The Singles Experience: Gorillas In My Mind
I’ve been thinking about doing a running segment ’round here for a while on released singles in the music industry that strike me as odd or just have some kind of impact on me, be it good or bad. So I think I’ll start it out today.
Being as I just decided no more than 5 minutes ago that I was going to do this, I don’t have audio for the songs I’m talking about. If I’m able to come up with some, or if somebody can provide it thru links and such in the comments, that would be greatly appreciated.
So let us begin.
***Audio has been added.***
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R. Kelly - “Gorilla” (click on the link then scroll down and its the 15th song down…got to love my thoroughness. Once you click on the link, you will be taken away from this site.)
You know, I hate to admit this publicly, but I think I have to. R. Kelly won people. He won. And do you know how he won? I’ll tell you how he won.
The Piss R-uh has managed to continuously make music that will keep people moving in the club DESPITE the fact that a good 80 percent of the people I know swear that they hate his guts. I think that if black people created a political party, call it The Black Party, and R. Kelly were to offer himself up as a nominee, ignant niggas everywhere would come out, vote, and make him our presidential candidate: Aaliyah, pissin’ on 14 year old girls, the Jay-Z incident, the Trapped In The Closet series, the kiddie porn collection notwithstanding.
For those not in the know, notwithstanding is similar to saying “despite” or “in spite of” but it looks way better at the end of sentences than despite does. Despite would have been much better to put at the beginning of the list. At my job I do a lot of legal analysis. Dat very boring. The term notwithstanding has bothered me for years because I just can’t understand why anybody would use that when you can say “despite” or “in spite of”. Legal mumbo jumbo is the Brad Pitts.
I promise I’ll get back to the song in a second. Speaking of Brad Pitt, I saw Alexander last night for the first time (Angelina Jolie is in it, hence the connection to Brad Pitt; keep up graduate). I’ve seen some truly horrible movies in my lifetime, but that movie might have taken its rightful place at #2…right behind the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my life, Nurse Betty, and totally debo’n the previous #2 movie, Caveman’s Valentine. Fuckin’ horrible. And really, there was way too much man-on-man action going on in the movie. I understand authenticity for authenticity’s sake, but damn.
Moving on…
This song is catchy, like syphillis. That means its catchy in a bad way. Not catchy like a Love Jones which would be a good way. And that presents one major problem for black America. You see the song is called “Gorilla”. In said song entitled “Gorilla”, R. Kelly has a call and response part where he conjures up sounds of the gorilla, for which said tune is entitled “Gorilla”. What does that mean in the grand scheme of things you ask?
R. Kelly will have black people sounding like fuckin’ monkeys in the club.
Please re-read that statement.
I almost think this is some kind of getback to the black folks who turned their back on him, which wouldn’t be BET, the Congressional Black Caucus, or any other “important” black organization in this country.
R. Kelly (in his mind…and he’d have to think it since igmo can’t read that well and probably can’t write that well either): Since they turned on me, I’m gonna turn them into monkeys over a melodious track that they can’t help but move too. I shall call it “Gorilla” and to further denigrate them, I will make them listen to a rap verse by a member of The Laffy Taffy niggas AKA D4L. AND THEY WILL LIKE IT. *DEVILISH LAUGH AND GUFFAWAGE*
It is a sad day in Black America, when the man who pisses on little women ALSO makes us into monkeys at his whim.
His musical genius notwithstanding.
White America has won this battle (and war and contest and…well you get the point).
White America: 1 (more like infinity). Black People: 0
When you niggas wonder why white People start throwing bananas at us on busy streets in major cities, blame R. Kelly. Because you KNOW this shit will have a video…on MTV.
NEXT SONG:
Heather Headley - “In My Mind” (
“Heather Headley’s song “In My Mind” is the worst written great song of the past 10 years. “ - Mr. Oh So Sexxy
I said that yesterday and I received an email asking me to explain this. This song has irked me for a good long while now. I’ve had this convesation with a few people actually and most people like it. I, on the other hand, both love and hate this song at the exact same time. Let’s delve, shall we?
Quite honestly, I’m not the most lyric oriented person on Earth. I spend more time focusing on the actual beats of music than I do the words. Destiny’s Child song, “Free” (to me one of the best songs released since 2000)? I didn’t even know what the song was about until a good week after hearing it. And I had probably heard it a good 100 or so times.
But every now and then, a song comes along where the concept is so good to me, often in its simplicty, that I have to listen because it’s captured my imagination. Such is the case with “In My Mind”. I absolutely love the concept and mostly because its so simple but completely relatable. Granted, its from a woman’s point of view but who can’t understand the sentiment. Her and her ex-man are broken up, but she can’t let go. In her mind, she is still his girl. We like to call that denial. However, it’s probably the most common element of any breakup. And trust me it goes both ways.
