Where Is The Love
Black Eyed Peas and Ariana Grande Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring the trauma

Overseas, yeah, we tryin' to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love, this'll set us straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach?
And would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love? (Love)

Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? The love, the love?

It just ain't the same, old ways have changed
New days are strange, is the world insane?
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?

Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone

So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover

The truth is kept secret, and swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach?
Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love? (Love)

Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? The love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema

Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found
Now ask yourself

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing with me y'all
One world, one world (we only got)
One world, one world (that's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong with it (yeah)
Something's wrong with it (yeah)
Something's wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)




That's all we got
(One world, one world)

Overall Meaning

In "Where Is The Love?" by Black Eyed Peas, the group addresses the negative events and behavior in the world today. The song highlights the lack of love that is present in the world and the consequences that come with it. The first verse highlights the addiction to drama and trauma that many people have, while the second verse discusses the current state of terrorism and violence happening in the USA. The chorus repeatedly asks the question: "Where is the love?" expressing the frustration felt by many people that love seems to be lacking in the world.


In the third verse, the song points out how individuals tend to discriminate against others based on race, religion, or any other differences, leading to hate and anger. The song urges people to approach each other with love and understanding instead of hate and anger. The fourth verse talks about the suffering that many children currently face in the world due to war and violence. The song concludes by continuing to ask the same question: "Where is the love?" and urging people to come together and find a solution.


The lyrics of this song were written after the 9/11 attacks in New York City, and they resonate with both the global and national events occurring today. "Where Is The Love?" was originally written as a tribute to September 11. However, it also evolved to address the moral dilemma the world is currently facing.


Line by Line Meaning

What's wrong with the world, mama
The singer is questioning the current state of the world and what is causing all the problems.


People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
The singer observes that people are not treating each other with the respect and care that mothers would.


I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
The singer believes that the world is preoccupied with negativity and conflict.


Only attracted to things that'll bring the trauma
People seem to be drawn to things that cause pain and suffering.


Overseas, yeah, we tryin' to stop terrorism
The government is focusing on stopping terrorism abroad.


But we still got terrorists here livin'
However, there are also terrorists within our own country.


In the USA, the big CIA
The CIA, a government organization, is also involved in unlawful and violent activities.


The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
Various violent gangs and extremist groups also exist within our country.


But if you only have love for your own race
If you only care about people of your own race, you are being discriminatory.


Then you only leave space to discriminate
Choosing to only love certain people creates room for discrimination against others.


And to discriminate only generates hate
Discrimination leads to hatred.


And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Hate leads to anger and conflict.


Madness is what you demonstrate
When people act irrationally and violently, they demonstrate madness.


And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Anger operates in a destructive and irrational way.


Man, you gotta have love, this'll set us straight
The singer believes that love is the solution to these problems.


Take control of your mind and meditate
Meditation can help people gain control of their thoughts and emotions.


Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all
People should allow themselves to be drawn towards love.


People killin', people dyin'
The lyrics reflect on the violence and pain experienced around the world.


Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Even children are victims of violence and suffering.


Can you practice what you preach?
The singer wants to know if people are able to follow their own moral beliefs.


And would you turn the other cheek?
Would someone be willing to forgive and let go of their anger?


Father, Father, Father help us
The singer is asking for divine intervention to help the world's problems.


Send some guidance from above
The singer wants guidance from a higher power to help solve these issues.


'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
The state of the world has caused the singer to question and doubt things.


Where is the love? (Love)
The singer is asking where the love and compassion is in the world.


It just ain't the same, old ways have changed
The world is changing, and not always for the better.


New days are strange, is the world insane?
The singer wonders if the world is crazy to allow so much violence.


If love and peace is so strong
Love and peace are very powerful ideas.


Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?
However, there are still people and places where love is lacking.


Nations droppin' bombs
Countries are using violence and warfare against each other.


Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
Innocent civilians, including children, are suffering from chemical warfare.


With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
Young people are not getting to live full and happy lives because of violence.


So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
The singer wants people to question whether or not love still exists in the world.


So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
The singer is also questioning what is causing the world's problems.


In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
People are giving up and not trying to solve the world's problems.


Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
People are making bad choices because they only care about money.


Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
People are not treating each other with respect and are denying their kinship.


A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
There is a war happening, but the public isn't aware of the real reason behind it.


The truth is kept secret, and swept under the rug
The government is hiding the truth about what is happening in the world.


If you never know truth then you never know love
People need to know the truth in order to experience and understand love.


Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
The singer continues to ask where the love in the world is. (They don't know the answer.)


Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
The singer also asks where the truth is in the world. (Again, they don't know.)


I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
The singer feels overwhelmed by the problems of the world.


As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
As the singer gets older, people seem to be less compassionate and caring.


Most of us only care about money makin'
Many people are only focused on making money.


Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction
Selfishness is leading people astray and causing them to make bad choices.


Wrong information always shown by the media
The media is often inaccurate or misleading in its reporting.


Negative images is the main criteria
The media focuses on negative and violent stories.


Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
This negativity is harming the minds of young people.


Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Children are influenced by what they see in movies and on TV.


Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
The singer wonders where the values of humanity have gone.


Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
The singer wants to know what happened to fairness and equality.


Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
People are spreading hatred and anger instead of love.


Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity
People don't understand each other, leading to division and conflict.


That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
The state of the world can cause the singer to feel physically and emotionally down.


That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
The same problems can make the singer feel depressed.


There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Given the current state of the world, it's not surprising that the singer feels down.


Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found
The singer wants to hold onto hope and keep their faith until they find love.


One world, one world (we only got)
There is only one world that we all share.


And something's wrong with it (yeah)
However, something is not right with it.


We only got
We only have one world.


(One world, one world)
This is repeated to emphasize the importance of the world.


That's all we got
This is repeated to stress that there is only one world.


And something's wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah
The singer continues to highlight the problems in the world.




Lyrics © TUONO MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: George Pajon Jr., Justin Timberlake, Michael Fratantuno, Printz Board, Allan Pineda, Will Adams, Jaime Gomez

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@caatkins1000

Funny how this song came out so long ago, and every year that goes by it gets more and more relevant

@adrianaavila8853

Really sad. :(

@kimgeerinck1618

:(

@vinakshara7012

@Lilster yes :'((

@captainakina3365

Not funny at all it’s sad and disappointing :( I hope we can all get thru this✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿❤️

@yoda5280

Captain Akina They’re not saying what’s going on is funny, just how it’s funny that the song is more relevant nowadays then back in 2003.

28 More Replies...

@ArmourGX

Nearly 6 years later I still come back to this song. Such a strong message at such a hard time.

@cablevamp3163

This song had my mom in tears when I was a kid

Has me in tears all these years later

@btchplz5352

This song has been out for around 20 years, first album I bought

@chobin-jw1rg

I NEVER get tired of listening to this song 100 times.

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