Known for their use of humor, obscure references, and unconventional style, Das Racist has been both dismissed as joke rap and hailed as an urgent new voice in rap. Spin magazine picked Das Racist as one of 50 acts to watch at the 2010 SXSW festival, and in April 2010, MTV Iggy selected Das Racist as one of the "25 Best New Bands in the World". Rolling Stone declared the song "hahahaha jk?" from Sit Down, Man one of the fifty best singles of 2010.
Das Racist's unique style has a strong polarizing tendency; their set at the Pop Montreal festival was described as "the most divisive show seen at the festival". They describe their approach to music as "'deconstructionalist': sawing the legs out from under hip-hop as they celebrate it".The New York Times wrote "Das Racist’s lack of piety has become an aesthetic of its own, with songs that are as much commentary on hip-hop as rigorous practice of it". The Root said Das Racist could speak for both "the ‘hood or the nearest gated community." Playboy called the duo "equal parts hip-hop and Cheech & Chong".
In December 2012, statements made by members of Das Racist made apparent that the band had broken up.
Celebration
Das Racist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ohmigod, ohmigod, please!
We can sell this, too, we can sell this to you!
Whatchu wanna do?
How do you do what you wanna do?
What can I tell you that you want to believe?
What have you got with your knowledge, see?
I know, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, but you don't hear me at all
I know it's a celebration
C'mon everybody, yeah
We can give it away, don't mean what we say
We can joke, we can play, we can joke all day
What can I give you that you would actually need?
What do you wanna be that you could actually be?
And I know, and I know
And I know, and I know
Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, but you don't hear me at all
I know, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, but you don't hear me at all
It's a celebration
But you don't hear me, y'all
C'mon y'all, it's a celebration
If you wanna be me, you can be me, really be me
Cat Stevens, you can look all day, but you still wouldn't see me
If you wanna be you, you can do that, too
And if you don't, then I don't really know what I can tell you
You can ask what it do
Or can act like you knew
You can ask what it is
But I still wouldn't tell you
We can sell this to, oh, is it over? It's over!
The lyrics to Das Racist's song "Celebration" critique the superficiality and commodification of contemporary culture. The repeated phrase "blah-blah-blah" represents the meaningless and generic language used to market and sell products, as well as the disengagement and apathy of the listener. The lines "We can give it away, don't mean what we say / We can joke, we can play, we can joke all day" suggest a lack of authenticity in communication and expression. The line "What can I give you that you would actually need?" challenges the notion of consumer desire and the idea that fulfillment can be found in material possessions.
The verses also seem to address the idea of individual identity and the pressure to conform. The lines "If you wanna be me, you can be me, really be me / Cat Stevens, you can look all day, but you still wouldn't see me" suggest that true uniqueness and individuality cannot be copied or bought. The repeated phrase "but you don't hear me at all" highlights the distance between the singer and the listener and the difficulty of effective communication in a world where everyone is trying to sell something.
Overall, "Celebration" offers a critical commentary on contemporary culture and consumerism, urging the listener to question their own desires and search for authenticity in a world of commodification.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah! It's a celebration!
Excitement for the occasion at hand
Ohmigod, ohmigod, please!
Humble request for good things to happen
We can sell this, too, we can sell this to you!
Highlighting the potential for profit and consumerism
Whatchu wanna do?
Asking about the listener's desires and goals
How do you do what you wanna do?
Questioning the listener's approach to achieving their goals
What can I tell you that you want to believe?
Acknowledging the challenge of convincing someone to believe something
What have you got with your knowledge, see?
Questioning the usefulness of the listener's knowledge
Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, but you don't hear me, no?
Expressing frustration at being ignored or unheard
I know, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, but you don't hear me at all
Repeating the frustration of being ignored or unheard
I know it's a celebration
Reiterating the excitement for the occasion
C'mon everybody, yeah
Encouraging everyone to join in the celebration
We can give it away, don't mean what we say
Highlighting the possibility of insincerity or falseness
We can joke, we can play, we can joke all day
Emphasizing the lighthearted and fun nature of the celebration
What can I give you that you would actually need?
Asking about the listener's true needs and desires
What do you wanna be that you could actually be?
Encouraging the listener to pursue realistic goals
And I know, and I know
Repeated for emphasis
Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, but you don't hear me at all
Repeating the frustration of being ignored or unheard
It's a celebration
Reiterating the excitement for the occasion
But you don't hear me, y'all
Addressing the listeners who are not paying attention
C'mon y'all, it's a celebration
Encouraging everyone to join in the celebration
If you wanna be me, you can be me, really be me
Encouraging individuality and authenticity
Cat Stevens, you can look all day, but you still wouldn't see me
Referencing the difficulty of truly knowing someone
If you wanna be you, you can do that, too
Encouraging individuality and authenticity
And if you don't, then I don't really know what I can tell you
Acknowledging the difficulty of convincing someone to be authentic
You can ask what it do
Encouraging curiosity
Or can act like you knew
Calling out those who pretend to know things they don't
You can ask what it is
Encouraging further inquiry
But I still wouldn't tell you
Emphasizing the complexity of the situation and the limits of language and explanation
We can sell this to, oh, is it over? It's over!
Transitioning to the end of the celebration and acknowledging its temporary nature
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Laura Kayser
I'm 33 and haven't put a song on repeat like i have with this one since i was 17. This song is so good i can feel it physically.
The Sunkin Temple
this gets stuck in my head all the time
Jason C
"My name is Jason and this is the best song ever" -- Jason
Keith Hunt
Shout out to Francis Farewell Starlite on the beat.
shatterjack
dude this song is so hot
AnonsCrossfader
vics a good singer
gungnir85
hahaha this rules
SupervillainxD
Oh is it over?..It over?..
Jatte92
This makes me happy, fuccc le haterz :D
Jason Lunday
trolls?