The Message

Album: MAYA (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the opening track from the British-Sri Lankan alternative dance musician M.I.A.'s third studio album, MAYA. The global music provocateur is no stranger to controversy. The government of M.I.A's native Sri Lanka sees her as a dissident, as the singer publicly accuses them of "genocide" for their part in a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009.
  • On this song M.I.A. tells the listener that Google is connected to the US government. She explained to the NME: "I'm always encouraging people to be more vocal. Google's more powerful than any government now - people think it's God. They're storing all our data and one day they're gonna turn against us. That's what my new album's about - I'm living f---ing proof that politics doesn't work. Every time I breathe it's documented on my computer and yet I'm still on some stupid list somewhere that says I'm a terrorist."
  • M.I.A. was accused of being politically naïve when this 57-second discordant rap was first released. However, subsequent disclosures about the spying capacity of America's NSA and Britain's GCHQ have vindicated her. "What I said about the internet is what's happening now," she told The Guardian, who have been at the forefront of the revelations. "It's on the front of your own newspaper. It's not a conspiracy theory, is it – unless your paper is supporting a conspiracy theory? Conspiracy theory is too much of a small pond for me to swim in."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Penny Ford of Snap!

Penny Ford of Snap!Songwriter Interviews

The original voice of Snap! this story is filled with angry drag queens, video impersonators and Chaka Khan.

Crystal Waters

Crystal WatersSongwriter Interviews

Waters tells the "Gypsy Woman" story, shares some of her songwriting insights, and explains how Dennis Rodman ended up on one of her songs.

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.