20 Dollar
M.I.A. Lyrics

War, war, war
The constant talk of war is boring.

Talkin' about y'alls such a bore
I would rather talk about myself than listen to you talk about war.

I'd rather talk about moi
I prefer to talk about myself.

Like, do you know the cost of AK's up in Africa?
The cost of AK-47s in Africa is high.

Twenty dollars ain't shit to you
A twenty dollar bill may not seem important to some people.

But that's how much they are
However, this is the cost of an AK-47 in Africa.

So they're gonna use this shit just to get by
Still, people in Africa will use these weapons just to survive.

Is gold, diamonds helpin' ya?
Are gold and diamonds making a positive impact on your life?

Don't you like my bandana?
Do you appreciate the headwear that I am wearing?

My stains hang low
My clothes are stained and dirty.

On my shirts like a-ya-ya
The stains are so prevalent, they are almost a pattern on my shirt.

Monkey brains and banana
I am referencing stereotypical African foods.

I'll hit you with my antenna
I will use my literal antenna to attack you.

Put soap in my eye
I am willing to harm myself for the sake of a good appearance.

Make it red so I look ra-ra-ra
I want my eyes to be red so I can look aggressive.

So I woke up with my holy Qur'an and found out I like Allah-lah
I have recently found an appreciation for Islam.

So we shootin' 'til the song is up
We will continue shooting until the song finishes.

Little boys are actin' up
Boys are causing trouble.

Baby mamas are goin crazy
Mothers of young children are going insane.

And the leaders all around crackin' up
Political leaders are failing to keep order.

We goat rich, we fry
We are financially solvent, but we are likely to be killed or injured.

Price of livin' in a shanty town just seems very high
The cost of living in a low-income area is extremely expensive.

But we still like T.I.
We still appreciate the rapper T.I.

But we still look fly
We still look good.

Dancin' as we shootin' up
We are dancing as we shoot our weapons.

And lootin' just to get by
We are stealing just to survive.

With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
You are standing upside down.

Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Spin around while upside down.

Your head'll collapse when there's nothing in it
Your mind will fail without proper stimulation.

And you'll ask yourself
You will question yourself.

Where is my mind?
I am wondering where my mind has gone.

(Ha) war, war, war
War is being referenced again.

Who made me like this?
Who is responsible for shaping me into the person that I am?

Was it me and God in co-production?
Is God and I responsible for who I am?

My devil's on speed dial
I am frequently in communication with the devil.

Every time I take the wrong direction
I often make bad choices.

All I want is one thing and that is what you got
I am envious of what someone else has.

Sometimes I go lose my mind, then I feel numb
I experience mental breakdowns that leave me feeling unresponsive.

There's twenty-four hours in a day
There are 24 hours in each day.

I used to split it eight, eight, eight
I would divide my time into three equal parts of work, sleep, and leisure.

Eight work, eight sleep, eight for play
I would spend eight hours working, eight hours sleeping, and eight hours having fun.

Now I give it all it takes
Now I give everything I have to succeed.

Now people on the Internet
Internet users are referenced here.

A new life for the intellect
The internet provides opportunities for intellectual growth and exploration.

People judge me so hard
People criticize me constantly.

'Cause I don't floss my titty set (ha)
I am being criticized for not flaunting my breasts.

I was born out of dirt like I'm porn in a skirt
I am referencing my low social class and my suggestive clothing.

I was a little girl who made good with all that I blurt
I am proud of myself for the success I have achieved despite my background.

I put people on the map that never seen a map
I have given exposure to people and places that were previously unknown to many people.

I show 'em something they ain't ever seen
I have introduced people to things they may have never experienced before.

And hope they make it back
I hope that those people can succeed on their own.