Confrontation
Bob Kaufman Lyrics


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Upon the cave river to wash my dread.
Upon a rock I rest my head.
There I vision thru the seas of oppression, ooh ooh, don't make my life a prison.
We come from Trench town, Trench town.
We free the people with music, can b we free the people with music?
With music oh music.
Oooi, my head.
In desolate places we find our bread, and everyone sees what is taking place oooh oh, another page in history
We come from Trench town we free the people with music.




They say it is hard to speak, they feel so strong to say we are weak, but thru the eyes, the love of our people, they've got to repay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bob Kaufman's song "Confrontation" are full of imagery and powerful emotions. The first two lines describe the singer's need to escape from something - perhaps oppression and fear - and find a place to rest. The phrase "wash my dread" suggests an attempt to cleanse oneself of negative feelings. The next lines show the singer's ability to envision a better future, despite the sea of oppression that they face. They are afraid that their life might become a prison, and they do not want that to happen.


In the chorus, the singer explains that they come from Trench Town - a neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica - and that they believe music can be a powerful tool for freedom. They ask whether music can really free people, and the repetition of "with music, oh music" emphasizes the importance of this idea. The singer's use of Jamaican patois adds an extra layer of cultural specificity, and the phrase "my head" suggests a certain level of frustration or anxiety.


The final lines of the song are about hope and determination. The singer describes how they find sustenance in desolate places, and how everyone can see what is happening around them - this is "another page in history." The repetition of "we come from Trench Town" reinforces the idea that they are part of a specific community with a shared history and struggle. The final lines assert that the love of their people will ultimately prevail, and they will not be weak despite what others say.


Line by Line Meaning

Upon the cave river to wash my dread.
I am seeking solace and peace by the river.


Upon a rock I rest my head.
I am seeking rest and refuge on a rock.


There I vision thru the seas of oppression, ooh ooh, don't make my life a prison.
I can see through the oppression and I refuse to be a prisoner.


We come from Trench town, Trench town.
We are from Trench Town.


We free the people with music, can b we free the people with music?
We believe that music can be used to set people free.


With music oh music.
Music is our tool.


Oooi, my head.
I feel a sense of confusion.


In desolate places we find our bread, and everyone sees what is taking place oooh oh, another page in history
Even in the midst of poverty, we can make something out of nothing and our struggles will be recorded in history.


We come from Trench town we free the people with music.
We are from Trench Town and we believe that music can set people free.


They say it is hard to speak, they feel so strong to say we are weak, but thru the eyes, the love of our people, they've got to repay
They claim we are weak and cannot speak, but through our people's love they will be held accountable.




Contributed by Kennedy B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

isotope feeney's live concert videocaptures

The big debate THE NEXT DAY was whether it was planned or not. My opinion was then(& still is watching it all these years later) is that it was staged. 2 main reasons:

1) If Jack Burns had really wanted to catch Andy Kaufman (at the end) and (presumably) punch him in the nose or whatever, he easily could have. That thing at the end = the kind of phoneybaloney 3 Stooges chasing where someone is just attempting to LOOK like they're trying to catch up to the other person.
2) If this were really impromptu, once it went south they would've cut to commercial waaaay sooner. No one in charge would just let this thing run live while the players were (presumably) gonna start duking it out on camera....

But exactly who was (or wasn't) 'in on it' --- everybody or just AK & JB --- is hard to tell.


My opinion then, and still my opinion watching it now.



All comments from YouTube:

Herb Gorpin

Andy is like Eric Andre before people were ready for Eric Andre

alex palko

Tim and Eric also

William Heckman

@alex palko I was going to say, More like Tim and Eric.

BNL07604

That guy had serious balls. No entertainer today would dare do anything like this.

Mary Jablonski

Yes, no comedians today have the balls to be not funny.  Andy Kaufman was a seriously overrated talent.

Angry Scotsman

Obviously fake

Luca Baumert

Roger Edgerton He isn' trying to be funny. He is entertaining. Nothing more, nothing less.

465marko

They wouldn't be allowed back in the illuminati if they pulled something like this!

Sizzle Chest

Yeah the chick laughing hysterically gives it away that she knew about the prank.

Wtf was the audience laughing at half the time?

55 More Replies...

Jacob Gene

The Kaufman-ized ending of this sketch is better than any ending it could've had.

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