History
The group's music and unusual costuming (large Afros and white makeup) typified the then-popular trend of "psychedelic soul". A number of their singles became minor hits, and many of them were also songs for Whitfield's main act The Temptations, among them "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Their single Top 40 hit in the United States was the ominous "Smiling Faces Sometimes", also originally recorded by The Temptations, which hit #3 on the US pop charts in 1971.
The Undisputed Truth, along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch, followed Whitfield during his exodus from Motown to set up Whitfield Records in 1975. At this time, Calvin and Joyce left the group, and Harris was joined by new members Taka Boom, Tyrone "Lil Ty" Barkley, and Calvin "Dhaak" Stephenson. The group's costuming and style changed as well, becoming even more unusual and Funkadelic-influenced. However, the group had little success at the new label, and faded into obscurity after two more albums, although they charted in the UK in 1977 (#43) with the disco single "You + Me = Love" from the album Method to the Madness.
(from the Wikipedia Page)
Ball Of Confusion
The Undisputed Truth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why, because of the color of their skin.
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Vote for me and I'll set you free
Rap on, brother, rap on.
Well, the only person talkin' 'bout love thy brother is the preacher
And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the teacher
humiliation, obligation to our nation
Ball Of Confusion that's what the world is today (yeah, yeah)
The sale of pills is at an all time high
young folks walkin' 'round with their heads in the sky
Cities aflame in the summer time, and oh the beat goes on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction,
City inspectors, bill collectors,
Evolution, revolution, gun control, the sound of soul,
Shootin' rockets to the moon, kids growin' up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will solve ev'rything, and the band played on.
Round and round and around we go, where the world's headed nobody knows.
Great googa mooga, can't you hear me talkin' to you, just a
Ball of Confusion that's what the world is today. (yeah, yeah)
Fear in the air, tension ev'rywhere
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatle's new record's a gas,
and the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation,
and the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction,
City inspectors, bill collectors, mod clothes in demand,
population out of hand, suicide too many bills, hippies movin' to the hills
People all over the world are shouting end the war and the band played on.
Round and round and around we go, where the world's headed nobody knows.
Great googa mooga, can't you hear me talkin' to you, just a
Ball of Confusion that's what the world is today
Let me hear you, let me hear you, let me hear you
Ball Of Confusion that's what the world is today
The Undisputed Truth’s “Ball of Confusion” is a socially conscious funk classic that paints a picture of the United States in the late 1960s and early '70s. The lyrics deal with topics like racial tensions (“because of the colour of their skin”), war protests (“people all over the world are shouting end the war”), environmental issues (“round and round and around we go”) and societal unrest (“cities aflame in the summertime”) to create a portrait of a country that’s spinning out of control. The song’s chorus describes the state of the world at the time as a “ball of confusion” that no one knows how to solve.
The verses alternate between calling attention to individual problems - such as drugs, the youth culture and high taxes - and larger societal issues - like race relations, gun control and political corruption. While the chorus regularly reminds the listener of the overall confusion that is the state of the world, the individual problems that get addressed give the song a sense of weight and urgency.
Line by Line Meaning
People movin' out, people movin' in.
There is a constant movement of people in and out of different places.
Why, because of the color of their skin.
People are being discriminated and treated differently because of their skin color.
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
It's hard to escape or hide from the problems and conflicts that exist.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Retaliation and revenge are becoming common ways to deal with conflicts.
Vote for me and I'll set you free
Politicians make promises to get votes and gain power.
Rap on, brother, rap on.
Keep spreading the message and fighting for what you believe in, brother.
Well, the only person talkin' 'bout love thy brother is the preacher
Only religious leaders still advocate for love and brotherhood among all people.
And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the teacher
Education and awareness seem to be lacking among the general public.
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
We are facing issues of segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation, humiliation, and obligation to our nation.
Ball Of Confusion that's what the world is today (yeah, yeah)
The world is in a state of confusion and chaos.
The sale of pills is at an all time high
The sale of drugs is increasing rapidly.
young folks walkin' 'round with their heads in the sky
The younger generation is lost in their own dreams and aspirations.
Cities aflame in the summer time, and oh the beat goes on
Cities are on fire and in conflict, and the problems keep piling up.
Eve of destruction, tax deduction,
There is a sense of doom and destruction, and tax breaks are not helping.
City inspectors, bill collectors,
City officials and debt collectors are causing problems.
Evolution, revolution, gun control, the sound of soul,
The world is changing, revolutions are occurring, gun control is an issue, and music is a way to cope.
Shootin' rockets to the moon, kids growin' up too soon
Technology is advancing rapidly, and children are forced to grow up too fast.
Politicians say more taxes will solve ev'rything, and the band played on.
Politicians promise that more taxes will solve everything, but the problems persist.
Round and round and around we go, where the world's headed nobody knows.
We are going in circles, and nobody knows where the world is headed.
Great googa mooga, can't you hear me talkin' to you, just a
Listen to me, I'm trying to make a point.
Ball of Confusion that's what the world is today. (yeah, yeah)
The world is in a state of confusion and chaos.
Fear in the air, tension ev'rywhere
There is a sense of fear and tension everywhere.
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatle's new record's a gas,
Unemployment is increasing rapidly, but people are enjoying the new Beatles record.
and the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation, and the band played on
The only place where people feel safe is on an Indian reservation, but the problems persist.
mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide too many bills, hippies movin' to the hills
Mod clothes are popular, the population is growing too fast, people are overwhelmed with bills, and hippies are moving to the hills to escape.
People all over the world are shouting end the war and the band played on.
People are demanding an end to the war, but the problems persist.
Round and round and around we go, where the world's headed nobody knows.
We are going in circles, and nobody knows where the world is headed.
Great googa mooga, can't you hear me talkin' to you, just a
Listen to me, I'm trying to make a point.
Ball of Confusion that's what the world is today
The world is in a state of confusion and chaos.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind