From 1994 through 1997, the young man late… Read Full Bio ↴Jason Hershey, aka O-shen
From 1994 through 1997, the young man later to call himself O-shen, was in the Washington State Prison at Walla Walla serving time for a burglary. It was there that he taught himself Tahitian. He carries a PNG passport, and a U.S. one.
Until age 15,O-shen was raised in the village of Butaweng in northern Papua New Guinea by his American medical missionary parents. There, living among the Yabim people, he learned the language, customs and hard, gardening work that was expected of any young Yabim man. He knows how to plant, and when to harvest, sweet potatoes, taro and kava. He did not speak English as his daily language until moving back to the U.S. at age 15.
Music was always a presence in his life. From the age of 4, he says, "I was beating on boxes with the other village kids while we pretended we were rock stars." This pattern continued at his high school in Spokane, Washington, where he was a drummer in the school band.
After serving his time in Washington, he moved to Hawai‘i, where he found work as a beach boy in Waikiki and began developing his music. "I was tired of bubble gum reggae and the ‘ooh, baby I love you’ songs that everyone was doing," he says. One day, he looked up the address of the record company producing CDs for recording artist Fiji.
"I sent Fiji a demo tape and a four-page letter telling him what I was trying to do with my music. A few days later, he called me up." O-shen’s first break was doing a Niugini pidgin rap introduction to a cut on Fiji’s album, Gratitude. His own first album, O-shen’s Iron Youth, won the Hawaiian musicians’ coveted Hoku award in 2001. His music is hard to characterize, but he likes to call it "urban Island music." His lyrics are serious. "I like to hit issues in my lyrics. I want people in the Islands to be proud of their cultures and languages and lifestyles."
O-shen loves and worries about Papua New Guinea. "There’re too many guns and robberies there. The kids get Western-style educations, then they drift to the cities where there are no jobs for them and they feel useless."
O-shen has done concerts in Tahiti and Guam—as well as on the U.S. mainland and in Papua New Guinea, where he is virtually mobbed by fans whenever he arrives at the airport. A concert he did in Palau drew the largest gathering of humans ever on that island.
Burn It Up
O-Shen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maw fiya maw fiya
I burn you down
Watch the flames
Laugh around you
Like a stranger in purgatory
The devil is itching for a chance to know me
Demons and devils line up to put their lips up on me
Confusion mixed with mayhem I wanna burn
Pains delivered in cycles I'm just waiting my turn
But on the other hand I'm used to being crucified
Rocking back and fourth stressed when I used to cry
But tears fall like rain drops on hot steel
My emotional Achilles heel
You can never understand where I'm coming from
An orchestra of pain baby let the drummers drum
This is not the way I wanted it its how it is
Life is full ups downs and broken promises
Maybe I can heel up wheel up make it better
And cheat death and freestyle this scarlet letter
I burn you down
Watch the flames
Dance around you
I burn you down
Watch the flames
Laugh around you
I love you you love me
Isn't that what life is supposed to be
Stand close to me feel my pain
Watch me fall feel my shame
Dig my grave but I ain't dead yet
Still a lot of things that I ain't said yet
Hold me close momma don't cry
Maybe when I'm gone the drama gone die
I dance to the tune of the devils horn
And pray GOD pulls the plug while the song is on
The fire will burn until the break of dawn
And the sun gone bleed while the smoke forms
I'm sick of being laughed at the big joke
Hopefully these flames will get my joy woke
Maybe I can heel up wheel up make it better
And cheat death freestyle this scarlet letter
I burn you down
Watch the flames
Dance around you
I burn you down
Watch the flames
Laugh around you
The song "Burn It Up" by O-Shen is a deep and intense reflection on the pain and suffering of life. The lyrics use fire as a metaphor for the burning desire to rid oneself of this pain and confusion. The repeated refrain of "Maw Fiya" reinforces this message, and the idea that the fire could be all-consuming. The chorus of "I burn you down, watch the flames dance around you, I burn you down, watch the flames laugh around you" suggests that the singer wants to destroy all that causes them pain, and take pleasure in the destruction.
