Kari Faux adds some vocals—she and Childish worked together before on “No Small Talk”.
The song was performed live at the Pharos Experience in early September 2016.
In an interview with Billboard, Kari spoke about how she got involved with the record, saying:
"We were staying in this house that he made the album in. I wasn’t living in L.A. anymore; I had moved back to Little Rock. Whenever I would come out to L.A., though, I would stay at the house. It was just basically a creative house he called The Factory. They were working on the TV show [Atlanta] and the album there. I was finishing up my album there, and Malik was starting on his album there. He basically was just like, “Oh, come listen to this, listen to that',‘ or I would show him stuff. I remember him saying, "Yeah, I want to use your voice for something.” I was like, “OK, cool.” One day, I went in there with [producer] Ludwig [Göransson] and they were working on “Zombies.” [Gambino] was like, “Hey, I want you to say this,” and I was like, “All right, cool.” He kind of directed me on how to say it: whisper and sound really creepy. So I did it and he was like, “Yep, that’s very dope, I like it.” Then he just kept it."
Zombies
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking all around us
You can hear them coming (they come to take your life)
You can hear them breathing, breathing down your spine
All I see is zombies
Hear them screaming at her
They can smell your moneyAnd they want your soul
Here they come behind you
Try to stay alive
We're coming out to get you
We're oh, so glad we met you
We're eating you for profit
There is no way to stop it
You will find there is no safe place to hide, hide
(That's right, that's right)
All I see is zombies
Feeding all around us
All they eat are people (and you won't survive)
They don't know what happened
They just stay alive
We're coming out to get you
We're oh, so glad we met you
We're eating you for profit
There is no way to stop it
You will find there is no safe place to hide
We're coming out to get youWe're oh so glad we met you
We're eating you for profit
There is no way to stop it
There is no way to stop it
Do you feel alive, yeah?
Do you feel alive, yeah?
Do-do-do-do-do
Do you feel alive?
Childish Gambino's song "Zombies" is a dystopian commentary on the dangers of consumerism and the need for human connection. The relentless beat and pounding bass lines in the song serve to create an atmosphere of fear and urgency, as if the zombie apocalypse is right around the corner. The lyrics themselves are a warning to the listener about the dangers of being consumed by materialism, and how it can lead to being metaphorical "zombies" mindlessly following societal norms and trends.
The first verse describes the overwhelming nature of consumerism, as the singer sees "zombies" walking around them. These zombies represent people who have been consumed by consumerism, chasing after money and material possessions, oblivious to the harm they may be causing themselves and others. The second verse speaks to the danger of these materialistic tendencies, as the zombies "smell your money and want your soul" - highlighting the way that consumerism can take over a person's life, leaving them with nothing but the desire for more possessions.
The chorus is a warning about the dire consequences of ignoring the warning signs. The lyrics suggest that the zombies will eventually catch up to the listener, with no safe place to hide. The last verse is a final plea to the listener to wake up, asking if they feel alive and urging them to break free from the destructive cycle of consumerism before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
All I see is zombies
The singer sees people who are so consumed by their greed and desires that they have become like zombies, only seeking to fulfill their own needs without concern for others.
Walking all around us
This metaphorical zombie-like behavior surrounds us all and is present in our society.
You can hear them coming (they come to take your life)
The singer warns of the harm that can come from those who embody this zombie-like behavior.
You can hear them breathing, breathing down your spine
The negative consequences of this behavior are always close by and feel like a threat.
Hear them screaming at her
The artist emphasizes the loud and intimidating nature of those who embody this zombie-like behavior.
They can smell your money
These people are attracted to and motivated by monetary gain.
And they want your soul
These people are so consumed by their desires that they don't care about others' well-being, only their own gain.
Here they come behind you
The artist warns listeners that these people could be anywhere.
Try to stay alive
The artist advises listeners to be cautious and not let themselves fall victim to this behavior.
We're coming out to get you
The artist embodies the metaphorical zombies and signals their intent to harm or take advantage of others.
We're oh, so glad we met you
This line is sarcastic and emphasizes the duplicitous nature of those who embody zombie-like behavior.
We're eating you for profit
These people are only pursuing their own gain and do not care about the well-being of those they harm.
There is no way to stop it
The singer emphasizes the harm that those who embody this behavior can cause and how helpless it can feel to try to stop them.
You will find there is no safe place to hide, hide
The negative consequences of zombie-like behavior can never truly be escaped or avoided.
Feeding all around us
Like zombies, those who embody this behavior are constantly seeking to fulfill their own needs and desires at the expense of others.
All they eat are people (and you won't survive)
Metaphorically, these people feed off of others and will not stop until they get what they want.
They don't know what happened
The artist suggests that those who embody this behavior might not even realize how destructive and harmful their actions are.
They just stay alive
These people are so focused on their own survival that they are willing to harm others to ensure their own well-being.
Do you feel alive, yeah?
The singer questions whether someone can truly feel alive if they are only focused on their own desires and not concerned with others' well-being.
Do-do-do-do-do
This is a filler line with no specific meaning.
Do you feel alive?
The artist repeats the question to emphasize its importance and to encourage listeners to reflect on their own behavior and priorities.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald Mckinley Ii Glover, Ludwig Emil Tomas Goransson, Christopher Paul Hartz, Raymond Liang Suen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@asdasdas4615
[Verse 1: Childish Gambino]
All I see is zombies
Walking all around us
You can hear them coming
(They come to take your life)
You can hear them breathing
Breathing down your spine
[Verse 2: Childish Gambino]
All I see is zombies
Hear them screaming at her
They can smell your money
And they want your soul
Here they come behind you
Try to stay alive
[Hook: Kari Faux & Childish Gambino]
We're coming out to get you
We're all so glad we met you
We're eating you for profit
There is no way to stop it
You will find there is no safe place to hide, hide
(That's right, that's right)
[Verse 3: Childish Gambino & Kari Faux]
All I see is zombies feeding all around us
All they eat are people (and you won't survive)
They don't know what happened, they just stay alive
[Hook: Kari Faux & Childish Gambino]
We're coming out to get you
We're all so glad we met you
We're eating you for profit
There is no way to stop it
There is no way to stop it
You will find there is no safe place to hide
(That's right, that's right)
We're coming out to get you
We're all so glad we met you
We're eating you for profit
There is no way to stop it
There is no way to stop it
[Outro: Childish Gambino]
Do you feel alive, yeah?
Do you feel alive, yeah?
Doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Do you feel alive?
@eriesivy5012
Y'all keep saying people say that this album sucks but I honestly haven't heard one person say that
@tisharadoby9601
Eries Ivy Exactly 😂😂
@Ysl.phantom
@ you crazy bruh
@rotisseueryu
Can you see the like/dislike ratio? It's 28:1, very low.
@arthur38379
Then who is saying it my guy
@tameemabu-rshaid5720
@@rotisseueryu I mean kanye gets shit like that, theres always gonna be a shit ratio on popular music
@menthol_pod
This man can switch up his style so easy it's amazing. What a groovy album
@SourRazberry
Josh Whittemore the best part is that he's good at it all, I'm not mad he switched it up I'm vibing hard
@jomc9
+Bri T (ColorfulMusicNotes) Same-o
@kohlcooke8789
Bri I think it’s pretty much confirmed fact by now that gambino is good at pretty much everything he does, be that with his cool music style, acting, comedy, writing, etc. I have yet to find something he did badly and I’m here for it :) he certainly earned everything he’s got