Ball Of Confusion
Anthrax[www.illutrix.com] Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People moving in
Why? Because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
Vote for me, and I'll set you free
Rap on, brother, rap on
Well, the only person talking about love thy brother
And it seems nobody's interested in learning
But the teacher
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration
Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
Ball of confusion, oh yeah
That's what the world is today, hey
The sale of pills are at an all time high
Young folks walking 'round with their heads in the sky
Cities aflame in the summertime, and, oh
The beat goes on
Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul
Shooting rockets to the moon
Kids growing up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything
And the band played on
So, 'round, and around, and around we go
Where the world's headed, nobody knows
Oh, great Googamooga, can't you hear me talking to you?
Just a ball of confusion, oh yeah
That's what the world is today, oh yeah, yeah
Fear in the air, tension everywhere
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles' new record's a gas
And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation
And the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
City inspectors, bill collectors
Mod clothes in demand
Population out of hand
Suicide, too many bills
Hippies moving to the hills
People all over the world are shouting end the war
And the band played on
Oh, great Googamooga, can't you hear me talking to you?
Sayin' ball of confusion
That's what the world is today, hey
Let me hear ya
Let me hear ya
Let me hear ya
Sayin' ball of confusion
That's what the world is today, hey
Let me hear ya
Let me hear ya
Let me hear ya
Anthrax's song "Ball of Confusion" forces listeners to recognize the issues of the world by talking about the many problems we're facing. The lyrics represent the troubles in America in the 90s, spreading awareness of the chaos, corruption and foolishness happening at the time. The opening lyrics "People moving out, people moving in, why? Because of the color of their skin" paints the picture of racial segregation, discrimination, and the resulting migration of different communities. The song goes on to talk about the increase of drug use, youth recklessness and rebellion alongside the lack of interest shown by the general public to learn and improve.
The song then proceeds to express the turmoil in society, from the political agenda that aims at tax solutions and peace to the rockets sent to the moon, symbolizing government's fascination with the power game of war and space exploration, respectively. Selling pills, the increasing population, and the suicides happening due to stress are just a few other issues addressed in the song. The lyrics hope to incite the desire within the listener to learn and understand more about the problems of society, instead of ignoring them or worsening them.
Line by Line Meaning
People moving out
People are leaving their homes and relocating elsewhere
People moving in
People are moving to new places and settling in
Why? Because of the color of their skin
The reason for people moving out or in is because of racial discrimination
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
People are attempting to avoid confrontation or discrimination but it's not always successful
An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
The concept of retaliation or revenge
Vote for me, and I'll set you free
Politicians making false promises to gain votes
Rap on, brother, rap on
Encouraging communication and freedom of expression
Well, the only person talking about love thy brother Is the preacher
Religious figures are the only ones promoting love and acceptance
And it seems nobody's interested in learning But the teacher
Despite the need for education and awareness, people are not interested in learning
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration
Different approaches to address racial discrimination
Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
Negative outcomes of discrimination that impact society as a whole
Ball of confusion, oh yeah That's what the world is today, hey
The world is a chaotic and confusing place
The sale of pills are at an all time high
The pharmaceutical industry is thriving
Young folks walking 'round with their heads in the sky
Young people are overly optimistic and carefree
Cities aflame in the summertime, and, oh The beat goes on
Social unrest and violence is an ongoing issue
Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul
Various social and political issues
Shooting rockets to the moon
Advancements in technology and space exploration
Kids growing up too soon
Children are being exposed to adult themes and responsibilities at a young age
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything And the band played on
Politicians are taking advantage of the public's trust while ignoring real issues
So, 'round, and around, and around we go Where the world's headed, nobody knows
The future is unpredictable and uncertain
Oh, great Googamooga, can't you hear me talking to you?
A plea for someone, possibly a higher power, to pay attention and make a change
Fear in the air, tension everywhere
People are afraid and anxious
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles' new record's a gas
Despite economic troubles, popular culture thrives
And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation And the band played on
The only place of security is for those pushed to the margins, while society continues to ignore their plight
Eve of destruction, tax deduction City inspectors, bill collectors Mod clothes in demand Population out of hand Suicide, too many bills Hippies moving to the hills
An array of social problems and issues
People all over the world are shouting end the war And the band played on
There is a call for peace from all over the world, but the powers that be ignore this and continue with their agendas
Sayin' ball of confusion That's what the world is today, hey
Reinforcement of the message that the world is full of chaos and confusion
Let me hear ya
An invitation for the listener to join in
Let me hear ya
An invitation for the listener to join in
Let me hear ya
An invitation for the listener to join in
Sayin' ball of confusion That's what the world is today, hey
Reinforcement of the message that the world is full of chaos and confusion
Let me hear ya
An invitation for the listener to join in
Let me hear ya
An invitation for the listener to join in
Let me hear ya
An invitation for the listener to join in
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRETT STRONG, NORMAN WHITFIELD, NORMAN J. WHITFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Biker Rob
This is a freaking fantastic Cover by Anthrax! I love the original By The Temptations too!
Dubya M. Deez
Holy fuck this rules so hard. Motown and thrash metal: two of my favorite things that I never thought could be successfully merged. I've been proven wrong.
Squirrel Guirrel
When you consider Mo—Town and Rock City are nicknames for the same city... It’s ABSURD that a merge such as this is hard to find... but it is.
Matt Blatchley
love that Anthrax did it! They have serious crossover cred!
AngrierGorilla
if you like this two genres mixed try Bill McCllintock mashups
Matt Blatchley
Perfect song for Anthrax to cover! The guitar opening in the original Temptations makes you think this song could really led itself to metal!!!
jimmyjambhere
They should have recorded an album with both singers!!! They were supposed to do a tour with John and Joey no clue why it never happened???
Ben
John didn't want to do it because he wanted to be with his family and with the current state Anthrax was in at the time, he didn't feel comfortable sharing the stage with Joey. A lot of shit was going on around that time
Acekicken
Dan Lilker is playing the Bass on this track this is the most eclectic Anthrax line up
Lige
Good rendition. Not a big metal fan but this is a jam.