To me, this song’s concept is up there with the Temptations song “Just My Imagination” as songs that just seem to obvious to touch, but when somebody does, it seems poignant. That’s the reason that the Temps song is still one of their most popular today. Who can’t relate?
So what’s the problem with this song? Sad to say, the songwriting.
Verse 1:
Imagine seeing him on the town, holding another hand.
She’s staring me down so I figure that he told her who I am
But it don’t matter either way
what they do or say
’cause ain’t nothin’ changed
he’s standin with her
but his soul is callin’ out my name.
Chorus:
In my mind I’ll always be his lady.
In my mind I’ll always be his girl.
Only time will tell if I’m his lady
But in my mind I’ll always be his girl.
Verse 2:
Saw his momma just the other day
said he’d been through a spell (well, well)
had a bad breakup
thinks he’s on his way up
it’s hard to tell
She said i think it’d do some good
if you call him every now and then
you see he’s been through some things and
I’m thinking he could really use a friend
Now see, those lyrics aren’t bad per se. But here’s my problem. A while back, I was working on a song and the dude I’m working with was like, when you do this song, make sure that nobody feels like it could have been done better (something like that). And that’s my problem with this song. I want to write the thing over myself. Not so much the chorus, moreso the verses. I know most of us don’t pay much attention to stuff like that and just accept the songs as the final product and roll with them. But to me, it could have been so much better. She didn’t tap into her real feelings or anything, and its her song, so she’s entitled.
The chorus tells us that in her mind, she’ll always be his girl. Now I assume that means the woman for which his heart belongs since right before that she says “only time will tell if I’ll be his lady”. I suppose that means actually being together. Now, to me, that seems a tad heartwrenching. It speaks of unrequited love, and the spoken word poets have shown us how much that hurts.
But her verses don’t talk about that. They talk about ole boy being with somebody else and him having some problems in life. Maybe I’m being to technical here, but give me some of the emotions. He’s broken up now and you are thinking he could use a friend, so maybe you’re thinking you are getting another shot. But I don’t really know that and the emotions behind it all aren’t felt either.
See that’s my thing. Convince me. Convine me that you are in pain behind this. That is how the song would have been better. Or could have been. It’s okay as it is. But everytime I hear it, I just wish for more. And it has nothing to do with her singing, she sings her ass off on the song. And as pointed out to me by another of my boys, the way she sings the end…well, its moving.
But the songwriting…it just seems like it was a wasted opportunity. Good enough as opposed to great. And you can’t just go around wasting great concepts.
Unless you’re R. Kelly who will take a HORRIBLE concept and turn black people into monkeys. But who’s complaining? Probably nobody. Since Huey from Boondocks so eloquently stated to Tom DuBois as he was about to prosecute the R:
“You underestimate how much niggas love R. Kelly.”
And cut.
May 17th, 2006 11:17
LOL “Mr. Dubois, you seriously underestimate the extent to which niggas love R. Kelly.”
While I have never heard “Gorilla,” I feel that the progression is only natural. After the lion growling and the “Like two gorillas in the jungle making LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVE!” in “Snake” and the jungle anthem “Slow Wine,” are we really surprised that he’s being less subtle with the wildlife references?
I think that “In My Mind” song is just wack in general. The flow of her singing is just awkward. And the song itself isn’t about anything. It reminds me of rap songs with choruses and verses that have little or nothing to do with each other.
Better Alternative:
Ne-Yo feat. Ghostface “I Don’t Get Down Like That”
May 18th, 2006 11:55
I thought the song was good, probably 85% better written than most of the songs out there. I do agree that the lyrics could have used a little more depth but then could many (We Belong Together, Find Myself in You…etc.) But for some reason, they still came through as powerful songs. I guess it’s because I’m comparing them to the likes of Ms. New Booty and the other porchmonkey-crafted, circus jams out there. Lol.
June 2nd, 2006 05:01
in my mind is actually a song written and sung by a chap called Shannon Sanders. He sings the song from a man’s viewpoint ….and then Heather borrows the whole song exchanging she for he. He sings it better tho’.
June 12th, 2006 20:40
I can’t take it. I could deal with the pedophile singing shyt like Step in the Name of Love and Happy People. I could. But Gorilla? And I listened to it. *sigh* You’re right Panama… we ain’t gon’ make it. LOL Damn shame. And I’m mad at “more like infinity.” LOL