as the singer wonders whether "technology" will eventually "decay" and whether we will be able to intercept our own thoughts.
The chorus of the song, "Meet me up in the sky/Take me up to the burning sky," suggests a desire to escape this world of confusion and artificiality and find a new kind of spirituality. The singer hopes to find a way out of this dystopian world, where "temples will burn again" and the "earth will erode." The song seems to suggest that we need to find a way to reconnect with nature and ourselves in a world where technology and consumerism seem to dominate our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Will you show me who I am?
Asking for guidance to understand oneself
Will you help me understand?
Asking for assistance to comprehend something
Disinformation travels through static lines,
Misleading information sent through a communication system
Fluorescent lights surrounding this distant shrine
Electric lights illuminating a faraway sacred place
Will you tell me where I am?
Requesting to be informed of one's location
Seems it's got to be a new identity,
Implying the need for a new persona
A brand new energy that transmits through the haze of industry,
A fresh force that overcomes the stresses of modern life
Infused in our subconscious through filtered light
Ingrained in our mind through dim illumination
With programmed divinations of hybrid design,
With predetermined predictions of a combining nature
This dark intelligence.
This sinister understanding
Seems it's got to be a system atrophy.
Seems to be a gradual decline of a machine
A signal frequency that broadcast from the depths of the abyss.
A transmission that originates from the bottomless pit
Will the mainframe systems rot?
Asking whether the computer networks will decay
Will you intercept our thoughts?
Asking if someone is reading one's mind
Black helicopters circle just overhead.
Dark helicopters flying over the area
Artificial spirits mingle among the dead.
Synthetic souls mix with the deceased
Will technology decay?
Asking if machines will break down
Seems it's got to be mystic technology,
Appears to be supernatural machines
A new divinity,
A novel form of deity
The lights shine down on a frenzied parade again,
The illumination brightly covers an enthusiastic procession once more
I can show you the way.
Can guide you towards the right direction
The skyline fades like synthetic decay again,
The horizon vanishes like artificial rot anew
I can show you the way.
Can guide you towards the right direction
I will come through, I will show you.
Will assist and provide guidance
I can cure you
Can heal and remedy someone
Meet me up in the sky
Arrange a rendezvous in the heavens
Meet me up in the burning sky
Meet where the sky is ablaze
Take me up to the sky
Elevate me to the skies
Take me up to the burning sky
Lift me to where the sky is scorching
The axis turns and the temples will burn again,
The world revolves and the places of worship will be consumed anew
I can show you the way
Can guide you towards the right direction
The symbols show how the earth will erode again,
The signs indicate the planet's deterioration once more
I can show you the way
Can guide you towards the right direction
Contributed by Isaiah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Déjà Vu
Most underrated song of the history :(
the Herdmeister -
I solemnly concur
Max Carr
One O' my All Time Faves!!!
Max Carr
Still Brutal!!!