She made her performing debut at age eight with the Helena Rubinstein Children's Theatre at the Hudson Guild. After dropping out of high school, she found work as a summer camp counselor, and in the choruses of the Broadway shows Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin.
In 1983 the legendary director Mike Nichols saw her perform and, the following year, presented her on Broadway in a one-woman show of her own creation. The show was an enormous success, and brought her to the attention of Steven Spielberg, who cast her in the leading role in his film of Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Making her film debut in this coveted role instantly established her as one of Hollywood's leading actresses. Her performance in Ghost won her an Academy Award. She followed this with memorable performances in the box-office smash Sister Act and the critically acclaimed Robert Altman film, The Player. Her other film credits include Made In America; Corinna, Corinna; Star Trek: Generations and Boys on the Side. In addition to her acting roles, Whoopi Goldberg has hosted her own television talk show and has earned rave reviews for hosting the annual Academy Awards telecast.
Goldberg is one of only ten individuals who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award, counting Daytime Emmy Awards. She is the second African American female performer to win an Academy Award for acting (the first being Hattie McDaniel); she has also won two Golden Globe Awards.
Ball of Confusion
Whoopi Goldberg 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
Whoopi Goldberg's song "Ball of Confusion" depicts the chaotic and confusing state of the world at the time of its release. The lyrics explore themes such as racism, political corruption, social unrest, and economic inequality. The first verse addresses the issue of segregation, with people being forced to move due to their skin color. The second verse talks about drug abuse, youth culture, and the general feeling of confusion and uncertainty that pervades society. The third verse highlights the fear and tension present in the air, as well as the rise in unemployment and the ongoing war.
Throughout the song, Goldberg employs vivid imagery and heavy repetition to drive home the message of confusion and chaos in the world. The repeated line "round and round and around we go, where the world's headed nobody knows" illustrates the feeling of uncertainty and helplessness that many people must have felt during this time.
Overall, "Ball of Confusion" is a powerful and insightful commentary on the state of the world in the late 1970s. It remains relevant today as many of the themes explored in the song still resonate with people all around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
People movin' out, people movin' in.
People are constantly moving to new places.
Why, because of the color of their skin.
People are moving due to institutional racism and discrimination.
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
Trying to avoid the problems in the world will not work.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Violence and revenge only lead to more violence and revenge.
Vote for me and I'll set you free
Politicians often make empty promises in order to win votes.
Rap on, brother, rap on.
Keep speaking out and raising awareness.
Well, the only person talkin' 'bout love thy brother is the preacher
The only person preaching love and unity is the religious leader.
And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the teacher
People are not interested in learning and growing.
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
These are the various social and political issues plaguing our country.
Ball Of Confusion that's what the world is today (yeah, yeah)
The world is in a state of chaos and confusion.
The sale of pills is at an all time high
There is an epidemic of drug abuse.
young folks walkin' 'round with their heads in the sky
The younger generation is optimistic despite the world's problems.
Cities aflame in the summer time, and oh the beat goes on
Riots and unrest are happening across cities.
Eve of destruction, tax deduction,City inspectors, bill collectors,
Destruction is imminent and people are dealing with financial struggles.
Evolution, revolution, gun control, the sound of soul,
These are political and social issues that are creating chaos.
Shootin' rockets to the moon, kids growin' up too soon
Technology is advancing rapidly and children are growing up too fast.
Politicians say more taxes will solve ev'rything, and the band played on.
Politicians believe that higher taxes will solve all problems.
Round and round and around we go, where the world's headed nobody knows.
No one knows where the world is headed.
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)
The world is in a state of confusion and chaos.
Fear in the air, tension ev'rywhere
People are scared and anxious.
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatle's new record's a gas,
There is high unemployment and people are excited about new music.
and the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation, and the band played on
Indigenous communities are the only safe spaces left.
Suicide too many bills, hippies movin' to the hills
People are struggling with financial and emotional issues.
People all over the world are shouting end the war and the band played on.
People are protesting against war but nothing is changing.
Let me hear you, let me hear you, let me hear you
The artist is urging listeners to speak out and raise awareness.
Ball Of Confusion that's what the world is today
The world is in a state of chaos and confusion.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NORMAN WHITFIELD, BARRETT STRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kylepomana8118
LYRICS
5 6 5 6 7 8
People moving out, people moving in
Why, because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run but you sure can't hide
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Vote for me and I'll set you free
Rap on, sister’s, rap on
Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher
And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the teacher
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration
Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
Ball of confusion
Oh yeah, that's what the world is today
Woo, hey, hey
(Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, sing!)
The sale of pills are at an all time high (sing)
Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky (oh sing)
The cities ablaze in the summer time
And oh, the beat goes on
Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul
Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon
Glorious, round and around and around we go
Glorious, Where the world's headed, nobody knows
Allelujah
Oh, great googa-looga, can't you hear me talking to you
Just a ball of confusion
Oh yeah, that's what the world is today
Woo, hey
@weslleyfrancisco8616
Sister Alma was KILLING IT on that piano, ha.
@mione134
Facts
@danielle9273
She sure was tho 😂
@jhulianvonabarquezorcajada606
Who is sister alma
@weslleyfrancisco8616
@@jhulianvonabarquezorcajada606 The nun playing the piano
@jhulianvonabarquezorcajada606
@@weslleyfrancisco8616 agreed
@kathrynnorman2253
28 years later and the world is still a ball of confusion.
@dafcaflores7455
Original song is from 1970 by The Temptations, so... 50 years.
@kathrynnorman2253
@@dafcaflores7455 I'll have to check it out :)
@kathrynnorman2253
@Gopal Haridas Thacker Especially with what is happening right now