Jones was born in Baltimore, Maryland to an African American father and mother of mixed Euro-American and Caribbean descent. Her multicultural background and upbringing in Boston, Washington DC, and Queens, New York, influenced her development into what The New Yorker termed a "multicultural mynah bird [who] lays our mongrel nation before us with gorgeous, pitch-perfect impersonations of the rarely heard or dramatized."
Jones attended The United Nations International School and Bryn Mawr College where she was the recipient of the Mellon Minority Fellowship. She originally planned a career as a lawyer, but left college early and eventually found her way to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, NYC, where she began competing in poetry slams and won the citywide Grand Slam Championship in 1997, then began developing monologues based on her poetry which she performed in character.
Her first solo show, Surface Transit, debuted at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in 1998. After gaining the attention of feminist icon Gloria Steinem and human rights organization Equality Now, Jones was commissioned by the organization to write and perform her next project, Women Can't Wait!, to address discriminatory laws against women.
A second commission for the National Immigration Forum to raise awareness about immigrant rights issues yielded Waking the American Dream, the solo show that became the basis for Bridge & Tunnel, which set an Off-Broadway box office record during its six-month, sold-out run in New York in 2004.
In 2005, a commission from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to raise awareness of ethnic and racial health disparities in the U.S. resulted in A Right to Care, Jones' fourth solo piece, which premiered in 2005 at the Kellogg Foundation's 75th Anniversary conference alongside keynote speaker President Jimmy Carter.
Jones has performed for the United Nations, members of U.S. Congress and on tours of India, Nepal, Europe, and South Africa. In addition to live performance, Jones has appeared nationally and internationally on various television shows including her own eponymous Bravo special, in four films and on various music projects featuring her poetry.
One such project, a track by DJ Vadim, which featured Jones' hip hop-inspired poem "Your Revolution", led to her historic battle with, and eventual victory over, an FCC indecency ruling.
Jones and her work have garnered critical acclaim and awards including grants and commissions from the Lincoln Center Theater, the Ford Foundation, and others, as well as honors including a Helen Hayes Award, two Drama Desk nominations, and HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival's Best One Person Show Award.
Blood
Sarah Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The feet, that slip and slide in spilled lakes of black blood
On back roads marked with rusted dead end signs
They don't fit into any shoes
Not Nike's, and not Reebok's, though they
Make em across the sea and sell em to you and me
For fifty times their value *tch* none of them can hold the blood
That coagulated not so long ago, in the lower extremities
Like, drying figs or, hanging poupourri, to
Sweeten scenes of Southern gallantry
Before cushioned insoles and arch supports
There were feet that sank in rusted chains, and uhh
Backs that cracked beneath the weight of slave names
Like Jones, Smith, Johnson, Williams, or even Hilfiger
And black butts that bore marks forever from irons
That preceded those for pressing and curling naps
Yanked straight, before relaxers weaves and pink lotion
[British accent]
Branding irons children, now that you've crossed the ocean right
Step up here lit-tle nigger on the auction block and open up your mouth
Right, good strong teeth, good muscle tone
You oughta pick a ton of cotton, must be worth ten dollars maybe more
See here ladies and gentlemen how much can I get for this here
Barely used, top of the line...
[American accent returns]
Fast forward to Calvin Klein
And modern ownership tags for black behinds, courtesy of Ralph Lauren
A.K.A. low, low, well how low can you go?
Call on black consumers if you want the cash flow
Cause they quick to flip and spend up all they dough
And don't front money, act like you know
We give it up to the Brook-lyn malls
We give it up to the Uptown malls
Cause the white folks figure ain't no question for a nigga
That material posessions can answer
Keep us preoccupied from what we read or what we drive
While our mothers are dying of cancer
We tuck our low self esteem in Euro-trash jeans
Some overpriced shit from Donna Karan
As we toast with Hennesey to covert white supremacy
Hiding the thickest blood on the planet
We wearing it under our clothes, the way God dressed our souls
But, check how the proud blood flow through 1996
Adding fuel to the flames of some bullshit brand names
Cause we couldn't see past the next pair of fat kicks
It is the thickest blood on this planet
The blood that, sprays and spills in buckets
Soaks and stains the nightly news, but fuck it
A colored life still ain't worth but a few ducats
That blood can't be contained by any mind that cannot see a
Great black forest for all these cracker trees
I'm talkin about Afro-Madonna, and child, and child
And child, and child, and whoops, there goes another one
And momma don't know the answer so baby gots to Guess
Oh say young blood, you wanna tell me
What George Marciano, ever did for a negro? Boricua, chicano
Brothers and sisters their pockets like blood blisters
Ready to pop, ooze, and drop cash so hot and so fast
It makes a spark
"Yeah mami cause now I got my upside down triangle
My designer question mark"
OH WHY ASK WHY that shit don't make you complete
It's vanilla concealer for your chocolate heartbeat
Pumping the, thickest blood on this planet
While we take it for granted that, more Selma churches won't be bombed
More bullet riddled bodies won't be embalmed
Another cop won't, commit murder turn around and get a raise
While we pickin over the racks from white owned Doctor J's
To Modell's, Macy's, and Sach's
Shit they just think we ain't never gon' change our ways
And finally answer back:
"No suh, Ise don't want to wear yo' britches
No suh, Ise don't want to grant yo' wishes
That all us negroes.." .. shall continue to hide, in your shoes
And your clothes, as if we should take pride
In your savage traditions, in genocide
All the spirits you extinguished and never batted one blue eye
Yet your vulture's on our culture like white on brown rice
Bleach our blood and sell it back, special price
On this blood that races through the African veins of the child
On his way to the mall, in White Plains
To catch a confused, lost, land-stealing Columbus Day sale
On a Fila jogging suit, for his brother in jail
That blood, is your blood, it's my blood, it's our blood
It's the, thickest blood on this planet
The song "Blood" by Sarah Jones is a powerful piece of art that sheds light on the brutal history of slavery, discrimination, and racism in America. The lyrics are raw and unapologetic, highlighting the subjugation of black people and the shameless exploitation of their labor and bodies. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the piece, drawing attention to the thick blood that flows through the veins of African Americans, blood that has been spilled, stained, and taken for granted.
