Ain't Got No
Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra Lyrics
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Ain't got no money, ain't got no class
Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schooling
Ain't got no wear, ain't got no job
Ain't got no money, no place to stay
Ain't got no father, ain't got no mother
Ain't got no children, ain't got no sisters above
Ain't got no touch, ain't got no god
Ain't got no love
Ain't got no wine, no cigarettes
Ain't got no clothes, no country
No class, no schooling
No friends, no nothing
Ain't got no god
Ain't got one more
Ain't got no earth, no ?
No food, no home
I said I ain't got no clothes
No job, no nothing
Ain't got long to live
And I ain't got no love
But what have I got?
Let me tell ya what I've got
That nobody's gonna take away
I got my hair on my head
I got my brains, I got my ears
I got my eyes, I got my nose
I dot my mouth, I got my smile
I got my tongue, I got my chin
I got my neck, I got my boobies
I got my heart, I got my soul
I got my back, I got my sex
I got my arms, I got my hands
I got my fingers, got my legs
I got my feet, I got my toes
I got my liver, got my blood
Got life, I got my life
The song Ain't Got No by Edmundo Ros is a powerful expression of the lack and deprivation felt by the lyricist. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has nothing - they have no home, shoes, money, class, friends, schooling, job, family or faith. However, amidst all of this, the lyricist realizes that they do have something that no one could take away from them - their body, their senses, their organs, and their life.
The lyricist expresses a profound sense of loss, despair and hopelessness, with the repetition of the phrase "ain't got no" throughout the song. This repetition emphasizes the extent to which the lyricist feels that they have nothing. The list of things that the lyricist lacks is extensive, including material possessions like wine, cigarettes, and clothes, as well as emotional and spiritual needs like love, faith, and a relationship with God.
The lyrics of Ain't Got No are a reminder that everything in life can be taken away, but our bodies and minds remain our own. Although the lyricist is lacking in so many ways, they still have their life, and they are grateful for that. In a society that values material possessions and success, the lyrics of Ain't Got No provide a poignant reminder that true happiness and fulfillment cannot be found in external things.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
I don't have a place to live, and even if I did, I don't have any shoes to wear.
Ain't got no money, ain't got no class
I don't have any money or any social status.
Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schooling
I don't have any friends to talk to or any education to build a future.
Ain't got no wear, ain't got no job
I don't have any clothes to wear, and I don't have any job to earn a living.
Ain't got no money, no place to stay
I don't have any money to rent a place to stay.
Ain't got no father, ain't got no mother
I have no parents to take care of me.
Ain't got no children, ain't got no sisters above
I don't have any kids or sisters who can take care of me in my old age.
Ain't got no earth, ain't got no faith
I don't feel grounded or connected to anything, and I don't believe in anything greater than myself.
Ain't got no touch, ain't got no god
I don't have anyone to hold or touch, and I don't believe in any god or higher power.
Ain't got no love
I don't have anyone in my life who cares for me or loves me.
Ain't got no wine, no cigarettes
I don't have any luxuries or vices to enjoy.
Ain't got no clothes, no country
I don't have any clothes to wear, and I don't feel like I belong in any country or culture.
No class, no schooling
I don't have any social status or education.
No friends, no nothing
I don't have anyone in my life to talk to or support me.
Ain't got no god
I don't believe in any higher power or spirituality.
Ain't got one more
I don't have anything else to give or to lose.
Ain't got no earth, no ?
I don't feel connected to anything, and I have a sense of uncertainty about life.
No food, no home
I don't have any food or a secure place to live.
I said I ain't got no clothes
I don't have any clothes to wear or protect myself.
No job, no nothing
I don't have any job to earn a living, and I don't have any other means of support.
Ain't got long to live
I feel like my time on earth is limited, and I don't have much left.
And I ain't got no love
I still don't have anyone to love or to care for me.
I got my hair on my head
Although I lack everything else, I still have my hair.
I got my brains, I got my ears
I may not have an education or social status, but I have my intelligence and my ability to hear.
I got my eyes, I got my nose
I still have my vision and my sense of smell, despite my difficult circumstances.
I got my mouth, I got my smile
I have the ability to speak and express myself, and I can still smile even in tough times.
I got my tongue, I got my chin
I can still taste and speak, and I have a chin to hold my head high.
I got my neck, I got my boobies
Despite everything, I still have my neck to hold my head up, and my chest as a reminder of my humanity.
I got my heart, I got my soul
I may be lacking in material possessions, but I still have my heart and my soul as sources of strength and resilience.
I got my back, I got my sex
I can still stand tall and defend myself, and I have my sexuality as a reminder of my human nature.
I got my arms, I got my hands
I can still hold and embrace others, and I have the ability to create and work.
I got my fingers, got my legs
I have the dexterity and mobility to engage with the world and to move forward in life.
I got my feet, I got my toes
Despite lacking any shoes, I still have my feet and toes to carry me forward and to feel the earth beneath me.
I got my liver, got my blood
I have my internal organs and my life force, which keep me going every day.
Got life, I got my life
Despite everything, I still have my life, with all its ups and downs, and I will keep going.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind