20 Dollar
M.I.A. Lyrics
War war war
Talkin' about y'alls such a bore
I'd rather talk about moi
Like do you know the cost of AK's up in Africa?
20 dollars ain't shit to you
But that's how much they are
So they're gonna use this shit just to get by
Is gold, diamonds helpin' ya?
Don't you like my bandana?
My stains hang low
On my shirts like a-ya-ya
Monkey brains and banana
I'll hit you with my antenna
I put soap in my eye
Make it red so I look raaa ra ra
So I woke up with my holy Qur'an and found out I like Allah-lah
So we shooting til the song is up
Little boys are acting up
Baby mamas are goin crazy
And the leaders all around cracking up
We goat rich, we fry
Price of living in a shanty town just seems very high
We still like T.I.
We still look fly
Dancing as we shooting up
And looting just to get by
With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head'll collapse when there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself:
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
War war war
Who made me like this?
Was it me and God in co-production?
My devil's on speed dial
Everytime I take the wrong direction
All I want is one thing and that is what you got
Sometimes I go lose my mind and then I feel numb
There's 24 hours in a day
I used to split it 8, 8, 8
8 work, 8 sleep, 8 for play
Now I give it all takes
People on the Internet
A new life for the intellect
People judge me so hard
Coz I don't floss my titty set
I was born out of dirt like I'm porn in a skirt
I was a little girl who made good with all that I blurt
I put people on the map that never seen a map
I show 'em something they ain't ever seen
And hope they make it back
With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head'll collapse when there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself:
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head'll collapse when there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself:
Where is my mind?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David James Andrew Taylor, Mathangi Arulpragasam, Charles Thompson, Gillian Lesley Gilbert, Bernard (gb 2) Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
There are five known artists under this name:
1. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam also known as M.I.A., (born 18 July 1975 in Hounslow, London, U.K.) is a British artist of Sri Lankan descent. As a baby she moved with her family to their native Sri Lanka, where her father became increasingly politically active in militant activities. As the Civil War escalated the rest of the family was forced to flee as refugees, first to India and then the UK. Read Full BioThere are five known artists under this name:
1. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam also known as M.I.A., (born 18 July 1975 in Hounslow, London, U.K.) is a British artist of Sri Lankan descent. As a baby she moved with her family to their native Sri Lanka, where her father became increasingly politically active in militant activities. As the Civil War escalated the rest of the family was forced to flee as refugees, first to India and then the UK. “M.I.A.” [“Missing In Action”] references both her London neighborhood (Acton) and her politically tumultuous youth.
Her style contains elements of hip-hop, reggae, alternative, dance hall, electro and baile funk and is strongly inspired by her Sri Lankan background.
2. American Punk/Hardcore band formed in Orange County, CA in 1981 by Chris Moon, drums; Mike Conley, bass; Nick Adams, guitar (all previously of Las Vegas, NV punk band The Swell); and Art Carasco, vocals. Their sound was generally hardcore and thrasher, though they produced more melodic and progressive sounds in their later albums. Allmusic called the band "one of the 50 best So-Cal punk bands of the great early-'80s second wave explosion. In 1984 they signed a deal with the cult Alternative Tentacles label, after the label's founder, Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, saw them play at a secret illegal punk nightclub in Las Vegas. Biafra was impressed by Mike Conley's distinctive voice, saying "The minute you hear a song with him singing you know it's him." They released the album Murder in a Foreign Place on Alternative Tentacles in 1984, followed in 1985 by Notes From the Underground on National Trust Records, and in 1987 by After the Fact on Flipside Records. The band split up in 1988. In 2001, Alternative Tentacles released Lost Boys, a 37-song retrospective of the band's work, including Last Rites, Murder in a Foreign Place, and several additional tracks. On February 28, 2008 vocalist Mike Conley was found dead in a Chicago hotel parking lot. Conley was taken to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, where he was pronounced dead at 6:25 a.m. On April 27, 2008, there was a secret warm-up show at Detroit Bar featuring Todd Sampson of Self Abuse and Samson's Army on vocals, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys on guest vocals, Chris Moon and Larry Pearson on drums, Nick Adams on guitar, and Bob Thomson on bass. The next day, the "Beautiful Noise" benefit show took place at the Anaheim House of Blues with Jigsaw, Naked Soul, Cadillac Tramps, Social Distortion and MIA with the same lineup as the previous night, but adding Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds on guest vocals. The proceeds of "Beautiful Noise" went to Mike Conley's family.
(3) Formed in the mid 70s, Independent Musicians Associated (MIA) was a group of musicians, technicians and drawers gathered together by Lito and Liliana Vitale’s parents. They produced their own records and concerts in an independent way. Their music is a complex symphonic rock with definite Argentinean/latin folk influence with multiple chorals and vocals beautifully contrasting with the keyboards and a great guitar sound upon a strong rhythmic section. They were highly influenced by symphonic music, more noteworthy by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant and Focus.