The song draws a parallel between the blood that has been shed by black people throughout history and the blood that is still blindly spilled in the name of consumerism and materialism. It links the past with the present, exposing the institutionalized racism that persists in American society. It highlights the irony of the situation where the same companies that once used slave labor to produce goods now sell those same goods to the descendants of those slaves at inflated prices.
The lyrics also touch on the issue of black ownership and representation in mainstream media, showing how African Americans are often reduced to mere consumers rather than creators or innovators. The song emphasizes the need for black people to take control of their narratives and to challenge the stereotypes and prejudices that continue to define their existence.
Line by Line Meaning
It is the thickest blood on this planet
The blood being referred to is the blood of African-Americans, which is significant and powerful.
The feet, that slip and slide in spilled lakes of black blood
The reference to feet slipping and sliding in spilled black blood represents the struggle and hardships faced by African-Americans throughout history.
On back roads marked with rusted dead end signs
A metaphorical expression of the limited opportunities and dead ends faced by African-Americans due to systemic racism.
They don't fit into any shoes
A representation of how African-Americans don't fit into the societal expectations or structures that have been imposed on them.
Not Nike's, and not Reebok's, though they
Make em across the sea and sell em to you and me
For fifty times their value *tch* none of them can hold the blood
Despite the popularity and value placed on branded shoes, they are incapable of carrying the weight of the history and struggles that African-Americans have endured.
That coagulated not so long ago, in the lower extremities
Of off-color corpses, strung up from trees
Like, drying figs or, hanging poupourri, to
Sweeten scenes of Southern gallantry
Referring to the lynching of African-Americans in the past, depicting the brutality and dehumanization they suffered in the name of Southern tradition.
Before cushioned insoles and arch supports
There were feet that sank in rusted chains, and uhh
Backs that cracked beneath the weight of slave names
Highlighting the physical and emotional pain endured by African-Americans during slavery, contrasting it with the comfort and support enjoyed by others in modern times.
Branding irons children, now that you've crossed the ocean right
Step up here lit-tle nigger on the auction block and open up your mouth
A direct depiction of the dehumanization and objectification of African-Americans during slavery, reducing them to commodities for sale.
Right, good strong teeth, good muscle tone
You oughta pick a ton of cotton, must be worth ten dollars maybe more
Further illustrating the dehumanizing and exploitative nature of slavery, where African-Americans were valued solely for their physical labor.
Cause they quick to flip and spend up all they dough
And don't front money, act like you know
Referring to the tendency of African-American consumers to spend money quickly, emphasizing the influence of consumerism in society.
Cause the white folks figure ain't no question for a nigga
That material posessions can answer
Highlighting the stereotype and misconception that material possessions can provide happiness and fulfillment for African-Americans, perpetuated by societal expectations.
Keep us preoccupied from what we read or what we drive
While our mothers are dying of cancer
Drawing attention to the distractions and superficiality of material possessions, while important issues affecting the African-American community, like health disparities, are neglected.
That more Selma churches won't be bombed
More bullet riddled bodies won't be embalmed
Another cop won't, commit murder turn around and get a raise
Addressing the ongoing racial violence and systemic injustices faced by African-Americans, questioning why these injustices continue to occur without proper consequences.
Yet your vulture's on our culture like white on brown rice
Bleach our blood and sell it back, special price
Critiquing cultural appropriation and the commodification of African-American culture, where elements are taken, diluted, and exploited for profit.
That blood, is your blood, it's my blood, it's our blood
It's the, thickest blood on this planet
Reaffirming that the blood being referenced represents the shared history, struggles, and resilience of African-Americans, emphasizing its significance and strength.
Contributed by Tyler C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
WaxTapeCdEatter
Hip hop to the fullest!!!!
SICK words!!!!
UNTOUCHABLE!!!
This never gets old
still up to date with current events.
bigarj2
I bought this on CD 💿 as a teenager. Classic!
Jefta Delfos
This here is a strong woman
Nnamdi X revolutionary
I Still have this CD🔥🔥🔥
Randyrita Ford
Still relevant!
Adewale Ogunboro
Owned it vinyl. Sold it when I was skint. Still feel like an idiot.
Candace Sophia
Not Nikes and Not Reeboks