This was in late 1964 when not a lot of British bands were covering Dylan's songs, much less doing it well. The fact that they were a Liverpool band made it even more startling because apart from the Searchers, the city wasn't known as a fertile field for folk-rock impulses to take root. The band was duly signed up to Oldham's fledgling Immediate Records label and they cut "She Belongs to Me," their one and only single, in the spring of 1965.
Despite getting an appearance miming to the single on the British rock & roll television showcase Ready! Steady! Go!, it sank without a trace along with the group's prospects for breaking out of Liverpool. (Curiously enough, the song itself would take on a life of its own at Immediate, as a focus of versions by the Nice and Joey Vine). The group broke up soon after, with Jay Rathbone jumping to the Almost Blues, while Molland, Findley, and Cassidy joined the Fruit Eating Bears, a Liverpool band that got its biggest exposure backing the Merseys, the harmony group formed by Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley -- who had been one half of the Merseybeats -- who enjoyed a huge hit with "Sorrow." Molland later jumped to the Iveys, replacing original lead guitarist Ron Griffiths, and enjoyed three years of international rock stardom in the early '70s after the latter group was re-christened Badfinger.~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Day One
The Masterminds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ey Yo I'm slippin down a dark hole touchin my soul
Think I'm rushin to the stars flash forward to zones
Can't move a single bone so I let out a moan
Would burn every single poem I wrote just to reach home
Feel a rope around my neck tight wrip grip no slack
then I hear a whipe make a loud crack
Then feel the flesh on my back split allowing blood to drip to the floor
With my last bit of strength open my eyes
To see a pack of rednecks straight from 1905
Could tell by the clothes thery wore and their broken grammar
That I was the main event of a lynching in Alabama
My body started shaking stamina breaking down
I screamed take me down they started laughing like clowns
I wish I had a 4 pound or any automatic gun
Just to see them crackers run like Satan had come
Then I heard the sheriff say "Hey, bring me his son."
Now picture that want my little boy to see his Daddy get hung
Then the sheriff turned to me and said "Ain't this fun?
Well this is what you get for florting with a white woman"
[Chorus] 2x
Ey yo from day one you see they try to take us under
Police with guns, and clans hanging us from lumber
the shit don't change no matter the time no matter the place
it all stays the same
[Kimani]
1963 and now I'm trapped in a Birmingham jail
Next door to King sitting hand cuffed to the rail
I sailed through 3 generations of time but same predicament
Cause now I'm deep in the thick of it, sick of
I started downtown shopping at Montgomery Wards
Where my mom sent me to buy a new ironing board
>From down on Main Street, trooping through the summertime heat
Sweating bullets, came to the colored door and I pull it
Seen this white girl in late teens, blond hair and tight jeans
Shorts who stopped to ask me if I like to play sports
I replied yes, told her basketball was my best
but all these lip reading white folks got confused with "nice breast"
Now it's one mess after another,
get booted from out the store, still no ironingboard to give my mother
Hovered outside on the grass where it seems that news travels fast
Everyone that past said "that's your ass!"
So I run home to tell mom, to just chill and stay calm
But two hours later they burned a croos on the lawn
Until dawn we stayed frightened my first instinct was fighting
But 10 hooded crackers against one, and I'm done
So I run to keep my family from any more calamity
Right before the riverbank is where I got janked
About to get hanged when the sheriff made his interjection
And now I'm sitting in jail for my protection
[Chorus] 4x
In The Masterminds' song "Day One," the rappers share their experiences with racism and oppression. The lyrics describe the violence and fear that Black people have faced throughout history and continue to face. The first verse is about a lynching in Alabama, where the singer is being hung by a group of white men. He describes the pain and terror of the experience, wishing he could fight back but knowing there is no way he can win against a group. He also mentions the sheriff saying that the lynching is punishment for "flirting with a white woman," highlighting the deeply ingrained racist beliefs that led to violence against Black people for decades.
The second verse is about the experience of being arrested and jailed for showing interest in a white girl. The singer is innocent, but he is punished for a mistake in communication that the white people around him took as a threat. He describes the fear he and his family felt after being threatened by white supremacists and the injustice of being imprisoned for his own safety.
The chorus repeats the idea that Black people have been oppressed and threatened from "day one," meaning since the beginning of time, and that no matter where they are or what time period they are in, they will always face the same prejudices and risks to their safety.
In summary, "Day One" is a powerful and gut-wrenching song that speaks to the deep-seated racism and violence that Black people have faced and continue to face in America. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the fear and pain felt by those who have been on the receiving end of racist violence and highlight the ways in which these attitudes are deeply ingrained in our society.
Line by Line Meaning
Ey Yo I'm slippin down a dark hole touchin my soul
I feel like I'm spiraling down into darkness and despair.
Think I'm rushin to the stars flash forward to zones
I feel like I'm traveling through different realities and I can't keep up.
Can't move a single bone so I let out a moan
I'm paralyzed and helpless, and I can only express my pain and fear with a moan.
Would burn every single poem I wrote just to reach home
I'm willing to give up everything I've created, including my art and my identity, just to go back to where I belong.
Feel a rope around my neck tight wrip grip no slack
I'm being strangled and there's no room for escape.
then I hear a whipe make a loud crack
I'm being whipped and the sound of the lash is deafening.
Then feel the flesh on my back split allowing blood to drip to the floor
I'm being brutally beaten and my skin is ripped, causing me to bleed.
Then I hear a whole crowd roar
I'm being humiliated and tortured in front of an audience that's cheering for my suffering.
With my last bit of strength open my eyes
I'm barely conscious but I manage to open my eyes and see what's happening.
To see a pack of rednecks straight from 1905
I'm surrounded by a group of violent, racist people who are stuck in the past and refuse to progress.
Could tell by the clothes thery wore and their broken grammar
I can infer from their appearance and language that they are uneducated and ignorant.
That I was the main event of a lynching in Alabama
I realize that I'm going to be lynched, a horrific act of racial violence that is all too common in this part of the country.
My body started shaking stamina breaking down
I'm physically and emotionally exhausted, and my body is giving up on me.
I screamed take me down they started laughing like clowns
I beg them to stop and show mercy, but they find my suffering amusing and continue to torment me.
I wish I had a 4 pound or any automatic gun
I wish I had a weapon to defend myself and fight back against my attackers.
Just to see them crackers run like Satan had come
I want to cause fear and panic among my oppressors, just like Satan would.
Then I heard the sheriff say "Hey, bring me his son."
The sheriff wants to bring my son to witness my execution, adding another layer of horror to the situation.
Now picture that want my little boy to see his Daddy get hung
I can't bear the thought of my child witnessing my death and being traumatized for life.
Then the sheriff turned to me and said "Ain't this fun?
The sheriff takes pleasure in my suffering and sees my lynching as a source of entertainment.
Well this is what you get for florting with a white woman"
The sheriff blames me for breaking the racist social norms and having a relationship with a white woman, which he sees as a punishable offense.
"1963 and now I'm trapped in a Birmingham jail
I'm in jail in Birmingham, Alabama, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement.
Next door to King sitting hand cuffed to the rail
I'm in the same jail cell as Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent leader in the fight for civil rights.
I sailed through 3 generations of time but same predicament
Despite the passage of time and the progress of society, I'm still facing the same struggles and injustices as my ancestors did.
Cause now I'm deep in the thick of it, sick of
I'm fed up with the constant oppression and discrimination that I experience every day.
I started downtown shopping at Montgomery Wards
I went to a department store in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, to buy an ironing board for my mother.
Where my mom sent me to buy a new ironing board
I'm doing this chore for my mother, who is relying on me to get the task done.
>From down on Main Street, trooping through the summertime heat
I walked down Main Street in hot weather, enduring physical discomfort to complete my errand.
Sweating bullets, came to the colored door and I pull it
I'm sweating profusely and I reach the designated entrance for colored people.
Seen this white girl in late teens, blond hair and tight jeans
I noticed a young white woman who caught my attention, with her physical appearance and clothing.
Shorts who stopped to ask me if I like to play sports
She engaged me in conversation and asked about my interests and hobbies.
I replied yes, told her basketball was my best
I answered her question honestly and shared my passion for basketball.
but all these lip reading white folks got confused with "nice breast"
White people who were eavesdropping on our conversation misheard my reply and thought I said something inappropriate about her body.
Now it's one mess after another,
As a result of this misunderstanding and false accusation, my situation gets worse and more complicated.
get booted from out the store, still no ironingboard to give my mother
I'm kicked out of the store with no ironing board to show for my effort, failing to complete the task that my mother entrusted me with.
Hovered outside on the grass where it seems that news travels fast
I wait outside the store on the grass, feeling like everyone around me is aware of my predicament and is talking about me.
Everyone that past said "that's your ass!"
People passing by mock me and warn me that I'm in trouble and danger.
So I run home to tell mom, to just chill and stay calm
I go back to my mother and try to reassure her that everything is OK and that she shouldn't worry.
But two hours later they burned a croos on the lawn
Soon after, a cross is burned on our front lawn, a symbol of intimidation and terror used by the Ku Klux Klan.
Until dawn we stayed frightened my first instinct was fighting
We're scared and we can't sleep, but my initial reaction is to fight back and defend my family.
But 10 hooded crackers against one, and I'm done
However, I realize that I'm outnumbered and outmatched, and that I can't win against a group of violent white supremacists.
So I run to keep my family from any more calamity
In order to protect my loved ones, I flee and try to avoid any further harm that may come our way.
Right before the riverbank is where I got janked
Unfortunately, I'm caught by my pursuers right before I reach the riverbank, my potential escape route.
About to get hanged when the sheriff made his interjection
I'm about to be lynched, but the sheriff arrives and interrupts the violent mob.
And now I'm sitting in jail for my protection
As a result of this incident, I'm now in jail for my own safety, but I'm still trapped and cut off from the outside world.
Ey Yo from day one you see they try to take us under
Throughout history and to this day, oppressive forces have been trying to subjugate and dehumanize black people.
Police with guns, and clans hanging us from lumber
The police and the Ku Klux Klan are two of the most visible and violent symbols of this oppression, using their power to harm and intimidate black people.
the shit don't change no matter the time no matter the place
Despite the passage of time and the progress of society, these systemic issues of racism and white supremacy remain deeply ingrained and persistent.
it all stays the same
The cycle of oppression and struggle continues, with no end in sight.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: HARRIS, MCBRIDE, YEARWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sham Antand
Serious flashback to my high School years in norway. It was Masterminds, High & the Mighty, Flipmode Squad, Lone Catalysts, Atmosphere and a Whole lot of those mp3.com rappers.
G G
damn nice. smooth!
Bad Karma
Classic
Brulion Brunatny
found very first time on WeFunk