Fishbone first assembled with John Norwood Fisher (bass), his brother Philip "Fish" Fisher (drums), Angelo Moore (vocals, saxophones and theremin), Kendall Jones (guitar), "Dirty" Walter A. Kibby II (vocals, trumpet), and Christopher Dowd (keyboards, trombone, vocals). They achieved their greatest success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, after which they went through many personnel changes. From 2003 to 2010, John Norwood Fisher and Angelo Moore were the last remaining original members of the band. In the 2010s, all the other original members except Kendall Jones rejoined the band for various reunions and anniversary activities.
Servitude
Fishbone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For whose empire and for whose whims?
Is your honor judged by men?
Will you lie?
Will you lie if they say it`s their will?
Will you die or continue to kill?
Until the generals all have their fill
Armchair warriors
You will serve them well
What, what will you write?
For whose pleasure, for whose delight?
Will your readers see your light?
Will you say... That the singer can`t blow you away?
That we hate people just `cause they`re gay
Women and children all stay away
To whom, whom do you pray?
Do dollars wash your sins away?
Does God love cold hard cash?
Do you say... If we all just continue to pay
All our ailments will go away
And our souls will be saved
God`s not with you
"Holy Roller"
Your heart dwells in Hell
Why, Why do you run?
Our awareness has spoiled your fun
Our eyes see you too clear
Will you hide
From the joy of expressing our pride
For the leaders and people who`ve died
While combating your genocide
Chains are breaking
Minds are waking
Soon we`ll serve no more...
In Fishbone's song Servitude, the lyrics question the motives and loyalty of those in power, particularly those who serve in the military or political spheres. The song starts by asking who these servants really serve, and what their true intentions are. Are they serving for honor and principle, or are they blindly following orders? The lyrics then address writers and journalists, asking them who they really write for and what their message truly is. The song also questions those who pray, asking whether they truly believe their actions and beliefs align with their faith or if they are simply looking for a way to justify their actions. The song ends by noting that people are waking up and breaking free from the chains of servitude, and soon they will serve no more.
Line by Line Meaning
Who, who do you serve?
Who is your allegiance to?
For whose empire and for whose whims?
Whose power are you serving and for what petty desires?
Is your honor judged by men?
Do you only care about how other people perceive you and not truly ethical behavior?
Will you lie?
Will you deceive others?
Will you lie if they say it`s their will?
Will you follow orders blindly, even if they are corrupt?
Will you die or continue to kill?
Are you willing to die for your country, or do you prefer to continue killing others for your own gain?
Until the generals all have their fill
Until the leaders are satiated with power and control.
Craven cowards
Describes those who are fearful and lack courage.
Armchair warriors
Those who talk about war from the comfort of their homes without any actual involvement.
You will serve them well
You will be a perfect subordinate to them.
What, what will you write?
What are you going to create or express?
For whose pleasure, for whose delight?
For whose entertainment and enjoyment is this creation for?
Will your readers see your light?
Will your audience appreciate your work?
Will you say... That the singer can`t blow you away?
Will you deny the talent of someone who is superior to you?
That we hate people just `cause they`re gay
We discriminate against others for no other reason than their sexual orientation.
Women and children all stay away
Implying that this creation is not appropriate for women and children.
To whom, whom do you pray?
Who do you direct your worship towards?
Do dollars wash your sins away?
Can you pay off your sins with money?
Does God love cold hard cash?
Is money a valid way to prove your devotion and fidelity to God?
Do you say... If we all just continue to pay
Do you believe that all of our problems will be solved if we just keep giving money?
All our ailments will go away
All our physical and mental issues will be cured.
And our souls will be saved
Our eternal selves will be rescued from damnation.
God`s not with you
One cannot claim to be doing God's work while engaging in corrupt behavior.
"Holy Roller"
A label given to those who proclaim their holiness and religiosity but engage in unethical behavior or hypocrisy.
Your heart dwells in Hell
Your soul is corrupted and carries the weight of unnatural and immoral behavior.
Why, Why do you run?
Why are you avoiding facing the consequences of your actions?
Our awareness has spoiled your fun
Our knowledge and realization of your misbehavior has robbed you of your enjoyment of it.
Our eyes see you too clear
We can see right through your attempts to hide and deceive others.
Will you hide
Will you try to conceal your track record of corruption?
From the joy of expressing our pride
From our celebration of representing our identity with pride.
For the leaders and people who`ve died
For those who gave their lives fighting for our rights and freedoms.
While combating your genocide
While struggling against those who seek to eradicate us.
Chains are breaking
The restrictions that bind us are gradually coming undone.
Minds are waking
The public is becoming more aware and vigilant regarding corruption and injustice.
Soon we`ll serve no more...
We will no longer submit and acquiesce to unjust authority figures.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@douglasbarbee3133
Who, who do you serve?
For whose empire and for whose whims?
Is your honor judged by men?
Will you lie?
Will you lie if they say it`s their will?
Will you die or continue to kill?
Until the generals all have their fill
Craven cowards
Armchair warriors
You will serve them well
What, what will you write?
For whose pleasure, for whose delight?
Will your readers see your light?
Will you say... That the singer can`t blow you away?
That we hate people just `cause they`re gay
Women and children all stay away
To whom, whom do you pray?
Do dollars wash your sins away?
Does God love cold hard cash?
Do you say... If we all just continue to pay
All our ailments will go away
And our souls will be saved
God`s not with you
"Holy Roller"
Your heart dwells in Hell
Why, Why do you run?
Our awareness has spoiled your fun
Our eyes see you too clear
Will you hide
From the joy of expressing our pride
For the leaders and people who`ve died
While combating your genocide
Chains are breaking
Minds are waking
Soon we`ll serve no more..
@kevinyoung366
The chili peppers said they could not understand how Fishbone, a band that came out from the beginning with incredible rhythm and melody, were not celebrated as much or more than them. The chili peppers were allowed to grow into a band. Fishbone were a BAND from the very start.
@NoPawn
Flea has always said he learned bass from Norwood, and considering how much of a bad ass Flea is on bass, that's saying a lot!
@freudianslippers6567
RHCP are fuckwitts, what they did to Mike Patton was eye opening. All jealousy.
@MainsMain
@@freudianslippers6567 I guess you could say it was a Midlife Crisis
@gsly6081
They didn't have the name.
@jhamilton1007
Without Fishbone, we wouldn't have gotten bands like Sevendust
@DonTheMoron716
One of the best goddamn metal songs EVER 🤘🏻
@mikej2934
Fishbone and Bad Brains are the sound of my youth. They continue to be the soundtrack of my life.
@SurgeCess
Right on 💯💯
@eduardorodriguez694
I don't think anything today can hold a candle to this band and or this song specifically. Totally underrated!!