Ghetto Defendant
Diplo & Santogold Lyrics
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Hooked on necropolis
Addict of metropolis
Do the worm on the accropolis
Slamdance the cosmopolis
Enlighten the populace
Hungry darkness of living
She spent a lifetime deciding
How to run from it (addicts of metropolis)
Once fate had a witness
And the years seemed like friends (girlfriends)
Now her child has a dream
But it begins like it ends
Shot in eternity
Methadone kitty
Iron serenity
Ghetto defendant
It is heroin pity
Not tear gas nor baton charge
That stops you taking the city
(Strung-out committee) walled out of the city
Clubbed down from uptown
Sprayed pest from the nest
Run out to barrio town (The guards are itchy)
Forced to watch at the feast
Then sweep up the night
Flipped pieces of coin (broken bottles)
Exchanged for birthright (grafted in a jiffy)
Ghetto defendant, it is heroin pity (strung-out committee)
Not tear gas nor baton charge
That stops you taking the city (not sitting pretty)
(Grafted in a jiffy) heroin pity
Not tear gas nor baton charge
That stops you taking the city
The ghetto prince of gutter poets
Was bounced out of the room (Jean Arthur Rimbaud)
By the bodyguards of greed
For disturbing the tomb (eighteen-seventy-three)
His words like flamethrowers (paris commune)
Burnt the ghettos in their chests
His face was painted whiter
And he was laid to rest (died in Marseille)
Ghetto defendant, it is heroin pity (buried in Charleville)
Not tear gas nor baton charge
That stops you taking the city (shut up in etenity)
It is heroin pity
Not tear gas nor baton charge
That stops you taking the city
Guatemala, Honduras, Poland, the Hundred-Years War
TV re-run invasion
Death squad Salvador
Afghanistan, meditation, old Chinese flu
Kick junk, what else can a poor worker do?
Ghetto defendant
In heroin pity
Not tear gas nor baton charge
That stops you taking the city
Ghetto defendant
It is heroin pity
The lyrics of Diplo and Santogold's "Ghetto Defendant" depict a harsh reality of life in the metropolis for someone addicted to heroin. The opening lines paint a picture of addiction, as the singer is "starved," "hooked," and an "addict" of the city. The despair is palpable as the chorus declares that it is "heroin pity, not tear gas nor baton charge that stops you taking the city." The verse goes on to describe a mother who has spent a lifetime figuring out how to escape but is now forced to watch her child pursue the same dream that began the cycle of addiction all over again. The lyrics are full of metaphors and references to history, art, and culture, such as Jean Arthur Rimbaud, the Paris Commune, and the Hundred-Years War, adding depth and complexity to the theme.
The song presents an unvarnished view of urban life, where addiction and poverty are often the norm. The "ghetto defendant" is a person who is trying to make a life for themselves in a neighborhood that is often neglected, poor, and dangerous. The lyrics speak to the hopelessness and despair felt by those who are trapped in the cycle of addiction and poverty. The song suggests that it is not violence and brutality that makes life unbearable in these neighborhoods, but rather the lack of hope and opportunity. The lyrics express a feeling of resignation, as though the cycle of addiction and poverty is inevitable.
Line by Line Meaning
Starved in metropolis
Living in a city with nothing to sustain oneself
Hooked on necropolis
Addicted to the lifestyle or culture of the dead, possibly referencing a cemetery
Addict of metropolis
Someone who is addicted to the city and its ways of life
Do the worm on the accropolis
Performing a dance move on the ancient hilltop city, likely Athens
Slamdance the cosmopolis
Engaging in an aggressive form of dancing in a city that has diverse cultural influences
Enlighten the populace
To educate and inform the common people
Hungry darkness of living
The emptiness and lack of fulfillment that comes with urban life
Who will thirst in the pit? (hooked in metropolis)
Who will suffer from addiction and emptiness in the city?
She spent a lifetime deciding
A woman has spent her lifetime trying to determine how to escape the negative aspects of city life
How to run from it (addicts of metropolis)
How to escape the addiction and negative aspects of city life
Once fate had a witness
At some point in the past, there was someone who observed the workings of fate
And the years seemed like friends (girlfriends)
In the past, time felt more friendly and less burdensome
Now her child has a dream
The woman now has a child with aspirations
But it begins like it ends
Life is cyclical and often the beginning and end are the same
Shot in eternity
A reference to the concept that photography captures a moment and preserves it for eternity
Methadone kitty
A play on words using the concept of a methadone clinic and a kitten
Iron serenity
A sense of calm and tranquility, possibly in the face of adversity
Ghetto defendant
Someone living in a ghetto or poor area who is struggling to survive
It is heroin pity
The reason behind the struggle is due to heroin addiction
Not tear gas nor baton charge
The defense against this struggle cannot be stopped by weapons, but rather by addressing the root issues
That stops you taking the city
That prevents you from successfully navigating the challenges and hardships of city life
(Strung-out committee) walled out of the city
A group of drug addicts who have been excluded from the rest of society due to their addiction
Clubbed down from uptown
People from the more affluent parts of the city used violence and force to push poorer residents out
Sprayed pest from the nest
The people in power removed undesirables from the city like insects
Run out to barrio town (The guards are itchy)
Forced to relocate to the poorest parts of town due to gentrification, and being closely guarded
Forced to watch at the feast
The poor are not given the same opportunities and are forced to watch the rich live well
Then sweep up the night
The poor are seen as being responsible for cleaning up after the rich
Flipped pieces of coin (broken bottles)
The poor use whatever resources they can to survive, no matter how meager
Exchanged for birthright (grafted in a jiffy)
Poor people are forced to give up their rights to survive, something that happens quickly and easily
(buried in Charleville)
A reference to Jean Arthur Rimbaud, a poet who died in Charleville, France
Shut up in eternity
Reference to being permanently silenced in death
Guatemala, Honduras, Poland, the Hundred-Years War
Various historical events and places of upheaval and struggle
TV re-run invasion
The constant bombardment of media portraying conflict and chaos
Death squad Salvador
A reference to a brutal civil war taking place in El Salvador at the time
Afghanistan, meditation, old Chinese flu
Various other places and events that are all tinged with suffering and struggle
Kick junk, what else can a poor worker do?
The only option for some people is to turn to drugs, due to the harsh conditions of living in poverty
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind