Amazon
M. I. A Lyrics
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On the side of a carton
I was taken in a Datsun
From a street in Acton
I was sipping on a Rubicon
Thinking 'bout where I come
It's all this for revolution
Saving for a telephone
Can I call home
Please can I go home
Painted nails, sunsets on horizons
Palm tree silhouette smells amazing
Blindfolds under home made lanterns
Somewhere in the Amazon
They're holding me ransom
Hello, this is M.I.A.
Could you please
Come get me
Smoking on a Benson
Trying to get me undone
Let me go
I don't want your attention
Under submission
Out of frustration I'll do it
I'll scream for the nation
Painted nails, sunsets on horizons
Palm tree silhouette smells amazing
Blindfolds under home made lanterns
Somewhere in the Amazon
They're holding me ransom
Hello, this is M.I.A.
Could you please
Come get me
Minutes turned to hours
And became our dates
When we shared raindrops
That turned into lakes
Bodies started merging
And the lines got gray
Now I'm looking at him thinking
Maybe he's OK
Hello, this is M.I.A.
It's OK
You forgot me
The lyrics of “Amazon” by M.I.A. describe the experience of being kidnapped and held for ransom, presumably in the Amazon rainforest. The song begins with M.I.A. saying that she was “missing in action” and was taken in a Datsun from a street in Acton. She then describes how she was sipping on a Rubicon and thinking about the revolution, while also saving coupons for a telephone so that she can call home.
As the song progresses, M.I.A. describes the sensory experiences of being held hostage in the Amazon rainforest, such as the smell of palm trees and painted nails. She also references blindfolds and homemade lanterns, which add to the eerie and surreal imagery of the song. M.I.A. then asks to be rescued by saying, “Could you please come get me.”
Towards the end of the song, M.I.A. describes how her captor starts to become familiar to her over time and how she starts to see him as “OK.” However, she still longs to be rescued and says, “It’s OK, you forgot me” as a way of expressing her desire to be rescued and taken home.
Line by Line Meaning
I was missing in action
I was nowhere to be found
On the side of a carton
My picture was on a milk carton as a missing person
I was taken in a Datsun
I was kidnapped in a Datsun car
From a street in Acton
I was taken from a street in Acton
I was sipping on a Rubicon
I was drinking Rubicon fruit juice
Thinking 'bout where I come
Reflecting on my past
It's all this for revolution
I am fighting for revolution
Cutting up the coupon
I am saving money by using coupons
Saving for a telephone
I am saving money to buy a phone
Can I call home
I want to call my home
Please can I go home
I want to go back to my home
Painted nails, sunsets on horizons
My nails are painted while looking at the horizon during sunset
Palm tree silhouette smells amazing
The smell of palm trees is amazing
Blindfolds under home made lanterns
I am blindfolded under homemade lanterns
Somewhere in the Amazon
I am being held captive somewhere in the Amazon
They're holding me ransom
They are demanding money for my release
Hello, this is M.I.A.
I am calling for help
Could you please
Can you help me?
Come get me
Come and rescue me
Smoking on a Benson
I am smoking a cigarette brand called Benson
Trying to get me undone
They are trying to break me
Let me go
Set me free
I don't want your attention
I don't want to draw attention to myself
Under submission
I am being held against my own will
Out of frustration I'll do it
I will scream for help out of frustration
I'll scream for the nation
I will cry for help for my country
Minutes turned to hours
Time seems to be dragging on
And became our dates
Our time spent together feels like dates
When we shared raindrops
When we shared experiences
That turned into lakes
That became bigger and more meaningful
Bodies started merging
Our bodies became intertwined
And the lines got gray
The boundaries and rules became unclear
Now I'm looking at him thinking
I'm thinking about this person and how I feel about them
Maybe he's OK
Maybe this person is alright after all
You forgot me
You abandoned me and left me to someone else's mercy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD X, MAYA ARULPRAGASAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind