Thievery Corporation is on the Eighteenth Street Lounge record label named after the DC club owned by Eric Hilton, but several of their singles and EP's appear on the 4AD and !K7 labels.
Formed in the summer of 1995 at D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge. Rob Garza and Lounge co-owner Eric Hilton bonded over club life, dub, bossa nova and jazz records, then decided to see what would come of mixing all these in a recording studio. From this, the duo was born and their self started label Eighteenth Street Lounge Music began to emerge on an international level.
The duo caught the ears of underground DJ’s with their first two 12" offerings, Shaolin Satellite and 2001: a Spliff Odyssey. Their 1997 debut LP, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi began to both define a new genre of electronic music and connect with an international community of like-minded souls. Though the terminology has varied (downtempo, chill out, left field and a myriad of other permutations), they have maintained their unique musical standards for the duration of their popularity.
In 2002, they released The Richest Man in Babylon on their ESL label. This fifteen track album is similar in sound and timbre to their earlier 2000 release, The Mirror Conspiracy, and features performances by vocalists Emiliana Torrini, Pam Bricker, and Loulou.
In 2005 they released The Cosmic Game, which has a darker, more psychedelic sound than The Richest Man in Babylon. The album also featured more high-profile guest singers on it, including Perry Farrell, David Byrne, and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
In 2006, the group released Versions, a selection of remixes done by Thievery Corporation for other artists and toured the United States, playing at Lollapalooza.
The group released their fifth studio album, Radio Retaliation, on 23 September 2008.
The language of the group's lyrics are as diverse as English, Spanish, French, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Hindi. This reflects the group's global feel and collaborative structure.
They were the opening act on August 1, 2009 for Sir Paul McCartney at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
On July 27, 2010, Babylon Central, the cinematic directorial debut of founding member Eric Hilton, was released. Set (and shot) in Washington, D.C., the film follows tripwire events in the interconnected lives of its characters, each influencing power brokers' schemes to manipulate international currencies.
In June 2011, Thievery Corporation released their sixth album, Culture of Fear.
In January 2012, Thievery Corporation launched a remixes contest in conjunction with Dubspot.
Truth And Rights
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but we gonna find it
The forked tongues, the blue bloods, the cold hearts
They're the ones who designed it
I guess the way that the system's designed
Complicated to change your mind
But the facts are there
And to that we can't be blind
The prostitutes gather at the top of Constitution Avenue
To dictate what I and I can say or do
The all seeing eye that surveys the nation
Control the thoughts and information
It's hard for I and I to live as one.
Livin' at the bottom of the pyramid scheme
Never really knowin' what the symbolism means
Those who believe in pentagrams
Send the youth off to die in foreign lands
"War is our nature" we don't understand
Pretty soon there's going to be an investigation
Sleepy Wonda up and take ya, take ya to a higher level
Coz the culture nowadays it seems surrounded by the devil
False election, fake connection, tamper with communication
Camera they inna da streets whenever me reach an intersection
Nah familiar with the path but mi approach mi destination
Sleepy Wonda combination wit Thievery Corporation
And I know the destination to inspire better nation
Just believe inna yourself and don't listen no politician.
The lyrics to Thievery Corporation's song Truth And Rights express a strong message of uncovering truth and fighting for rights in a corrupt society. The first verse acknowledges the difficulty of changing the system, but emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the facts that are present and refusing to turn a blind eye to them. The second verse focuses on the control of the elites and the surveillance of the masses, with the allusion to the prostitutes on Constitution Avenue symbolizing the corruption of power. The lyrics also explore the themes of war, propaganda, and the struggle to live together as one.
The chorus reflects the notion of rising above the corruption and taking oneself to a higher level. It encourages people to believe in themselves and their own abilities rather than relying on politicians for direction. The overall tone of the song is that of a warning against a system that is designed to oppress and control, with a call to uncover and fight against the truth and rights that have been buried.
Line by Line Meaning
They keep hiding the truth and rights
The truth and rights are being kept hidden.
but we gonna find it
We are determined to uncover the truth and rights.
The forked tongues, the blue bloods, the cold hearts
Those who are manipulative and power-hungry are the ones in control.
They're the ones who designed it
Manipulative and power-hungry individuals are behind the system that is set up to keep people in the dark.
I guess the way that the system's designed
The structure of the system is set up to make it difficult to change people's minds or views.
Complicated to change your mind
It's challenging to change one's perspective because of the intricate design of the system.
But the facts are there
Despite the challenges, there is factual evidence to support uncovering the truth and rights.
And to that we can't be blind
We must not ignore the available evidence to uncover the truth and rights.
The prostitutes gather at the top of Constitution Avenue
People in power and authority are controlling the narrative that people hear and see.
To dictate what I and I can say or do
People in power and authority control what people can say and do.
The all seeing eye that surveys the nation
There is constant surveillance of people by those in power and authority.
Control the thoughts and information
Those in power and authority control what people think and know.
It's hard for I and I to live as one.
It's challenging for people to come together and unite to overcome the challenges caused by those in power and authority.
Livin' at the bottom of the pyramid scheme
People are being exploited at the bottom of an unfairly structured system.
Never really knowin' what the symbolism means
People are unaware of the true intentions behind the symbols used by those in power and authority.
Those who believe in pentagrams
People who are superstitious and believe in symbols like pentagrams.
Send the youth off to die in foreign lands
Those in power use young people to fight wars in other countries for their own gain.
"War is our nature" we don't understand
Those in power justify war as a necessary evil and most people don't question it.
Pretty soon there's going to be an investigation
People will eventually start to investigate the truth and those in power will no longer be able to hide it.
Sleepy Wonda up and take ya, take ya to a higher level
The artist named Sleepy Wonda will lift people up to a higher level of awareness.
Coz the culture nowadays it seems surrounded by the devil
The current culture seems to be influenced by negative forces.
False election, fake connection, tamper with communication
Elections are rigged, connections between people are fake, and communication is being manipulated.
Camera they inna da streets whenever me reach an intersection
There are cameras on the streets everywhere, watching people's movements.
Nah familiar with the path but mi approach mi destination
I don't know the exact path to take, but I am determined to reach my destination.
Sleepy Wonda combination wit Thievery Corporation
The artists Sleepy Wonda and Thievery Corporation have come together to collaborate on this song.
And I know the destination to inspire better nation
The destination is to inspire a better nation and create positive change.
Just believe inna yourself and don't listen no politician.
Believe in yourself and don't allow politicians to dictate your beliefs and actions.
Contributed by Jayce G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ejhGoBrowns
i so much love this song.
@melonstar777
Theme tune for 2020 right here 🙌
@loganknoll
love this track so much
@danielbarrientoso.2940
Increible!
@sailorkid14
I've been listening to Thievery for more than a decade and I've never heard about this song ! What a masterpiece that was supposed to be on "THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON" .... By the way, I found a book called "The Richest Man in Babylon" 4 years ago randomly in a box full of books while walking in my neighboorhood, what a weird coincidence !
@putopaulinho
Huge
@sliverscreen
⛓⛓♥️♥️⛓⛓