The founders of the Wu-Tang Clan were RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, who had previously formed the group Force of the Imperial Master (later known as All In Together Now after the release of a popular single by that name). The group attracted the attention of some notable figures in the industry, including Biz Markie, but did not manage to secure a record deal. After the crew dissolved, GZA and RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem) embarked on their solo careers with Cold Chillin' Records and Tommy Boy Records respectively, but to little success. Their frustration with the workings of the hip hop music industry would provide the main inspiration to Wu-Tang Clan's revolutionary business plan. According to The Wu-Tang Manual, at the group's inception, RZA promised the members that if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip hop world within a dynastic cycle, after which he would relinquish his total control.
Wu-Tang Clan was gradually assembled in late 1992 from friends and accomplices from around Staten Island, New York, with RZA as the de-facto leader and the group's main producer. Two of the cousins, GZA (pronounced Jizza) and RZA (pronounced Rizza), created their new Wu-Tang aliases by mimicking the sound that the words "genius" and "razor" would make when scratched on a turntable.
"Wu-Tang" comes from the name of the Taoist holy mountain Wu Dang in northwest Hubei Province in central China; it was also the site of the Ming Dynasty Purple Imperial City built during the reign of the Yongle Emperor in the early 15th century. RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after seeing the kung fu film Shaolin and Wu Tang, which features a school of warriors trained in Wu-Tang style. The group's debut album loosely adopted a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang theme, dividing the album into Shaolin and Wu-Tang sections and using dialogue excerpts as skits.
The group have also developed various backronyms for the name (as hip hop pioneers like KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane did with their names), including "We Usually Take All the Niggas' Garments," "Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game" and "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation, and God".
Method Man has also mentioned that the "Wu" is the sound a sword makes when cutting through the air, and "Tang" is the sound it makes against a shield.
The Clan first became known to hip hop fans, and to major record labels, in 1993 (see 1993 in music) following the release of the independent single "Protect Ya Neck", which immediately gave the group a sizeable underground following. Though there was some difficulty in finding a record label that would sign Wu-Tang Clan while still allowing each member to record solo albums with other labels, Loud/RCA finally agreed, releasing their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), in late 1993. This album was popular and critically-acclaimed, though it took some time to gain momentum. Though hip hop had long had a gritty texture, the surreal aggression and minimalist production of 36 Chambers nevertheless had a huge impact on the genre, and was to prove massively influential over the next decade. By the beginning of the 21st century, the album had become a regular fixture on "Best Albums of the 90s" lists as well as a frequent choice for "Best Albums of All Time" lists. The success of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) established the group as a creative and influential force in early 1990s hip hop, allowing GZA, RZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa to negotiate solo contracts.
www.wutang-corp.com
Wu-Revolution
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just took over my whole body
So I can't even see no more
I'm calling my black woman a bitch
I'm calling my peoples all kinds of thing that they not
I'm lost brother, can you help me
Can you help me brother, please
I'm talking bout the love
The love of your own
But brother, but brother, but brother, check this out
I still don't understand man, I'm all high off this shit man
Well, what I'm trying to say my brother
Why, why do we kill each other
Look at our children, what kind of a future
This is the training that's gonna be given to you by the Wu, brothers and sisters
The revolution, the revolution will be televised, televised
It's time to rise, and take our place so we can inherit the universe
The planet Earth belongs to God
This is nineteen ninety-seven
Every square inch of it
That he chose for himself
Is the best part
Behind every strong woman you'll find a strong man
And behind every strong man you'll find a strong woman
The universe is not completed without the sun, moon and stars
That's man, woman and child
To all you fake-ass niggas who think you gonna survive out here
Without your Black woman, you're wrong
They have attraction powers on the planet
We are original man, the Asiatic Black man
The maker, the owner, the cream of the planet Earth
Father of civilization and daughter of the universe
The population was seventeen million
With the two million Indians
Making a total of nineteen million, four billion, four hundred million
All over the planet earth
Arise you Gods, it's the time for the revolutional war
That's the mental war
That's the battle between God and devil
Take the devil off your plane
Take him off your mental mentality
Take him off your brain
Leave all the cigarettes and guns, the alcohol and everything
That's the mental devil that exists within your body
That's destroying and decaying your mind
The mind controls the body
Everything within must come out
Don't look towards the sky cause there's no heaven above
Don't look down beneath your feet, there's no hell below
But heaven and hell exist within
Heaven is what you make it and hell is what you go through
There is only one God
There is a whole new one, faith
There is a only one
One revolution yeah
At one time it was told to me
That man came from monkeys
That we were swinging from trees
I hardly can believe that unless I'm dumb, deaf and blind
You ever heard about, the ape man and the ape woman
You have a mankind, that has a beginning to him
And his ending, is about to come
If you take one step, I will take one with you
Through the storm and pain, swim the deepest sea, with you my brother
I know you got to be strong, gotta hold on
Now the story is about to close
It was a hundred percent of us
That came on the slave ships
Eighty five percent of our people was uncivilized
Poison animal eaters
They're slaves of the mental powers
They don't know who the true and living God is
Nor their origins in the world
So they worship what they know not
And they're easily lead in the wrong direction
Ought to be lead in the right
And now you got the ten percent who are rich slave makers of the poor
Who teach the poor lies that make the people believe
That the all mighty true and living God is a spook in the sky
And you can't see him with the physical eyes
They're also known as blood suckers of the poor
And then you got the five percent
Who are the poor righteous teachers
Who do not believe in the teachings of the ten percent
Who is all wise and know who the true and living god is
And teach that the true and living god is a supreme being black man from Asia
Otherwise known as civilized people
Also Muslims, and Muslim's sons
Peace we out
I have given it much thought
It seems, disaster must come
At best, only postponed
Shaolin Kung-Fu
To survive must now be taught, to more young men
We must expand, get more pupils
So that the knowledge will spread
The lyrics of Wu-Tang Clan's song Wu-Revolution are focused on the idea of revolution, both internally and externally. The song's lyrics talk about the loss of love and how it leads to the killing of each other. The song mentions the importance of unity among us, but somehow we are lost in our own issues. The lyrics mention how the mind controls the body, and it's crucial to remove negativity from the mind, the mental war between good and bad. The lyrics mention that there is only one God, and heaven and hell exist within.
The song's lyrics mention the importance of black women and their attraction powers on the planet, and the importance of strong women behind every strong man. The song focuses on the idea of knowledge as power, and how they must spread the knowledge of Shaolin Kung- Fur to more young men to survive. The lyrics also talk about the concept of origin and the fact that we don't know who the true living God is, and we worship what we know not.
Overall, the song provides a deep insight into the thoughts and beliefs of Wu-Tang Clan about life, society, and revolution.
Line by Line Meaning
These things just took over me
I have become overwhelmed by negative influences
Just took over my whole body
The negativity has consumed me entirely
So I can't even see no more
I am blinded by my own actions and cannot see the truth
I'm calling my black woman a bitch
I am disrespecting and degrading my black partner
I'm calling my peoples all kinds of thing that they not
I am labeling and insulting my own community falsely
I'm lost brother, can you help me
I feel spiritually lost and seek guidance from others
Can you help me brother, please
I am desperately asking for assistance and support
You see what we did, we lost the love
We have lost the essence of love and connection
I'm talking bout the love
I am referring to the genuine love that should exist
The love of your own
The love within our own community
But brother, but brother, but brother, check this out
Listen closely, my brother
I still don't understand man, I'm all high off this shit man
Despite being under the influence, I cannot comprehend
Well, what I'm trying to say my brother
Let me explain, my brother
Why, why do we kill each other
Why do we harm and take the lives of our own people
Look at our children, what kind of a future
Consider the future we are creating for our children
This is the training that's gonna be given to you by the Wu, brothers and sisters
We, the Wu-Tang Clan, are here to impart this knowledge to you
The revolution, the revolution will be televised, televised
The uprising and change will be broadcasted widely
It's time to rise, and take our place so we can inherit the universe
We must rise up and claim our rightful position in the world
The planet Earth belongs to God
Earth is a divine creation
This is nineteen ninety-seven
These words are spoken in the year 1997
Every square inch of it
Every corner and aspect of Earth
That he chose for himself
Selected by a higher power
Is the best part
Representing the most valuable aspects
Behind every strong woman you'll find a strong man
A strong man supports and uplifts a strong woman
And behind every strong man you'll find a strong woman
A strong woman provides assistance to a strong man
The universe is not completed without the sun, moon and stars
The universe requires all its celestial components
That's man, woman and child
Representing the fundamental elements of humanity
To all you fake-ass niggas who think you gonna survive out here
For those who falsely believe they can thrive
Without your Black woman, you're wrong
You are mistaken if you exclude your black partner
They have attraction powers on the planet
Black women possess influential energy on Earth
We are original man, the Asiatic Black man
We, as black individuals, are the originals
The maker, the owner, the cream of the planet Earth
We are the creators and superior beings on Earth
Father of civilization and daughter of the universe
We are the ancestors of civilization and connected to the universe
The population was seventeen million
The population was once seventeen million
With the two million Indians
Including the two million indigenous people
Making a total of nineteen million, four billion, four hundred million
Summing up to nineteen million, four billion, four hundred million
All over the planet earth
Spread across the entire Earth
Arise you Gods, it's the time for the revolutional war
Awaken, for the time of significant change has arrived
That's the mental war
Referring to the internal battle within our minds
That's the battle between God and devil
It signifies the clash between good and evil
Take the devil off your plane
Remove negativity from your mindset
Take him off your mental mentality
Eliminate the negative influence from your thoughts
Take him off your brain
Free yourself from the negative mindset
Leave all the cigarettes and guns, the alcohol and everything
Abandon destructive habits and substances
That's the mental devil that exists within your body
These represent the negative forces within oneself
That's destroying and decaying your mind
These destructive forces harm and deteriorate the mind
The mind controls the body
The mind has power over the actions of the body
Everything within must come out
All internal struggles must be faced and resolved
Don't look towards the sky cause there's no heaven above
There is no physical heaven to gaze upon
Don't look down beneath your feet, there's no hell below
There is no physical hell beneath us
But heaven and hell exist within
Heaven and hell are internal states of being
Heaven is what you make it and hell is what you go through
Our actions determine our experiences of joy or suffering
There is only one God
There exists a singular divine entity
There is a whole new one, faith
There is a new perspective and belief system
There is a only one
There is only one true deity
One revolution yeah
A single transformation and change
At one time it was told to me
Once upon a time, I was informed
That man came from monkeys
It was believed that humans evolved from primates
That we were swinging from trees
They said we were once swinging on trees like apes
I hardly can believe that unless I'm dumb, deaf and blind
I find it hard to believe unless I am ignorant and unperceptive
You ever heard about, the ape man and the ape woman
Have you ever heard of stories about ape-like humans
You have a mankind, that has a beginning to him
Humanity has an origin
And his ending, is about to come
And our demise is approaching
If you take one step, I will take one with you
I will support and accompany you if you take the first step
Through the storm and pain, swim the deepest sea, with you my brother
Together, we will face challenges and overcome them
I know you got to be strong, gotta hold on
I recognize your strength, you must persevere
Now the story is about to close
The tale is reaching its conclusion
It was a hundred percent of us
We all started as a unified group
That came on the slave ships
The majority of us arrived on slave ships
Eighty five percent of our people was uncivilized
A significant portion of our community lacked civilization
Poison animal eaters
They consumed unhealthy and harmful foods
They're slaves of the mental powers
Their minds are enslaved and controlled
They don't know who the true and living God is
They are unaware of the existence of the divine being
Nor their origins in the world
They lack knowledge of their ancestral heritage
So they worship what they know not
They worship what they do not understand
And they're easily lead in the wrong direction
They are easily influenced and misled
Ought to be lead in the right
They should be directed towards the right path
And now you got the ten percent who are rich slave makers of the poor
There are wealthy individuals who exploit the poor
Who teach the poor lies that make the people believe
They deceive the impoverished with false teachings
That the all mighty true and living God is a spook in the sky
They claim the true divine being is a mythical figure
And you can't see him with the physical eyes
They assert that the deity cannot be seen with physical sight
They're also known as blood suckers of the poor
They are referred to as exploiters of the underprivileged
And then you got the five percent
There exists a small group comprising five percent
Who are the poor righteous teachers
These individuals are righteous enlighteners despite lacking wealth
Who do not believe in the teachings of the ten percent
They reject the ideologies propagated by the wealthy exploitative group
Who is all wise and know who the true and living god is
The ten percent falsely claim to possess wisdom and divine knowledge
And teach that the true and living god is a supreme being black man from Asia
The poor righteous teachers assert that the real divine entity is a black man from Asia
Otherwise known as civilized people
They are also identified as enlightened and cultured individuals
Also Muslims, and Muslim's sons
They are followers of Islam and their descendants
Peace we out
Peace, we are departing
I have given it much thought
I have deeply contemplated on this matter
It seems, disaster must come
It appears that catastrophe is inevitable
At best, only postponed
At most, disaster is only delayed temporarily
Shaolin Kung-Fu
The martial art of Shaolin
To survive must now be taught, to more young men
We must educate more young men in Shaolin Kung-Fu for survival
We must expand, get more pupils
We should grow and acquire additional students
So that the knowledge will spread
To ensure the dissemination of this knowledge
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: DAVID TURNER, PETE CUFFIE, ROBERT F. DIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Quavon Hall
Rest easy Popa Wu!! Wu-Tang gonna hold you down forever 👐🏽!
April sunshine75
First heard this song from ex boyfriend back in the late 90's...we always jam to the bass...I always loved this intro....Im 46 now and never listen to the deep priceless lyrics and message of this beautiful intro until now... Very true and deep for sure!!🌹🌹🔥🔥always loved the lady voice in the background!!
ataye1
Peace Earth
April sunshine75
@Luv4eternity974wf thank you 🤗👍I will have to look her up💫✨✨
Samba Nelly
Rest in peace Popa Wu. That intro on The Wu-Tang Forever album was Legendary. PEACE TO THE GODS🙌👐🙌👐🙌👐🙌👐
Huztle Mane
I get teared up every time I hear this man the first time I got this on cassette tape very inspiring man Orginal Black Man. Peace 5% die dropping the knowledge to be born Knowledge Of Self .
Zodiac Trigga
Huztle Mane I was 13 in 1997 the first time I heard this! I relate bro 💯!!!
April sunshine75
.I heard this song by my ex back in late 90's..he always jam to the beat and bass( which I did too)..lol.....but..i.never knew the deep meaning and words until now at age 46🌹🌹i adore the lyrics and meaning...
Poppa Piltch
When this dropped I didn't overstand. In my early 20s the msg hit me, hard. 39, just shared it with my mom, and I hear it even diff than in my 20s
HuztleMayne AKA CD Man
@Poppa Piltch Indeed my brother