Black Eyed Peas went to centenary state high school and got their start in 1988 when will.i.am (born 1975 William James Adams Jr.) and apl.de.ap (born 1974 Allan Pineda) began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. The pair signed to Ruthless Records (run by Eazy-E) after catching the attention of the nephew of Jerry Heller (Eazy-E's manager). Along with Mookie Mook (Burning Star), Dante Santiago & DJ Motiv8, they called their group A.T.B.A.N. Klann. Their debut album, 'Grass Roots', was not released originally because Ruthless did not consider the social themes reflected in the group's music to be marketable to their audience. A single "Puddles of H2O" was released in 1994 but no album was released (until it leaked onto the Internet in the mid 2000s).
After Eazy-E died of an AIDS related illness in 1995, they changed their name to Black Eyed Peas; will.i.am explained on the front cover of the Monkey Business album that "Black Eyed Peas are food for the soul", hence the name. will.i.am has cited the Red Hot Chili Peppers as an influence and said he named his band after a food, like them. They replaced their original third member Mookie, with Dante Santiago the Peas original singer. Then Taboo (born Jaime Gomez) joined the group. Dante Santiago took on a role as a guest vocalist in the band and featured frequently on various tracks for their first four albums.
In 1996, they produced and appeared on a song entitled "That's Right" for Brian Austin Green's hip-hop album One Stop Carnival. Later, they began using Kim Hill as a steady background singer. Unlike many hip-hop acts, they chose to perform with a live band and adopted a musical and clothing style that differed wildly from the "gangsta rap" sounds of other Los Angeles-based hip-hop acts at the time. Through the mid-'90s, they performed in the local club circuit alongside fellow acts such as Ozomatli and Jurassic 5.
The group were signed to Interscope Records and released their debut, "Behind the Front", in 1998. The album won the group (and their accompanying live band, the Bucky Jonsons) critical acclaim. The album featured the single "Joints & Jams", which was included on the Bulworth soundtrack. Their second album, "Bridging the Gap", was released in 2000; it featured the single "Request + Line" featuring Macy Gray.
After replacing their female background singer with Fergie, the group released their breakout album, "Elephunk", and their 2005 album, "Monkey Business", which featured the hit singles "Pump It", "Don't Phunk With My Heart", "Don't Lie" and "My Humps".
"The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)", their fifth album, was released worldwide in June 2009 and has managed to sell 5 million copies in 8 months (Elephunk: 7 million, Monkey Business: 10 million). It already spawned 2 of the most downloaded singles of all time: "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling", both were downloaded 5 million times only in the USA. The 3rd single "Meet Me Halfway" was downloaded 2 million times and the 4th "Imma Be", which was just released, already sold 1 million. "Rock That Body" is the 5th single.
http://www.blackeyedpeas.com
One Tribe
Black Eyed Peas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-whoa-oh
One tri-
One tri-
One tribe, one time, one planet, one race
It's all one blood, don't care about your face
The color of your eye
Or the tone of your skin
Don't care where you are, don't care where you been
'Cause where we gonna go
Is where we wanna be
The place where the little language is unity
And the continent is called Pangaea
And the main ideas are connected like a sphere
No propaganda, they tried to upper hand us
'Cause man I'm loving this peace
Man, man, I'm loving this peace
Man, man, I'm loving this peace
I don't need no leader
That's gonna force feed a
Concept that make me think I need to
Fear my brother and fear my sister
And shoot my neighbor
With my big missile
If I had an enemy (enemy)
If I had an enemy (enemy)
If I had an enemy then my enemy is gonna try to come and kill me
'Cause I'm his enemy there's one tribe y'all (woah-oh)
One tribe y'all (oh-oh)
One tribe y'all (woah-oh)
We are one people (oh-oh)
Let's catch amnesia, forget about all that evil (woah-oh)
Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya (oh-oh)
Let's catch amnesia, forget about all that evil (woah-oh)
That evil that they feed ya (oh-oh)
Remember that we're one people (woah-oh)
We are one people (oh-oh)
One, one (one people)
One, one (one people)
One, one (one people)
One tribe, one tribe
One tribe, one time, one planet, one (hey)
Race, one love, one people, one (yeah)
Too many things that's causing one (to)
To forget about the main cause
Connecting, uniting
But the evil is seen and alive in us
So our weapons are colliding
And our peace is sinking like Poseidon
But, we know that the one (one)
The evil one is threatened by the sum (sum)
So he'll come and try and separate the sum
But he dumb, he didn't know we had a way to overcome
Rejuvenated by the beating of the drum
Come together by the cycle of the hum
Freedom when all become one (one)
Forever
One tribe y'all (woah-oh)
One tribe y'all (oh-oh)
One tribe y'all (woah-oh)
We are one people (oh-oh)
Let's catch amnesia (woah-oh)
Forget about all that evil (evil) (oh-oh)
Forget about all that evil (evil)
That evil that they feed ya
Let's catch amnesia (woah-oh)
Forget about all that evil (evil) (oh-oh)
That evil, that they feed ya (feed ya)
Remember that we're one people (woah-oh)
We are one people (oh-oh)
One, one (one people)
One, one (one people)
One, one (one people)
One love, one blood, one people
One heart, one beat, we equal
Connected like the internet
United that's how we do
Let's break walls, so we see through
Let love and peace lead you
We could overcome the complication cause we need to
Help each other, make these changes
Brother, sister, rearrange this
The way I'm thinking that we can change this bad condition
Wait, use you mind and not your greed
Let's connect and then proceed
This is something I believe
We are one, we're all just people
One tribe y'all (woah-oh)
One tribe y'all (oh-oh)
One tribe y'all (woah-oh)
We are one people (oh-oh)
Let's catch amnesia (woah-oh)
Forget about all that evil (oh-oh)
Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya
Let's catch amnesia (woah-oh)
Let's catch amnesia, forget about all that evil (oh-oh)
That evil, that they feed ya (woah-oh)
Uh, uh, we're one tribe y'all (oh-oh)
We-we-we-we, one tribe y'all (woah-oh)
One, one (one people)
One, one (one people)
One, one (one people)
One pe-, one pe- (one people)
One pe-, one pe- (one people)
One pe-, one pe- (one people)
Let's, let's catch amnesia
Lord help me out
Trying to figure out what it's all about (what it's all about)
'Cause we're one in the same (one in the same)
Same joy, same pain
And I hope that you're there when I need ya
'Cause maybe we need amnesia
And I don't wanna sound like a preacher
But we need to be one
One world, one love, one passion
One tribe, one understanding
'Cause you and me can become one
There was no longer a physical (physical)
Record store
But we will continue, let the beat run
The song "One Tribe" by the Black Eyed Peas is a call for unity and the recognition that all humans are part of one tribe, one race, and one planet. The lyrics convey a message of oneness, encouraging listeners to look beyond physical differences and embrace the idea of shared commonality. The song emphasizes the need for connection, love, and peace rather than division, hate, and fear.
The song mentions that the human race shares one blood and that physical differences such as the color of one's eyes or skin tone should not matter. The idea of unity is reinforced with references to the supercontinent called Pangaea, implying that all humans were once connected physically and that such interconnectedness still holds true in the present.
Similarly, the lyrics mention that the little language is unity, which suggests that despite speaking different languages, humans have a shared desire for connection and communication. The song opposes the idea of propaganda and leaders who promote division and hatred. Instead, the song encourages listeners to forget about all the evil fed to them and focus on the idea of togetherness.
Overall, "One Tribe" is a unifying anthem that advocates for peace, love, and connection among all humans, promoting the idea that despite physical differences, all humans are one tribe.
