Face to Face
Concrete/Rage Lyrics
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Life is prison, no parole, no control
Jura got my number on a wire tap
'Cause I jack for similac, fuck a Cadillac
Survive, one motive, no hope
'Cause every sidewalk I walk is like a tightrope
Yes, I know, my deadline sire, when my life expires
I'm sendin' paper south under the barbed wire
It's my life for their life so call it a free trade
"Por vida" and our name upon the stall
I took a death trip when I tried to cross the white wall
Walk unseen past the graves an the gates, born without a face
One motive no hope ah, born without a face
Walk unseen past the graves an the gates, born without a face
One motive no hope ah, yeah, born without a face
Without a face
Yeah, I tried to look back to my past long lost
A blood donor to the land owner holocaust
Pops heart stopped, in came the air drop
Flooded the trench he couldn't shake the toxic shock
Maize was all we needed to sustain
Now her golden skin burns, insecticide rain
Down with DDT, yeah you know me
I'm raped for the grapes, profit for the bourgeoisie
War tape boomin', path is Luminoso
I'm headed north like my name was kid 'Cisco
To survive one motive no hope, ah
It's hard to breathe with Wilson's head around my throat
Strangled and mangled another SS curtain call
When I tried to cross the white wall
When I tried to cross the white walls
Walk unseen past the graves an the gates, born without a face
One motive no hope ah, born without a face
Walk unseen past the graves an the gates, born without a face
One motive no hope ah, born without a face
You say fortify, reaction, you divide
And you say fortify, reaction, reaction
And you say fortify, reaction, reaction
You say fortify, reaction, you divide
The lyrics to Concrete/Rage's song "Face to Face" paint a bleak picture of a life without privilege, where one is forced to struggle just to survive in a society that doesn't favor them. The opening lines show the desperation of the singer, who has no resources or power to change their situation. The world they inhabit is a prison with no hope of release, and everything they do is monitored by those in power, as seen with the reference to Jura wiretapping the singer.
The singer is a survivor, but only because they have no other choice. They are constantly walking on a tightrope, barely managing to stay alive. The urgency of their situation is further emphasized when they mention their "deadline sire" and their need to send papers under barbed wire before their life expires. The end goal is to ensure the safety and future of their family, even if it means sacrificing their own life.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's past and the atrocities they have experienced. The imagery of graves and gates symbolizes death and confinement, while the line "born without a face" suggests a lack of identity and the struggle to be seen as a human being. The singer's family has suffered greatly, with their father dying from toxic shock and their mother being exposed to insecticides. The irony of their situation is that they are forced to work in a system that harms them, with the grapes they pick only serving to bring profit to the bourgeoisie.
The singer's only chance for survival is to keep moving forward, even if it means risking their life. The line "it's hard to breathe with Wilson's head around my throat" suggests the suffocating nature of the system they exist in. The white wall serves as a metaphor for the racism and inequality that they face, with the SS curtain call being a reference to Nazi Germany and its genocide of the Jewish people.
Overall, "Face to Face" is a powerful song that highlights the struggles faced by those who are marginalized and oppressed. It is a call to action for the listener to recognize these issues and work towards creating a more just society.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh! Got no card so I got not soul
I don't have a credit card, so it feels like I have no value or worth
Life is prison, no parole, no control
Life is a never-ending jail sentence where I have no say in anything that happens
Jura got my number on a wire tap
The police are always listening to my phone calls
'Cause I jack for similac, fuck a Cadillac
I steal baby formula instead of fancy cars
Survive, one motive, no hope
My only goal is to stay alive, but I have no hope for the future
'Cause every sidewalk I walk is like a tightrope
I constantly feel the pressure to be on guard at all times
Yes, I know, my deadline sire, when my life expires
I'm aware that my death could happen at any moment
I'm sendin' paper south under the barbed wire
I'm smuggling contraband through dangerous conditions
The mother of my child will lose her mind at my grave
I know that my death will devastate my child's mother
It's my life for their life so call it a free trade
I risk my life to provide for others, but it doesn't feel like a fair exchange
"Por vida" and our name upon the stall
I proudly proclaim my loyalty with graffiti
I took a death trip when I tried to cross the white wall
I risked my life by attempting to cross a dangerous barrier
Walk unseen past the graves an the gates, born without a face
I navigate the world invisibly, feeling like I have no identity
One motive no hope ah, born without a face
My only goal is survival, but I don't hold out much hope for the future
Without a face
I feel anonymous and unseen in the world
Yeah, I tried to look back to my past long lost
I tried to remember my history, but it's all a blur
A blood donor to the land owner holocaust
My people were exploited and abused by landowners
Pops heart stopped, in came the air drop
My father died, and relief supplies arrived too late
Maize was all we needed to sustain
All we needed to survive was a basic crop
Now her golden skin burns, insecticide rain
The use of chemicals has ruined the land and harmed our health
Down with DDT, yeah you know me
I'm against the use of DDT, and others like me are part of my community
I'm raped for the grapes, profit for the bourgeoisie
I'm exploited for someone else's gain
War tape boomin', path is Luminoso
The sounds of war are all around, and the road ahead is uncertain
I'm headed north like my name was kid 'Cisco
I'm on the move, but I don't know where I'm going
To survive one motive no hope, ah
I'm focused on staying alive, even though I don't hold out much hope for the future
It's hard to breathe with Wilson's head around my throat
I feel suffocated by a violent oppressor named Wilson
Strangled and mangled another SS curtain call
I witnessed another death at the hands of oppressive forces
When I tried to cross the white wall
When I risked everything to cross a dangerous boundary
You say fortify, reaction, you divide
You try to make us stronger by lashing out and creating division
And you say fortify, reaction, reaction
You think that reacting strongly is the best way to protect ourselves
And you say fortify, reaction, reaction
You want us to be on guard and ready to fight at all times
You say fortify, reaction, you divide
You believe that making a show of force is the best way to protect ourselves, even if it causes conflict
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Brad J Wilk, Timothy Commerford, Tom Morello, Zack M De La Rocha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind