Waiting To Exhale
Violator Lyrics


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Persecuted and hunted by the police
Shotguns and bombs blazing your eyes
An addiction becomes transgression
And they will deliver the cure with despair

Suffocated for a compulsion
Poverty and drugs burning your lung
The smoke takes them to another place
No one would face this living hell

Choked
(by) seclusion
Hidden
(with) repulsion

Can't these people realize
The solution is not victimize

The hand that guide the brutality
Wounds for money cleaning the streets
The problem of abandon
Should not be solved with more injure

The mistreatment of authority
It has a reason to please the rich
They want to profit with our city
Even with death as consequence

Can't these people realize
The solution is not victimize
Products of a violent state
That are waiting to exhale

For those who born in gutters
Choice is a mean illusion




The abhorrence they know all time
Is now the reason to end their lives

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Violator's song "Waiting to Exhale" paint a vivid picture of the struggles faced by those living in poverty and struggling with addiction, particularly in the face of aggressive police tactics. The opening lines describe a sense of persecution and fear, with individuals being "hunted" and facing shotgun and bomb attacks from law enforcement. This sense of violence and aggression is portrayed as a response to addiction, which is seen as a "transgression" for which individuals must be "cured" through further despair.


The second verse focuses on the physical toll of addiction, with poverty and drug use leading to lung problems and suffocation. Smoking is portrayed as a means of escapism, helping people to forget the "living hell" of their reality. The chorus suggests that the solution is not to further victimize those already suffering, and calls out the authority figures who perpetrate violence against marginalized communities in order to profit.


The final verse speaks to the cycle of violence and despair faced by those who grow up in poverty, suggesting that for many, the "choice is a mean illusion" and that the "abhorrence they know all time" is what ultimately leads to a sense of hopelessness and desperation.


Overall, "Waiting to Exhale" is a powerful critique of systems of oppression and violence that perpetuate cycles of poverty and addiction. The song is a call for empathy and understanding, and a recognition that addressing these issues requires more than just punitive measures.


Line by Line Meaning

Persecuted and hunted by the police
Being relentlessly chased and pursued by the law enforcement


Shotguns and bombs blazing your eyes
Getting attacked by means of violence and explosives, blurring one's vision


An addiction becomes transgression
A dependency develops into a sinful behavior


And they will deliver the cure with despair
The remedy to the addiction will be provided while being depressed and hopeless


Suffocated for a compulsion
Being choked due to an irresistible urge


Poverty and drugs burning your lung
Living in destitution and the narcotics damaging lungs


The smoke takes them to another place
The puff of smoke serves as an escape route


No one would face this living hell
Nobody is brave enough to confront such wretched existence


Choked
Strangled


(by) seclusion
By separation from the rest of the world


Hidden
Concealed


(with) repulsion
Disgustingly


Can't these people realize
Don't these individuals comprehend


The solution is not victimize
The answer is not to make someone a victim


The hand that guide the brutality
The authorities who instruct violence


Wounds for money cleaning the streets
Earning money in return for causing injuries to clean the roads


The problem of abandon
The issue of being deserted


Should not be solved with more injure
The answer isn't causing more harm


The mistreatment of authority
The abuse of power shown by the government bodies


It has a reason to please the rich
They have a motive to satisfy the wealthy


They want to profit with our city
They aim to gain from our community


Even with death as consequence
Even if fatality is the aftermath


Products of a violent state
Offsprings of a belligerent government


That are waiting to exhale
Who are eager to breathe freely, finally


For those who born in gutters
For individuals who were born in the lowest of circumstances


Choice is a mean illusion
Having a choice is a cruel delusion


The abhorrence they know all time
The hatred they constantly experience


Is now the reason to end their lives
Is now the motive to terminate their existence




Writer(s): KENNETH EDMONDS

Contributed by Makayla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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