Dance Or Die
Janelle Monįe Lyrics

Cyborg, android, d-boy, decoy, water, wisdom
The world is full of various types of people - from cyborgs to androids to drug dealers to decoys - all of whom need water and wisdom to survive.

Tightrope, vision, insight, stronghold, heartless
Life is a tightrope walk that requires vision, insight, and a strong will; it can also make one heartless.

Ice cold, mystery, mastery, solar, battery
One's demeanor can be ice cold as they try to unravel the mysteries of life, mastering each step with the help of the sun's energy, like a battery.

Some will pull the gun because they want to be stars
People will use violence or have an aggressive attitude just to become famous or powerful.

Snatching up your life into the blink of an eye
Violence or unexpected events can quickly take away one's life.

And if you see your cloning on a street walking by
If one sees someone identical to them walking on the street, they may feel threatened or uneasy.

Keep you running for your life cause only one will survive
Survival of the fittest; running away from danger is the only way to stay alive.

War is in the streets and it's an eye for an eye
The world is full of violence and conflict, where people seek revenge for their losses.

Run on for your life or you can dance you can die
One can either escape from danger or face it by dancing, risking their lives.

She's praying in the sand like she's the last samurai
Someone could be praying for strength and courage to fight against danger like the last samurai would.

It's a stick up stick up and a pick up pick up
People with guns threaten others or rob them constantly.

Telling lies and telling lies will put your face on fire
Lying repeatedly can lead to shame, resulting in a humiliating experience.

Run and tell your friends to never dream, never win
People discourage others from dreaming or aspiring, leading to a loss of motivation and never achieving success.

Ghettos keep a crying out to streets full of zombies
Poor areas express their suffering and desperation, surrounded by lifeless people living in a zombie-like state.

Kids are killing kids and then the kids join the army
A cycle of violence, where children kill each other and get recruited into the army at a young age.

Rising and a waking, yes sir here comes the sun
Hope is rising, and with it comes the promise of a new day and new opportunities.

March into the war and with the kick of the drum
War requires soldiers marching in unison, following the beat of the drum.

The wiser simians have got the bombs and the guns
People in power, often wiser but not necessarily righteous, have control over weapons that cause destruction.

So you might as well keep dancing if you're not gonna run
If one does not want to flee from danger, they might as well enjoy life by dancing.

A long long way to find the one
It takes a lot of time and effort to find true love or success.

We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes
The journey to find love or success can be enjoyable, but one must not give up.

These dreams are forever
Dreams never fade or die, and they can last a lifetime.

And if you wanna wake the sun
If one wants change or a brighter future, they must work hard and persevere.

Just keep on marching to the drums
Keep pushing forward, following your own beat and rhythm, to achieve your goals.

Now I'm not saying it's better to bailar
I am not saying it's better to dance and enjoy life.

You can pull the trigger or you can build you an ark
One can choose to use violence to solve problems or find peace and safety by building something like an ark.

My words are rather kind you keep them held in contempt
I speak words of kindness, but people don't appreciate or value them.

Looking for a nine and then a droid you can tempt
Looking for a gun to use and someone vulnerable to manipulate or tempt.

Zombie, zombie, zombie, where do dreams come from?
Zombies, who are lifeless and emotionless, are curious about where dreams come from.

A little bird is chirping and she's singing a song
Nature and animals can bring joy and hope to people.

She's shaking 'em and waking 'em and giving 'em mas
The little bird is encouraging people to wake up from their slumber and live passionately.

As the clock tick tocks and the bodies drop
Time doesn't wait for anyone, and death is inevitable.

I'm gonna lay myself so far way down right in your chops
I will express my views and opinions, even if they are contrary to yours.

Modern day example of the wolf vs flock
Society has become a place where some people are like wolves and prey on the vulnerable flock.

Freedom necessary and it's by any means
Freedom is essential and must be achieved by any means necessary.

Frozen they were stolen all the kings and queens
Even royalties have been oppressed and robbed of their freedom and power.

Sudanese and congolese who put the roll in the rock
The African diaspora and their culture have influenced and enriched the world.

From here to sudan, metropolis to iraq
The problems and conflicts in different parts of the world are connected and interdependent.

It's a minute to the dawn and yet the sun ain't back
It is almost daybreak, but the hope and change that people anticipated hasn't arrived yet.

It's a war in all the stress and yes freaks will dance or die
In a world of chaos and stress, people must either find joy and dance or perish.

Angel, blossom, gunshot, dodging, dream, bright, beat
The words represent a mix of positive and negative concepts, such as beauty and violence, freedom and fear, hope and danger, that are present in life.

Light, breathe, live, help, give, focus, trance, wake up, dance!
Live life to the fullest, with a positive attitude, focused vision, and the courage to dance even in the face of danger.

I'm praying for the man sitting without much time
I pray for the person who has little time left to live.

May he understand the clock will never rewind
May he accept that time moves forward without rewinding, and embrace the present moment.

Wisen him and sharpen him and give him a motto
Give him wisdom, help him be more alert, and provide him with a motto or guiding principle to live by.

Hate no more, said he must hate no more
He must stop hating others and choose love instead.

You see the daylight comes into the kingdom
The light of hope has come to the world.

But the kingdom's full of ignorant men
The world is full of unwise and ignorant people.

Just keep rebelling away, you gotta dream it away
Keep rebelling against the norm, and dreaming of a better future and a better world.

Because the weatherman you seein' ain't creating the weather
Those who appear to have control and knowledge of the future are not responsible for creating destiny; it is in our hands.

This man wants to see another jubilation
This person wishes to see more happiness and joy in the world.

And that man wants us in emancipation
Another person wants to work towards setting people free from oppression.

And then there is the man who wants a stronger nation
Another person wants to make the country stronger and more powerful.

You see we really got to and I think that we ought to
We have a responsibility to work towards a better world, and it is essential that we do so.

Protect the mind from degradation
We must protect the mind from negative influence and degradation.

Sow in the seeds of education
We must invest in education and promote knowledge and understanding.

They run from us, are we that dangerous?
Others are afraid of us; they see us as a threat or a dangerous force.

There's a war in all the streets and yes the freaks must dance or die!
The world is full of conflict, and in this chaos people must choose to either enjoy life by dancing or perish.