19. We Built This City/We're Not Gonna Take It
Russell Brand & Catherine Zeta-Jones Lyrics
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Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Someone's always playing corporation games
Who cares they're always changing corporation names
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
They call us irresponsible, write us off the page
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
Who counts the money underneath the bar
Who rides the wrecking ball into our rock guitars
Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools
Looking for America, crawling through your schools
We're not gonna take it (we built this city)
No, we ain't gonna take it (we built this city)
We're not gonna take it anymore (we built this city on rock and roll)
We're not gonna take it (we built this city)
No, we ain't gonna take it (we built this city)
We're not gonna take it anymore (we built this city on rock and roll)
We built this city on rock and roll
We built this city on rock and roll
The song "We Built This City/We're Not Gonna Take It" is a collaboration between Russell Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The lyrics are a celebration of the power of rock and roll music and the ability of music to bring people together to create something meaningful. The song begins with the iconic declaration "We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll", proclaiming the power of music to forge a city and a culture around it. The song then goes on to critique the corporate forces that seek to co-opt and control music for their own ends. The artists speak out against the changing corporation names and the way in which corporations take credit for the creative output of artists. The artists argue that they just want to dance and enjoy the music, and that they should not be written off as irresponsible or forced to take a back seat to corporate interests.
The lyrics then take a more political tone, speaking out against those who seek to destroy the creative spirit that music represents. The lyrics question who counts the money underneath the bar and who rides the wrecking ball into our rock guitars. The artists assert that they are looking for America and crawling through schools, seeking to find a way to build a culture around the power of music. Finally, the song returns to its original theme of the power of rock and roll, declaring that "We built this city on rock and roll".
Overall, "We Built This City/We're Not Gonna Take It" is a rallying cry for the power of rock and roll to unite people and create something meaningful. It speaks out against the corporate forces that seek to control and co-opt music for their own ends, and it celebrates the ability of music to bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We created this city on the foundation of rock and roll music.
Someone's always playing corporation games
There are always people trying to gain power or manipulate situations for their own gain.
Who cares they're always changing corporation names
It doesn't matter to us that corporations keep changing their names or rebranding themselves.
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
Our main desire is to dance and enjoy music, but unfortunately someone has taken over the stage and caused a disruption.
They call us irresponsible, write us off the page
Others may deem us irresponsible, but they are ignoring or dismissing us.
But we're not gonna take it (no)
We will not tolerate this situation any longer.
Who counts the money underneath the bar
Who is profiting from this situation behind the scenes?
Who rides the wrecking ball into our rock guitars
Who is destroying our beloved rock and roll music?
Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools
Do not try to convince us that we are necessary or important, because we feel that we are foolish and insignificant.
Looking for America, crawling through your schools
We are searching for the essence of America, and exploring educational institutions to find it.
We're not gonna take it (we built this city)
Once again, we will not tolerate this situation any longer, and we remind everyone that we are the ones who created this city.
No, we ain't gonna take it (we built this city)
We are steadfast in our refusal to put up with this situation any longer, and we are proud of our contribution to this city.
We're not gonna take it anymore (we built this city on rock and roll)
We will not allow this to continue any further, and we reinforce the fact that this city was built on the foundation of rock and roll music.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAGE, MARTIN GEORGE / TAUPIN, BERNIE / LAMBERT, DENNIS / WOLF, PETER F.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind