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.
Warning Shots
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warning shots and sirens from a distance
Riot gears and barricade for an instance
And the words from mi mouth, mi no response
Hollywood sending signals of destruction
Stereotype the ghetto youths as the bad man
Overcome the rough times and we grow strong
We are eternal, made of the creator
Won't fall to the soul-less devastator
Divide and conquer, and try to separate us
Up to this day, them still tryin' to rape us
The lyrics to Thievery Corporation feat. Sleepy Wonder & Gunjan's song Warning Shots critique oppression and the insensitive portrayal of people from the ghetto. The first verse alludes to the violent ways in which those in power try to silence those who oppose their oppressive regimes. The use of "warning shots and sirens from a distance" may be a metaphor for the threats made to the resistance from those in power. The second line speaks of the riot gear and barricades erected as a measure of security to prevent the rise of the resistance. However, these attempts at suppressing the resistance are in vain, as "the words from mi mouth, mi no response." This could symbolize the refusal of the people who are part of the resistance to be silenced by the use of force.
The second verse talks about how Hollywood and mainstream media perpetuate negative stereotypes of ghetto youths as bad people. The media can also contribute to an environment of violence, leading to the destruction of people's homes and communities. The line "Overcome the rough times, and we grow strong" speaks to the resilience and perseverance of people who are marginalized. The last line of the verse, "Step up in a life, now them want to shake we hand," could be an indication of how people who were once shunned by society are now being recognized for their talents and abilities, and those in power want to take credit for their success.
Line by Line Meaning
They try their best just to mash up the resistance
The oppressors are putting forth their maximum effort to crush any sign of uprising or rebellion.
Warning shots and sirens from a distance
They are alerted to our attempts at resistance through the warning shots and sound of approaching sirens in the distance.
Riot gears and barricade for an instance
In response, the oppressors ready themselves with riot gear and erect barriers for a brief period of time.
And the words from mi mouth, mi no response
I refuse to respond with words to their attempts to silence my resistance.
Hollywood sending signals of destruction
Hollywood is sending messages of violence and destruction.
Stereotype the ghetto youths as the bad man
The media stereotypes those from the ghetto as being inherently criminal and violent.
Overcome the rough times and we grow strong
Despite adversity, we become stronger and more resilient.
Step up in a life, now them want to shake we hand
Once we achieve success, those who once ostracized us now want to befriend us.
We are eternal, made of the creator
Our inherent nature is divine and everlasting as creations of a higher power.
Won't fall to the soul-less devastator
We will not succumb to those who lack compassion or empathy.
Divide and conquer, and try to separate us
The oppressors attempt to weaken and defeat us by creating division and strife within our ranks.
Up to this day, them still tryin' to rape us
Even to this day, they continue to attempt to forcefully exploit and subjugate us.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ARCHER, HILTON, ROB GARZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RPYT111
I feel FANTASTIC positive energy from this song.THANK YOU !!!
@EMMmaximino
nothing comes close to "TH'C" the mucis the vibes, and the message, surely a great combo. and true to the DC scene
@NikosPer
You warned us many years ago since i was a child....but we didnt listen. Now its all in front of us! We can clearly see what you were talking about....
@andrewbowermusic
i wish everybody had the chance to see thievery perform live. AWESOME FUCKIN SHOW!
@leboxlasarre6457
youbet!!!
@to9mcr229
I can possibly only imagine
@creator4413
Still the best performance I've ever seen. No one can top Thieves. This song at red rocks was one of the high points of my life
@boramalper
> We are eternal, made of the creator
> Won't fall to the soul-less devastator
@fuck4317
the lyrics are amazing
@acidbubblebath77
Ah, found it! The original video for this sick ass track.