Pay to Cum
Soul Brains/Bad Brains Lyrics

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I make decision with precision
Lost inside this manned collision
Just to see that what is to be
Perfectly my fantasy

I came to know with now dismay
That in this world we all must pay
Pay to write, pay to play

Pay to cum, pay to fight

And all in time,
With just our minds
We soon will find
What's left behind

Not long ago when things were slow
We all got by with what we know
The end is near. Hearts filled with fear
Don't want to listen to what they hear

And so it's now we choose to fight
To stick up for our bloody right
The right to sing, the right to dance
The right is ours... We'll take the chance

A peace together
A piece apart

A piece of wisdom
From our hearts

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Soul Brains's song Pay to Cum are a commentary on the inherent unfairness in our world where we are forced to pay for everything, even our fundamental human rights. The first verse talks about the struggle of making decisions in a chaotic world, where one can feel lost and overwhelmed. The lyrics then go on to explain that in this world, everything comes at a cost, be it writing, playing music, having sex or even fighting for basic rights. The second verse highlights the fact that in the past, people managed to make do with what they had and knew but times are changing fast, and we all live in fear of the future. The lyrics then encourage us to fight for our rights to sing, dance and express ourselves in our own way. It ends with a call for unity, with a peaceful solution that can only come from wisdom gained from our hearts.

Pay to Cum was first released by the Washington D.C. based hardcore punk band, Bad Brains, in 1980, under their own record label, Bad Brains Records. The song became an underground hit and is widely considered one of the most important tracks in the history of punk rock music. In 1996, it was covered by the band Soul Brains, the reincarnated form of Bad Brains, who had changed their name after their lead singer converted to Rastafarianism.

Line by Line Meaning

I make decision with precision
I am careful and exact in making my decisions

Lost inside this manned collision
I feel disconnected and overwhelmed by the chaos of the world

Just to see that what is to be
I seek to envision the perfect future

Perfectly my fantasy
Where I can live out my perfect vision

I came to know with now dismay
I have come to realize, but not happily so

That in this world we all must pay
That we must all pay the price to exist in this world

Pay to write, pay to play
We must pay to create and to participate

Pay to cum, pay to fight
We must pay to achieve our goals and fight for our rights

And all in time,
Over the course of time

With just our minds
Using only our intellect

We soon will find
We will eventually discover

What's left behind
What remains after we have paid the price

Not long ago when things were slow
In the recent past when the world moved at a slower pace

We all got by with what we know
We were able to survive based on our knowledge and skills alone

The end is near. Hearts filled with fear
We are approaching the end, and we are afraid

Don't want to listen to what they hear
Refusing to heed the warnings of others

And so it's now we choose to fight
Therefore, we decide to take action and fight

To stick up for our bloody right
To protect and defend our right to exist

The right to sing, the right to dance
Our right to express ourselves through the arts

The right is ours... We'll take the chance
We own this right, and we will take the risk to defend it

A peace together
Finding peace by working together

A piece apart
Individuals can contribute to the bigger picture in their own way

A piece of wisdom
Using knowledge to create a better world

From our hearts
Creating change through our passion and empathy

Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chuck Berry

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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