Freedom of Speech
Ice-T Lyrics

Freedom of Speech, that's some motherfuckin' bullshit
The concept of Freedom of Speech is considered worthless and meaningless by the singer.

You say the wrong thing, they'll lock your ass up quick
Society easily silences those who make controversial statements.

The FCC says "Profanity - No Airplay"?
The Federal Communications Commission controls what content should be aired and banned on radio and television.

They can suck my dick while I take a shit all day
The artist strongly disagrees with the views of the FCC.

Think I give a fuck about some silly bitch named Gore?
The artist does not care about Tipper Gore's actions against heavy metal music censorship.

Yo PMRC, here we go, raw
The Parents Music Resource Center is responsible for trying to put warning stickers on music albums that have content their organization deems inappropriate.

Yo Tip, what's the matter? You ain't gettin' no dick?
The singer asks censorship mental-figure, Tipper Gore, if she is sexually frustrated and thus, acting out against specific forms of music.

You're bitchin' about rock'n'roll, that's censorship, dumb bitch
The artist claims that censorship is the same as complaining about rock n roll.

The Constitution says we all got a right to speak
The US Constitution guarantees its citizens the Freedom of Speech.

Say what we want Tip, your argument is weak
The artist believes that Tipper Gore's arguments are weak and have no real basis.

Censor records, TV, school books too
Censorship is present in not just music but also television and literature that's taught in schools.

And who decides what's right to hear? You?
The artist questions who gets to decide what is appropriate content.

Hey PMRC, you stupid fuckin' assholes
The singer insults the PMRC by calling them 'assholes'.

The sticker on the record is what makes 'em sell gold
Music albums that have a warning sticker are popular, and the warning sticker acts as an advertisement.

Can't you see, you alcoholic idiots
The PMRC members are accused of being alcoholics and that they are not capable of realizing the negative effects of their actions.

The more you try to suppress us, the larger we get
Attempts to censor the content of music result in the music becoming even more popular.

Fuck that right! I want the right to talk
The artist wants the right to express themselves despite the consequences.

We ain't the problems, we ain't the villains
Musicians are not responsible for the actions of their listeners.

It's the suckers deprivin' the truth from our children
Parents and authority figures are responsible for shielding children from concepts that they are not mature enough to understand.

You can't hide the fact, Jack
The truth cannot be hidden.

There's violence in the streets every day, any fool can recognise that
Violence is prevalent in society, and it is apparent to anyone who observes it.

But you try to lie and lie
Those in power try to deny or conceal the truth surrounding the reality of violence in society.

And say America's some motherfuckin' apple pie
America is often portrayed as an ideal place or a symbol of freedom and superiority.

Yo, you gotta be high to believe that
The artist considers it unreasonable to believe in a perfect America.

You're gonna change the world by a sticker on a record sleeve
The singer believes that the PMRC's efforts to put warning stickers on music albums will not have any real impact against censorship.

Cos once you take away my right to speak
Freedom of Speech is a fundamental right and the restriction of that right would be catastrophic.

Everybody in the world's up shit creek
If Freedom of Speech is taken away from individuals, society will be in chaos.

Let me tell you about down south
The artist is about to tell a personal story about an incident that happened in the southern United States.

Where a motherfucker might as well not even have a mouth
Speaking out in certain parts of the southern US could result in serious consequences or potential violence.

Columbus, Georgia, said they'd lock me up
The singer receives a threat from the police in Columbus, Georgia, stating they'd arrest the singer if they made a certain explicit statement.

If I got on the stage in my show and said "Fuck"
The singer would've been arrested if they said the word 'Fuck' in Columbus, Georgia.

So I thought for a minute and said "No,
The artist initially agrees not to perform to avoid arrest, but then decides otherwise.

I wasn't even gonna do a damned show"
The artist considers the impact of censorship in Columbus on their show and decides not to perform, temporarily.

Cos for me to change my words from my rhymes
The artist is unwilling to change their lyrics due to censorship.

Is never gonna happen cos there's no sell outs on mine
The singer is not willing to compromise their artistic integrity and go against their own beliefs.

But I vowed to get those motherfuckers one day
The artist promises to take action against those who try to silence them.

They even arrested Bobby Brown and Cool J
The police arrested famous musicians like Bobby Brown and Cool J for vulgar language.

Yo, they got their's comin', cos I'm mad and I'm gunnin'
The singer is motivated to seek retaliation against the authorities who suppress their music.

Homeboys, and there's no runnin'
No escape from the consequences of trying to silence the singer or restrict Freedom of Speech.

I'm gonna tell you how I feel about you
The artist is about to express their true feelings to their critics.

No bull, no lies, no slack, just straight fact
The artist is going to be honest and straightforward with the audience.

Columbus, Georgia, you can suck my dick
The singer offensively addresses the town of Columbus, Georgia, that threatened them with arrest.

You ain't nothin' but a piece of fuckin' shit on the damned map
The singer devalues Columbus, Georgia, and its supposed importance to the US as a whole.

Let 'em censor books, let 'em censor art
The artist depicts the extreme stance the government could take if allowed to censor more content.

PMRC, this is where the witch hunt starts
The PMRC is compared to the Witch Hunters during the Salem Witch Trials in the late 17th century.

You'll censor what we see, we read, we hear, we learn
The PMRC seeks not only to censor music but all forms of art and literature.

The books will burn
The books that the PMRC considers inappropriate will be banned and burned.

You better think it out
The artist appeals to those in power to consider the consequences of censorship.

We should be able to say anything, our lungs were meant to shout
Humans have the right to freedom of expression, which includes the right to shout and speak up.

Say what we feel, yell out what's real
It is important to speak honestly and vocally about things that matter.

Even though it may not bring mass appeal
People need to be truthful and upfront, even if it is not popular.

Your opinion is yours, my opinion is mine
Everyone has their own opinions, and it is important to respect that difference.

If you don't like what I'm sayin'? Fine
If someone disagrees with the artist's view, that is acceptable.

But don't close it, always keep an open mind
It is essential to remain open to differing views and opinions.

A man who fails to listen is blind
One who will not listen to others is unaware of the truth they hold.

We only got one right left in the world today
Freedom of Speech is the only right that humans still have to speak out against censorship.

Let me have it or throw The Constitution away
The artist asks for the Freedom of Speech or the Constitution to be discarded.

What they're trying to do with radio, with this, uh, McCarron-Walter
The McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, with its restrictions on individuals from certain countries entering the US, is used as an example of censorship enacted by the government.

Act and a lot of other ways, is start by saying that they're protecting the public from wicked rock bands, or girlie magazines, or whatever.
Censorship of music and literature is often disguised as protecting the public.

But, if you follow the chain of dominoes that falls down, what they're really trying to do is shut off our access to information itself.
The true objective of censorship is to deny people access to the information they need.

If they can't do it by law they know there's other ways to do it.
If the government cannot censor individuals through laws, they seek other paths to achieve the same goal.