Bring The Noise
Anthrax feat. Public Enemy Lyrics


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Bass! How low can you go?
Death row, what a brother knows
Once again, back is the incredible
The rhyme animal
The uncannable D, Public Enemy Number One
Five-O said, "Freeze!" and I got numb
Can I tell 'em that I never really had a gun?
But it's the wax that the Terminator X spun
Now they got me in a cell cause my records, they sell
Cause a brother like me said, "Well
Farrakhan's a prophet and I think you ought to listen to
What he can say to you, what you wanna do is follow for now"
Power of the people, say
"Make a miracle, D, pump the lyrical"
Black is back, all in, we're gonna win
Check it out, yeah y'all, here we go again

Turn it up! Bring the noise!
Turn it up! Bring the noise!

Never badder than bad cause the brother is madder than mad
At the fact that's corrupt as a senator
Soul on a roll, but you treat it like soap on a rope
Cause the beats and the lines are so dope
Listen for lessons I'm saying inside
Music that the critics are blasting me for
They'll never care for the brothers and sisters
Mow, cause the country has us up for the war
We got to demonstrate, come on now, they're gonna have to wait
Till we get it right
Radio stations I question their blackness
They call themselves black, but we'll see if they'll play this

Turn it up! Bring the noise!
Turn it up! Bring the noise!

Get from in front of me, the crowd runs to me
My deejay is warm, he's X, I call him Norm, ya know
He can cut a record from side to side
So what, the ride, the glide should be much safer than a suicide
Soul control, beat is the father of your rock'n'roll
Music for whatcha, for whichin', you call a band, man
Making a music, abuse it, but you can't do it, ya know
You call 'em demos, but we ride limos, too
Whatcha gonna do? Rap is not afraid of you
Beat is for Sonny Bono, beat is for Yoko Ono
Run-DMC first said a deejay could be a band
Stand on its feet, get you out your seat
Beat is for Eric B. and LL as well, hell
Wax is for Anthrax, still it can rock bells
Ever forever, universal, it will sell
Time for me to exit, Terminator X-it

Turn it up! Bring the noise!
Turn it up! Bring the noise!

From coast to coast, so you can stop being like a comatose
"Stand, my man? The beat's the same with a boast toast"
Rock with some pizzazz, it will last. Why you ask?
Roll with the rock stars, still never get accepted as
We got to plead the Fifth, we can investigate
Don't need to wait, get the record straight
Hey, posse's in effect, got the Flavor, Terminator
X to sign checks, play to get paid
We got to check it out down on the avenue




A magazine or two is dissing me and dissing you
Yeah, I'm telling you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Anthrax featuring Public Enemy's song Bring the Noise address social and political issues. The lyrics provide a critique of the American justice system, representation in the media, and the state of rap music. The song starts with a reference to death row and the power of the police, followed by an acknowledgment that the rapper does not carry a gun. The lyrics reference Malcolm X and encourage listeners to follow his teachings. The chorus "Turn it up! Bring the noise!" is a call to action, urging people to speak up and demand change for their community.


The lyrics continue with a critique of the corrupt state of the government, referring to the country being "up for the war." The rapper emphasizes the need for change and calls for "demonstration" until it is achieved. The lyrics then shift to the commercialization of rap music, with the rapper criticizing critics and radio stations for being hypocritical. The song highlights the power of rap music to be a voice for the voiceless and provides social commentary on the injustice that faces many fighting for equal rights.


Line by Line Meaning

Bass! How low can you go?
Start the beat with a low bass and build it up


Death row, what a brother knows
The harsh reality of the streets


Once again, back is the incredible
Public Enemy is back


The rhyme animal
Chuck D's nickname


The uncannable D, Public Enemy Number One
Chuck D is untouchable, Public Enemy is the top of the game


Five-O said, "Freeze!" and I got numb
Police brutality and oppression


Can I tell 'em that I never really had a gun?
Social commentary on being falsely accused and racial profiling


But it's the wax that the Terminator X spun
DJ Terminator X is the one creating the beats


Now they got me in a cell cause my records, they sell
Success and fame attracting negative attention


Cause a brother like me said, "Well
Speaking out about controversial issues


Farrakhan's a prophet and I think you ought to listen to
Referencing Louis Farrakhan and his teachings


What he can say to you, what you wanna do is follow for now"
Encouraging listeners to reflect on their actions and follow a positive path


Power of the people, say
Referring to the power that people can have when they unite


"Make a miracle, D, pump the lyrical"
Using music as a tool for social change


Black is back, all in, we're gonna win
Black pride and empowerment


Check it out, yeah y'all, here we go again
Starting the song's chorus


Turn it up! Bring the noise!
Urging listeners to turn up the volume and amplify the message


Never badder than bad cause the brother is madder than mad
Anger and frustration with systemic injustice


At the fact that's corrupt as a senator
Calling out political corruption


Soul on a roll, but you treat it like soap on a rope
Using musical creativity and talent as a commodity


Cause the beats and the lines are so dope
The beats and lyrics are so good that they deserve recognition


Listen for lessons I'm saying inside
Message of the song that listeners should pay attention to


Music that the critics are blasting me for
Reception of Public Enemy's music by critics


They'll never care for the brothers and sisters
Realizing that their message will not be appreciated by everyone


Mow, cause the country has us up for the war
The country is preparing for war, and the people are caught in the middle


We got to demonstrate, come on now, they're gonna have to wait
Urging people to stand up and protest


Till we get it right
Continuing to fight for change until it is achieved


Radio stations I question their blackness
Questioning the authenticity and integrity of radio stations that claim to cater to Black audiences


They call themselves black, but we'll see if they'll play this
Challenging radio stations to play their message


Get from in front of me, the crowd runs to me
The energy and excitement that Public Enemy brings to their performances


My deejay is warm, he's X, I call him Norm, ya know
Introducing DJ Terminator X


He can cut a record from side to side
Highlighting DJ Terminator X's skills


So what, the ride, the glide should be much safer than a suicide
Using music to escape from the difficulties of life


Soul control, beat is the father of your rock'n'roll
The roots of rock and roll music


Music for whatcha, for whichin', you call a band, man
Celebrating the artistry and creativity of music


Making a music, abuse it, but you can't do it, ya know
Acknowledging that creativity should not be limited or censored


You call 'em demos, but we ride limos, too
Recognizing their success and fame


Whatcha gonna do? Rap is not afraid of you
Defiantly challenging those who try to suppress their message


Beat is for Sonny Bono, beat is for Yoko Ono
Acknowledging the impact that various artists have had on music


Run-DMC first said a deejay could be a band
Recognizing the innovative contributions of Run-DMC


Stand on its feet, get you out your seat
Urging people to dance and enjoy the music


Beat is for Eric B. and LL as well, hell
Acknowledging the talent of other musicians


Wax is for Anthrax, still it can rock bells
Collaboration between different genres of music


Ever forever, universal, it will sell
The longevity and widespread appeal of music


Time for me to exit, Terminator X-it
Ending the song with a clever wordplay on DJ Terminator X's name




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Carlton Ridenhour, George Jr. Clinton, James Henry III Boxley, Eric T. Sadler, Charlie L. Benante, Joseph A. Bellardini, Frank Joseph Bello, Scott Ian Rosenfeld, Daniel Alan Spitz

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@opwave79

Those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s knew how big of a deal this collaboration was. Rap and Metal just did not mingle at all. It was unheard of. I was 20 when this song released and appreciated the big middle finger Anthrax and Public Enemy flashed to that sentiment. They paved the way.

@garyh4458

You never heard of Run-DMC?

@TigerLikesTail

@@garyh4458 He said rap and Metal.
That only happened once before this song, with UTFO and Anthrax in 1987.
A song called Lethal.
He didn't say rap and Rock.
Rap and rock was around from the get go.
It's just that soulful rock was categorized as either R&B or Funk.
Unless the group was white like Chicago, or The Band. Then they were called rock.

@garyh4458

@@TigerLikesTail WRONG! Ministry released Test in 1989. It was on the album "The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste". The Anthrax version of Bring the Noise wasn't released until 1991.

@TigerLikesTail

@@garyh4458 ? I am lost. You are saying 1989? Lethal was 2 years previous in 1987. I own the 45 long play and bought it when it first was released that summer.

@garyh4458

@@TigerLikesTail There was the Public Enemy version and then the version with Anthrax that came out later, right?

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@HPTFan

One of the greatest Rap Metal collaborations.

@gabrielaguilar1391

THE greatest rock rap collab!

@rxgomez9000

*Nu Metal

@HPTFan

@@rxgomez9000 This song came before KoRn or the Nü-Metal term happened.

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