Line by Line Meaning
One tribe, one time, one planet, one race
We are all one people, sharing one world and one race for a brief time
It's all one blood, don't care about your face
Regardless of physical differences, we are all connected by the same blood pumping through our veins
The color of your eye
Our superficial differences, like eye color, don't truly matter in the grand scheme of things
Or the tone of your skin
The color of someone's skin does not define them as a person
Don't care where you are, don't care where you been
It doesn't matter where or how we were raised, we are all still one people with common bonds
'Cause where we gonna go
The ultimate destination for humanity
Is where we wanna be
Where we end up is up to us as a united humanity
The place where the little language is unity
Where everyone speaks the language of love and unity towards each other
And the continent is called Pangaea
Referencing the pre-historic landmass where all continents were once united
And the main ideas are connected like a sphere
All the main concepts are linked together like a sphere to show the unity of humanity
No propaganda, they tried to upper hand us
Refers to how people in positions of power may try to divide humanity for their own interests
'Cause man I'm loving this peace
Be happy that peace is being spread and that barriers between people are being broken down
Man, man, I'm loving this peace
Reiterating the love for peace in a society where people are united
I don't need no leader
No one person should have power over another
That's gonna force feed a
Leaders shouldn't impose their beliefs on others without consent
Concept that make me think I need to
Leaders should not force people to think a certain way
Fear my brother and fear my sister
People shouldn't be made to fear one another
And shoot my neighbor
Violence should never be the answer to solving problems between neighbors
With my big missile
Referencing the destructive power a weapon can have and how it should not be used recklessly
If I had an enemy (enemy)
If I happened to have an enemy, regardless of who started the hostility
If I had an enemy then my enemy is gonna try to come and kill me
If one has an enemy, that person will feel threatened by their enemy and may retaliate
'Cause I'm his enemy there's one tribe y'all (woah-oh)
Even if there is animosity between two people, they are still part of the same tribe (humanity)
We are one people (oh-oh)
Emphasizing that we are all one
Let's catch amnesia, forget about all that evil (woah-oh)
Encouraging society to forget about past wrongdoings and move forward as a united people
Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya (oh-oh)
People should forget about the evil that has been put into their heads by others in positions of power
Remember that we're one people (woah-oh)
Once again stating that we are all one
One, one (one people)
Reiterating the point that humanity is one group of people
One love, one blood, one people
Everyone across the world shares one love, one blood, making us all one people
One heart, one beat, we equal
We are all equal and connected in our emotions and physical needs
Connected like the internet
Like how the internet connects people all around the world, humanity should also be connected
United that's how we do
We should all be united for the betterment of society
Let's break walls, so we see through
Breaking down walls that separate us and seeing others for who they truly are
Let love and peace lead you
Love and peace can guide people towards unity
We could overcome the complication cause we need to
Together we can overcome the complications that divide us
Help each other, make these changes
By helping one another and making changes together, we can see a united society
Brother, sister, rearrange this
Encouraging immediate family to come together and work towards unity
The way I'm thinking that we can change this bad condition
By individuals changing their thinking, it would lead to a more unified society
Wait, use you mind and not your greed
Urging against selfishness for the betterment of everyone
Let's connect and then proceed
Connecting with others before making decisions that affect the community
We are one, we're all just people
We need to understand that we are all in this together
Lord help me out
Asking for divine help in creating unity
Trying to figure out what it's all about (what it's all about)
The song is trying to figure out what it means to be unified as a society
'Cause we're one in the same (one in the same)
Despite superficial differences, we are all the same and need to understand that
Same joy, same pain
The same joy and pain unites us all
And I hope that you're there when I need ya
We should all be there for each other when we need help
'Cause maybe we need amnesia
Restarting society and forgetting past wrongs should be a possibility
One world, one love, one passion
Stating that the world should be united by love and passion for each other and the world itself
One tribe, one understanding
Every society should have a mutual understanding with other societies for a peaceful future
'Cause you and me can become one
Emphasizing that every individual has the power to unite and help society as a whole
There was no longer a physical (physical)
The world becomes unified and there is no longer physical separation
Record store
Metaphor for something physical that once existed but is no longer there as society evolved
But we will continue, let the beat run
Society needs to continue to evolve and develop, but it should still remain united through their inherent connection
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Printz Board, Stacy Ferguson, Will Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind