What My World Sounds Like: Janelle Monae

December 8, 2007 | Filed Under Listen, Plain cool, What My World Sounds Like 

Janelle Monae’s Metropolis cover

Janelle Monae’s Metropolis, Suite 1: The Chase

Can I say that I love Janelle Monae?!? She has this incredible, infectious energy that translates perfectly in sound. In addition to being talented, she’s ridiculously creative. Her debut album, Metropolis, will be released in 4 parts, with the first being available now. The concept album tells the tale of futuristic android Cindi Mayweather, who’s on the run for falling in love with a human.

My only gripe is the response Monae intended: it’s too short…I want more! Her sound is new, distinct, yet familiar at the same time. These songs cause me forget about the troubles with my knees and make me want to run…or do all sorts of wild dances (if you can call them that) with my eyes closed while I’m alone. For more information, go to JanelleMonae.com.

Left the city, my momma she said, “Don’t come back home…”
These kids ’round killin’ each other, they’ve lost they minds, they gone
They quittin’ school, making babies and can barely read
Some gone off to that war
Lord, have mercy on them
1, 2, 3, 4, your cousins is ’round here sellin’ dope
While they daddies, your uncles is walking ’round strung out
Babies with babies and they tears keep burning
While their dreams go down the drain now…While their dreams go down the drain now
Are we really living or just walking dead now?
(Are we walking dead now?)
Or dreaming of a hope riding the wings of angels
The way we live
The way we die
What a tragedy, I’m so terrified
Daydreamers, please wake up
We can’t sleep no more…
Love don’t make no sense
Ask your neighbor
The winds have changed
It sees that they’ve abandoned us
The truth hurts and so does yesterday
What good is love if it burns bright and explodes in flames?
(I thought every living thing had love but uhh…)
While their dreams go down the drain now
Are we really living or just walking dead now?
(Are we walking dead now?)
Or dreaming of a hope riding the wings of angels
The way we live
The way we die
What a tragedy, I’m so terrified
Daydreamers, please wake up
We can’t sleep no more…
I’ve seen them shootin’ up funerals in they Sunday clothes
And spending money on spinners, but won’t pay college loans
And all you gangers and bangers, rollin’ ace and taking lives in that smokey dark
Lord, have mercy on them
Teacher teacher, please reach those girls in them videos (live your life)
The little girls just broken queen, confusing bling for soul
Danger, there’s danger! When you take off your clothes…
All of your dreams go down the drain, girl…
While their dreams go down the drain now
Are we really living or just walking dead now?
(Are we walking dead now?)
Or dreaming of a hope riding the wings of angels
The way we live
The way we die
What a tragedy, I’m so terrified
Daydreamers, please wake up
We can’t sleep no more…
We live and then we die, and we never know the why…
So down, now, we go, down underground…
We think that we can fly, but we never touch the sky
So, down, now, we go, down underground…
- Janelle Monae, “Sincerely, Jane”

 

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One Response to “What My World Sounds Like: Janelle Monae”

  1. What My World Sounds Like: Janelle Monae | What My World's Like on September 28th, 2008 9:00 pm

    [...] December, I wrote about Janelle Monae.  Since then, she’s sold an impressive number of albums [...]

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