Although much of DiFranco's material is autobiographical, it is often also strongly political. Many of her songs are concerned with contemporary social issues such as racism, sexism, sexual abuse, homophobia, reproductive rights, poverty, and war. DiFranco's guitar playing is often characterized by a signature staccato style, rapid finger picking and many alternate tunings. She delivers many of her lines in a speaking style notable for its rhythmic variation. Her lyrics, which often include alliteration, metaphor, word play and a more-or-less gentle irony, have also received praise for their sophistication. She has released 19 solo albums (not including collaborative albums or live albums), all of which were released on her own independent record label, Righteous Babe Records (which she formed in 1989 at the age of 19).
DiFranco has been a critical success for much of her career, though not a commercial one by major label standards, with a career album average of 72 on Metacritic. Living in Clip, DiFranco's 1998 double live album, is the only one to achieve gold record status to date. DiFranco has been praised by the Buffalo News as the "Buffalo's leading lady of rock music".
Hello Birmingham
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am floating away
Into the overcast skies
Over my home town
On election day
What is it about Birmingham?
What is it about Buffalo?
Did the hate filled want to build bunkers
In your beautiful red earth
They want to build them in our shiny white snow
And now I've drawn closed the curtains
In this little booth
Where the truth has no place to stand
And I am feeling oh so powerless
In this stupid booth
With this useless little lever in my hand
And outside
My city is bracing
For the next killing thing
Standing by the bridge
And praying for the next Doctor Martin Luther King
It was just one shot
Through the kitchen window
Just one or two miles from here
If you fly like a crow
A bullet came to visit a doctor
In his one safe place
A bullet ensuring the right to life
Whizzed past his kid and his wife
And knocked his glasses right off of his face
And the blood poured off the pulpit
Yeah the blood poured down the picket lines
And the hatred was immediate, yeah
And the vengeance was divine
So they went and stuffed God down the barrel of a gun
And after him they stuffed his only son
Hello Birmingham; it's Buffalo
I heard you had some trouble down there again
Just calling to let to know
That somebody understands
I was once escorted
Through the doors
Of a clinic
By a man
In a bulletproof vest
And no bombs
Went off that day
So I am still here to say
Birmingham
I'm wishing you all of my best
Oh Birmingham
I'm wishing you all of my best
Oh Birmingham
I'm wishing you all of my best
On this election day
Ani DiFranco's song Hello Birmingham is a powerful commentary on the state of a country during an election day, specifically focusing on the violence and hate that is present in certain areas, as well as the feeling of helplessness that can be experienced during the voting process. The first stanza sets the scene of the singer floating away into the sky on election day, observing their hometown from above. It presents a feeling of detachment from one's surroundings, and the "overcast skies" suggest a sense of unease or foreboding. The mention of Birmingham and Buffalo sets up the main themes of the song, which are violence, hate, and the struggle for civil rights.
The lyrics in the next stanza address the history of violence and hate in Birmingham, specifically referencing the building of bunkers and the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. The singer feels powerless in the face of these events, especially when they are confined to the voting booth, which they describe as "stupid" and "useless." The imagery in the third stanza is particularly poignant, as it describes the assassination of a doctor in his own home, with his family as witnesses. The blood that pours off the pulpit and picket lines suggests the violent aftermath of such an event, with hatred and vengeance being the immediate response. The final stanza ties together the themes of the song by addressing the singer's own experience of being escorted into a clinic by a man in a bulletproof vest, highlighting the real-life danger and violence that exists.
Overall, Hello Birmingham is a powerful commentary on the state of a country during a particularly divisive time. It highlights the themes of violence, hate, and the struggle for civil rights, and uses vivid imagery to convey a sense of unease and detachment. The song is a poignant reminder of the importance of peaceful protest and the struggle for justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me down
I feel like I'm drifting away, I need someone to hold me steady
I am floating away
I feel like I'm losing touch with reality
Into the overcast skies
I'm in a dark place right now
Over my home town
My problems are affecting the place where I grew up
On election day
The current political situation is making things worse
What is it about Birmingham?
Why does this place keep experiencing violence and hate?
What is it about Buffalo?
Why does violence happen here too?
Did the hate filled want to build bunkers
Did the people who hate want to make a permanent home here?
In your beautiful red earth
In the ground that is special and significant to you
They want to build them in our shiny white snow
They want to take over our peaceful places too
And now I've drawn closed the curtains
I feel like I'm shutting out the world
In this little booth
In this private space where I can vote
Where the truth has no place to stand
Even though I'm voting, I feel like there's no real honest choice
And I am feeling oh so powerless
I feel like my vote doesn't matter
With this useless little lever in my hand
The act of voting itself feels unimportant
And outside
In the world around me
My city is bracing
The people are preparing themselves for something bad
For the next killing thing
Expecting more violence to happen soon
Standing by the bridge
The people are gathering at a symbolic place
And praying for the next Doctor Martin Luther King
Hoping for a leader who can help bring peace and change
It was just one shot
One act of violence
Through the kitchen window
A sudden and unexpected attack
Just one or two miles from here
Very close by
If you fly like a crow
As the bird flies, in a straight line
A bullet came to visit a doctor
The violence targeted someone who was peacefully helping others
In his one safe place
Even in his sanctuary, he was not safe from harm
A bullet ensuring the right to life
This act of violence took away someone's right to live
Whizzed past his kid and his wife
This violent act almost took more lives
And knocked his glasses right off of his face
The force of the bullet injured him and took away his ability to see
And the blood poured off the pulpit
The violence happened in a place of worship
Yeah the blood poured down the picket lines
The violence happened during protests for positive change
And the hatred was immediate, yeah
The people who hated acted quickly and without remorse
And the vengeance was divine
The response was intense and brutal, almost like divine punishment
So they went and stuffed God down the barrel of a gun
The people who committed the violence thought they were doing God's work
And after him they stuffed his only son
They even used religion as an excuse for violence against innocent people
Hello Birmingham; it's Buffalo
Even though I'm far away, I want to connect with you
I heard you had some trouble down there again
I'm aware that violence has happened in your city before
Just calling to let to know
I want you to feel supported and heard
That somebody understands
I may not be able to fix everything, but I want to show empathy
I was once escorted
I personally experienced a similar situation
Through the doors
At a clinic (that provides abortion services)
By a man
A supporter who helped me feel safe
In a bulletproof vest
Because of the risk of violence from anti-abortion extremists
And no bombs
No violent attack happened that day
Went off that day
I was able to receive the medical care I needed without incident
So I am still here to say
I survived, and I want to stand with others who are facing violence and hate
Birmingham
This song is directed at the people of Birmingham
I'm wishing you all of my best
I'm sending good wishes and positive energy
On this election day
I hope that the political process can lead to positive change
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind