There are two Bands under the Name Propaganda :

1. Synthpop band Pro… Read Full Bio ↴There are two Bands under the Name Propaganda :

1. Synthpop band Propaganda was formed in Germany by vocalist Claudia Brücken and drummer Michael Mertens plus keyboard players Susanne Freytag and Ralf Dorper. The quartet moved to England in 1983 and signed to ZTT Records, also the home of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Art of Noise. Propaganda's first single, "Dr. Mabuse," reached the British Top 30 in early 1984, but the band's second release was more than a year in coming. Finally, in May 1985, "Duel" trumped the debut single by hitting number 21.

Propaganda's first album A Secret Wish appeared one month later, and the resulting tour necessitated the addition of bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGee -- both formerly with Simple Minds. After the release of the remix album Wishful Thinking later that year, Dorper became the first original member to leave the band, and Propaganda splintered soon after, due to a prolonged legal battle to leave ZTT. The group finally re-emerged in 1988 with Mertens, Forbes, McGee and American vocalist Betsi Miller. The quartet signed with Virgin, and released 1234 in 1990. The single "Heaven Give Me Words" broke the British Top 40 in 1990, and "Only One Word" placed modestly later that year.

Meanwhile, Claudia Brücken -- who had stayed with ZTT in large part because of her marriage to label-owner Paul Morley -- formed Act with Thomas Leer. The duo charted "Snobbery and Decay" in mid-1987 and released their only album, Laughter, Tears, and Rage in 1988. Brücken became a solo act by the turn of the decade, and charted only one single, "Absolut (E)," from her 1991 album Love, And a Million Other Things. Though neither the band nor Brücken had recorded recently, rumours flew during the mid-'90s that a Propaganda reunion was in the works.

2. Jason Emmanuel Petty (born May 27, 1979), better known by his stage name Propaganda, is an American Christian hip hop and spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California. He has released four albums as an independent artist and one collaborative album with the rapper Odd Thomas, and has performed and recorded as a member of the underground hip hop group Tunnel Rats and associated act Footsoldiers.

The City
Propaganda Lyrics

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They tell me the city sings a song
And you can't help but sing along
And I be looking in their eyes like
"I'm sorry, you dead wrong"
Like we came from birth sinning and very meager beginnings
Where all we had was spam, and an interceding grandma
And I tried to read the Word but didn't understand the grammar
'Till His grace came and gave me a new brain

But you cannot tell me that poverty is bigger than sovereignty
We lived in the same projects as you
Lived right next to you
Dodged the same bullets, I've even spent time in the burbs
That's my word
And when you born off Alondra with drugs and money launderers
Now a husband and father, that's proof that God loves you
See we chose not to slang
And that gave me much more bravery then them OG's would ever give me credit for
Cause the road was so lonely, we had God only
And fools would creep by slowly like "What up homie"
And steady wins the race, open your ears
These fools been hustling for years, it sound like they grinding gears!
Stripping up their clutches, and ironically it's automatic
Imma literally drive by your drive by's

You are NOT your hood, homie, it did not make you
Look, we are proof you don't have to conform
That road is so lonely but you cannot tell me it's
Impossible to exit this city's mosh pit scarless

You ain't gotta sing along

She came from birth sinning and very meager beginnings
Where shared a bed with her sister 'till 18
First out of high school, first out of college
Childhood a nightmare, now she's up outta there
A simple girl, beautiful, complex
Her complexion is quite similar to Incan or Mayan
And her speaking reminds me of my time is east Los
A reformed Chola Loca
Working on her PhD, like "You think I'm plain?
Man I'm from HP homie, by way of Acapulco!"
Could crush someone lesser, elementary school
Off of Fir and Manchester, thank God He blessed her

You are NOT your hood homie
You ain't gotta conform, we are proof
I know that road is so lonely
But you cannot tell me it's impossible to exit that mosh pit scarless

You ain't gotta sing along

Overall Meaning

In the song "The City" by Propaganda, the artist reflects on his experiences of growing up in poverty and the challenging environment of his neighborhood. At the beginning of the song, he talks about how people say that the city "sings a song" and how you can't help but sing along. However, Propaganda disagrees with this sentiment, asserting that poverty and difficult circumstances do not define a person's worth or potential. He talks about his humble beginnings and the struggles that he and his family faced, yet he persevered and found faith through grace. Propaganda also comments on the dangers of living in a rough neighborhood and how he and his family worked hard to avoid getting caught up in negative activities like drug dealing.

Later in the song, Propaganda reflects on the experiences of a woman he knows who also came from a difficult background. She too had overcome her circumstances and accomplished great things, including getting a PhD. Propaganda uses her story as evidence that people can rise above their environments and achieve great things despite their circumstances. He also encourages listeners to not conform to the negative influences around them, reminding them that they are not defined by their neighborhoods or circumstances.

Overall, "The City" is a powerful reflection on the challenges of growing up in poverty and the strength required to overcome them. It is a call to action for listeners to rise above their environments and not allow themselves to be held back by their circumstances.

Line by Line Meaning

They tell me the city sings a song
The city has its own rhythm and lifestyle that people follow.

And you can't help but sing along
It's easy to get caught up in the sway of the city's culture and lifestyle.

And I be looking in their eyes like "I'm sorry, you dead wrong"
I disagree with the idea that the city defines who we are and our future.

Like we came from birth sinning and very meager beginnings Where all we had was spam, and an interceding grandma
We had a tough childhood and humble beginnings with no luxuries except for our grandmother's help.

And I tried to read the Word but didn't understand the grammar 'Till His grace came and gave me a new brain
I struggled to comprehend the Word until God's grace enlightened me and gave me new understanding.

But you cannot tell me that poverty is bigger than sovereignty
God's authority is greater than the negative effects of poverty.

We lived in the same projects as you Lived right next to you Dodged the same bullets, I've even spent time in the burbs That's my word
We grew up in the same environment as people now living there or nearby, facing the same challenges and surviving dangerous situations.

And when you born off Alondra with drugs and money launderers Now a husband and father, that's proof that God loves you
Growing up around illegal activities and now becoming a responsible family man is evidence of God's love and grace.

See we chose not to slang And that gave me much more bravery then them OG's would ever give me credit for
We chose a different path and avoided selling drugs, which took more courage than the gang members recognize.

Cause the road was so lonely, we had God only And fools would creep by slowly like "What up homie"
We were alone and only had God's support, while others in the gang-infested area would mock us or try to test us.

And steady wins the race, open your ears These fools been hustling for years, it sound like they grinding gears!
Slow but consistent progress is better than struggling for years like these gang members and wearing yourself out.

Stripping up their clutches, and ironically it's automatic Imma literally drive by your drive by's
Breaking free from the grip of gang violence is easier and more effortless than expected, and I'll defy their attempts at violence.

You are NOT your hood, homie, it did not make you Look, we are proof you don't have to conform
Your neighborhood doesn't define you or determine your future, and we're examples that you can choose a different path.

That road is so lonely but you cannot tell me it's Impossible to exit this city's mosh pit scarless
It's hard to leave behind the city's negative influences, but it's not impossible to do it without being scarred or damaged.

You ain't gotta sing along
You don't have to follow the city's lifestyle and culture if it's not the right path for you.

She came from birth sinning and very meager beginnings Where shared a bed with her sister 'till 18 First out of high school, first out of college Childhood a nightmare, now she's up outta there
She grew up in a difficult environment sharing a bed with her sister until adulthood, but persevered to become the first in her family to finish high school and college and escape her childhood nightmare situation.

A simple girl, beautiful, complex Her complexion is quite similar to Incan or Mayan And her speaking reminds me of my time is east Los A reformed Chola Loca Working on her PhD, like "You think I'm plain? Man I'm from HP homie, by way of Acapulco!"
She's a regular but complex woman with a unique appearance and accent, who transformed from a former gang member into a PhD student from a disadvantaged area, proud of her heritage and hometown.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Thomas Terry, Jason Petty

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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