4. Merriweathers is a member of Underground Resistance under the alias of The Unknown Soldier.
5. mia's page (Michaela Grobelny).
1. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam also known as M.I.A., (born 18 July 1975 in Hounslow, London, U.K.) is a British artist of Sri Lankan descent. As a baby she moved with her family to their native Sri Lanka, where her father became increasingly politically active in militant activities. As the Civil War escalated the rest of the family was forced to flee as refugees, first to India and then the UK. Read Full BioThere are five known artists under this name:
1. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam also known as M.I.A., (born 18 July 1975 in Hounslow, London, U.K.) is a British artist of Sri Lankan descent. As a baby she moved with her family to their native Sri Lanka, where her father became increasingly politically active in militant activities. As the Civil War escalated the rest of the family was forced to flee as refugees, first to India and then the UK. “M.I.A.” [“Missing In Action”] references both her London neighborhood (Acton) and her politically tumultuous youth.
Her style contains elements of hip-hop, reggae, alternative, dance hall, electro and baile funk and is strongly inspired by her Sri Lankan background.
2. American Punk/Hardcore band formed in Orange County, CA in 1981 by Chris Moon, drums; Mike Conley, bass; Nick Adams, guitar (all previously of Las Vegas, NV punk band The Swell); and Art Carasco, vocals. Their sound was generally hardcore and thrasher, though they produced more melodic and progressive sounds in their later albums. Allmusic called the band "one of the 50 best So-Cal punk bands of the great early-'80s second wave explosion. In 1984 they signed a deal with the cult Alternative Tentacles label, after the label's founder, Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, saw them play at a secret illegal punk nightclub in Las Vegas. Biafra was impressed by Mike Conley's distinctive voice, saying "The minute you hear a song with him singing you know it's him." They released the album Murder in a Foreign Place on Alternative Tentacles in 1984, followed in 1985 by Notes From the Underground on National Trust Records, and in 1987 by After the Fact on Flipside Records. The band split up in 1988. In 2001, Alternative Tentacles released Lost Boys, a 37-song retrospective of the band's work, including Last Rites, Murder in a Foreign Place, and several additional tracks. On February 28, 2008 vocalist Mike Conley was found dead in a Chicago hotel parking lot. Conley was taken to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, where he was pronounced dead at 6:25 a.m. On April 27, 2008, there was a secret warm-up show at Detroit Bar featuring Todd Sampson of Self Abuse and Samson's Army on vocals, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys on guest vocals, Chris Moon and Larry Pearson on drums, Nick Adams on guitar, and Bob Thomson on bass. The next day, the "Beautiful Noise" benefit show took place at the Anaheim House of Blues with Jigsaw, Naked Soul, Cadillac Tramps, Social Distortion and MIA with the same lineup as the previous night, but adding Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds on guest vocals. The proceeds of "Beautiful Noise" went to Mike Conley's family.
(3) Formed in the mid 70s, Independent Musicians Associated (MIA) was a group of musicians, technicians and drawers gathered together by Lito and Liliana Vitale’s parents. They produced their own records and concerts in an independent way. Their music is a complex symphonic rock with definite Argentinean/latin folk influence with multiple chorals and vocals beautifully contrasting with the keyboards and a great guitar sound upon a strong rhythmic section. They were highly influenced by symphonic music, more noteworthy by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant and Focus.
4. Merriweathers is a member of Underground Resistance under the alias of The Unknown Soldier.
5. mia's page (Michaela Grobelny).
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Michaela Corey
Who is here listening during Quarentine?🖖🏾💜🧿💙
!?Where is my mind!?🤷🏿♀️
AfroKing
You are gorgeous
Carolyn Sicbaldi
this song is so ahead of this time/still a banger almost 10 years later
Dave Wolf
That's actually bc South Asian EDM has been ahead of the times (certainly compared to American pop) for decades.
Chris Martin
It's like crack I'm hooked I need to hear MOORE!!!!
REVENANT KING
It’s uses a beat from an 80s song tho
lilhunnits
@Josh K LMAO someone's in there feelings on youtube! Never heard or saw someone type fuck an entire year before .
Nyar ttaffom
This song is the future. M.I.A's music is from a world that humanity has not even reached yet. Her music will never be appreciated during our time. She is ahead of the game.
Matangi Goddess
This song 20 dollar was inspired by M.I.A travels and experiences in Africa visiting impoverished and politically corrupted countries such as liberia. 20 dollar is basically a song about how its easier for the poor Africans to gain access to machine guns (Ak47's) then it is for them to obtain the natural resources and necessities they need in order to survive. Its a big political commentary on capitalism and a depiction of the warlike society that is rampant amongst African countries.
Michael Otis
Western imperialism will do that to a continent!