The next verse delves deeper into the singer's internal conflict, as they struggle with the demons within themselves. The pain they feel is delivered in cycles, and they are waiting for their turn to be burned by the flames. They feel like they are being crucified, and tears fall like rain drops on hot steel. The emotional pain is their Achilles heel, and the listener cannot understand their perspective. The singer also mentions the broken promises of life, and the need to heal and make things better.
The final verse brings the song to a close, as the singer confronts death and prays for an end to the suffering. They dance to the tune of the devil's horn, but hope that the flames will awaken their joy. The idea that the singer still has things left unsaid suggests that they are still struggling with the pain, but they hope that they can heal and find some peace. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the message that the singer wants to burn down all that causes them pain and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Maw Fiya maw fiya maw fiya
Repeatedly emphasizing the concept of burning
Maw fiya maw fiya
Continuing to stress the idea of burning
I burn you down
Expressing a desire to destroy someone or something through fire
Watch the flames
Urging the listener to observe the burning
Laugh around you
Taking pleasure in the destruction or misfortune of others
Like a stranger in purgatory
Feeling lost or unsure in a difficult or transitional period
The devil is itching for a chance to know me
Feeling tempted by dark or dangerous forces
Demons and devils line up to put their lips up on me
Feeling overwhelmed or hunted by negative influences or entities
Wait for my common sense to put a fist up on me
Expecting to be punished or reprimanded for making poor choices
Confusion mixed with mayhem I wanna burn
Feeling overwhelmed and wanting to release that tension through destruction
Pains delivered in cycles I'm just waiting my turn
Reporting the experience of suffering recurring and unavoidable pain
But on the other hand I'm used to being crucified
Having experienced betrayal, persecution, or suffering in the past
Rocking back and fourth stressed when I used to cry
Recalling past emotional trauma and the associated physical responses
But tears fall like rain drops on hot steel
Describing the futility and impermanence of the emotional release
My emotional Achilles heel
Identifying a significant emotional vulnerability
You can never understand where I'm coming from
Feeling isolated or misunderstood in one's experiences or emotions
An orchestra of pain baby let the drummers drum
Comparing the complexity and magnitude of the pain to an orchestra, urging others to bear witness
This is not the way I wanted it its how it is
Acknowledging a lack of control over current circumstances
Life is full ups downs and broken promises
Bitterly describing the imperfections and disappointments of life
Maybe I can heel up wheel up make it better
Expressing a hope for improvement and resilience in the face of hardship
And cheat death and freestyle this scarlet letter
Describing a desire to overcome danger or difficulties and live on with increased freedom
I love you you love me
Cynically commenting on the societal expectation of romantic love
Isn't that what life is supposed to be
Rhetorically questioning the conventional expectations of a fulfilling life
Stand close to me feel my pain
Inviting others to experience the depth of one's emotional suffering
Watch me fall feel my shame
Describing a sense of pervasive shame and failure
Dig my grave but I ain't dead yet
Acknowledging that one has not yet fully given up despite great adversity
Still a lot of things that I ain't said yet
Indicating a need to process and express more of one's thoughts and feelings
Hold me close momma don't cry
Desiring comfort and support from a maternal figure
Maybe when I'm gone the drama gone die
Expressing dejected resignation or cynicism towards interpersonal problems
I dance to the tune of the devils horn
Acknowledging a temptation or indulgence in sinful or dangerous behaviors
And pray GOD pulls the plug while the song is on
Desiring a sudden end to one's suffering or problems
The fire will burn until the break of dawn
Asserting that the destructive tendencies will continue until they have exhausted themselves
And the sun gone bleed while the smoke forms
Painting a vivid metaphor for the intensity and lasting impact of the destruction
I'm sick of being laughed at the big joke
Feeling that one is the undeserving and constant target of ridicule
Hopefully these flames will get my joy woke
Expressing a desire that the destructive tendencies may bring about a renewed sense of vitality or purpose
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Jason Keaton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rachel Pala-Drinkwater
on Suru
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