Ms. Dynamite was born and raised in Archway, London, England, to a Scottish mother and a Jamaican father. She grew up listening to reggae and hip hop music. Though she wanted to become a schoolteacher or social worker, her biggest aspiration was to be a musician. She is the eldest of eleven siblings, one of whom is a grime artist known as Akala.
While working at the radio station RAW FM, Ms. Dynamite was discovered by Richard Forbes at a West End club. After working briefly with the garage act So Solid Crew, she released her debut album, A Little Deeper, in 2002, which won Britain's prestigious Mercury Prize for Album of the Year for 2002.
2001
JUDGEMENT DAY
Ms. Dynamite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got your children living in fear,
How you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
Selling debt to fiends
Barely fifteens
So you can have another option and rip off your dreams
Tell me..
How you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
Greet the family with a smile
When all the while
You been raping that child
You a priest but you still can't
Wash the blood from your hands.
The self hate they create in your hair
Got you pickin' up their weapons
And leaving your brothers there,
Tell me..
How you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
[Chorus]
I wonder what you gon' do
When he comes for you
Where you gon' run
Once he calls for you
Where you gonna hide
The day he sends for you
And he questions you
I wonder what you gonna say
When that day comes
When judgement day comes
I'm talking bout the sins you commit
giving orders that permit,
Killing innocent kids so you can fill your pockets
Tell me how you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
Now take a look at these project buildings
They got us living in
It's like we're raised in prison cos of the colour of our skin
Now how you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
The pharmaceutical industry need to get paid
They're sitting on a cure
Watching new born babies die of AIDS
Tell me how you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
How could you keep exploiting third world children
Using them as underpaid slaves
So you can make your millions
How you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
[Repeat Chorus]
We sit and watch why people get hurt
Stand to say nothing while they do the devil's work
Walk straight by leave them crying in the dirt
What kind of people does that make me n you?
And we could have all the good intent
But we sitting in silence
We committing greed and violence
Then we got blood on our hands too
[Repeat Chorus x2]
(by: dragos_xss)
Ms. Dynamite's "Judgement Day" is a thought-provoking and powerful song that questions the actions and consequences of individuals who harm others in various ways. The opening verse talks about domestic abuse and child abuse, highlighting the trauma that abusers cause to their family members. The following verses focus on other forms of exploitation, such as drug dealing, pharmaceutical industry greed, and child labor in third-world countries.
Throughout the song, the artist questions how these individuals can "wash the blood from their hands" and face judgment from a higher power when their actions are so destructive. The chorus refers to judgment day, emphasizing that these actions will not go unpunished. Ms. Dynamite urges listeners to reflect on their own actions and urges those in power to consider the consequences of their decisions on others.
Overall, "Judgment Day" is an eye-opening and emotional commentary on societal issues that require urgent attention. By addressing such issues, the song raises awareness and encourages individuals to take action against social injustice and exploitation.
Line by Line Meaning
How could you beat your woman till you see tears?
How could you cause such pain and suffering to someone you claim to love?
Got your children living in fear,
You have created an environment of fear and insecurity for your own children.
How you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
How will you ever be able to cleanse yourself of the guilt and responsibility for your actions?
Selling debt to fiends
You are exploiting vulnerable people by selling them debt that they cannot afford.
Barely fifteens
You are targeting and taking advantage of young, impressionable teenagers.
So you can have another option and rip off your dreams
You are selling false hope and taking advantage of people's desperation for a better life.
You claim you're doing God's work
You use religion as a shield to justify your immoral and unethical actions.
Greet the family with a smile
You try to hide your true intentions and evil deeds behind a fake facade of kindness and compassion.
When all the while
You been raping that child
You are a hypocrite who preys on innocent and defenseless children.
You a priest but you still can't
Wash the blood from your hands.
You hold a position of authority and trust, but you still cannot escape the consequences of your actions.
The self hate they create in your hair
The internalized racism and discrimination you face cause you to turn against your own community.
Got you pickin' up their weapons
And leaving your brothers there,
You have become a pawn in the hands of those who oppress your people and abandon your own community.
I wonder what you gon' do
When he comes for you
Where you gon' run
Once he calls for you
Where you gonna hide
The day he sends for you
And he questions you
I wonder what you gonna say
When that day comes
When judgement day comes
You will eventually face the consequences of your actions and be held accountable for your sins, no matter how hard you try to avoid or deny them.
I'm talking bout the sins you commit
giving orders that permit,
You are responsible for the immoral actions of others because you allow and encourage them to do so.
Killing innocent kids so you can fill your pockets
You are willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent children for your own financial gain and benefit.
Now take a look at these project buildings
They got us living in
It's like we're raised in prison cos of the colour of our skin
Now how you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
You are complicit in a system that perpetuates racial inequality and oppression, and have blood on your hands as a result.
The pharmaceutical industry need to get paid
They're sitting on a cure
Watching new born babies die of AIDS
Tell me how you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
You are part of an industry that values profit over human lives and allows innocent babies to die from a preventable disease.
How could you keep exploiting third world children
Using them as underpaid slaves
So you can make your millions
How you gonna wash the blood from your hands?
You are perpetuating a cycle of poverty, exploitation, and oppression by taking advantage of the most vulnerable and marginalized people in the world.
We sit and watch why people get hurt
Stand to say nothing while they do the devil's work
Walk straight by leave them crying in the dirt
What kind of people does that make me n you?
And we could have all the good intent
But we sitting in silence
We committing greed and violence
Then we got blood on our hands too
We are all complicit in the injustices and suffering of others when we choose to remain passive, indifferent, or silent, and we all share the responsibility for creating a better world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NIOMI DALEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Denisse G
i love her lyrics...she is very talented and the themes in her songs are absolutely brilliant! this is the real life..
MusicMAAD
We need more songs like this - she talks about real issues here. (Another one of my fave's: Lupe Fiasco's music.)
dinavienna
i love her SO her poetry, her intelligence, her crazy crazy crazy voice, soo good
mocrazycool
i really love this song..and it's so strange how much she sounds like alicia keys. i would love to hear a duet with both of them..it would be a great callabo!
mad max
im gonna cop the new album wen it drops no doubt
54spiritedwill54
Love this song, speaks alot
dkey971
still amazing!!!!!!
uk80
akala & ms dynamite are both amazing.
AdnRoscorelli
this woman is real, i love her
e2fas
DEEP TUNE. ENUF RESPECT.