God Control; Words and Music

[RUADJAI 14,905]

Alright kids... I have theories and I have questions. But first things first... I don't think God Control (the song) is really about Gun Control. It may be a part of the puzzle and I think perhaps M chose to focus on that part of the puzzle for the video to distract from what the song really is, and that is a scathing review of U.S. politicians or politicians in general. Perhaps she did this to keep Madame X from suffering the fate that American Life did. If anything Madonna shows an understanding of a mass shooter in this song. I think it is about gun violence but that's not the focus. Follow me. 

 

"Everybody knows they don't have a chance 

to get a decent job, to have a normal life..."

"...I think I understand why people get a gun

I think I understand why we all give up"

 

This is Madonna identifying with shooters. Life is so bleak that people resort to guns because there is nothing to live for. Far different than the simplistic message of "Gun Control Now" that the video portrays and arguably far more controversial. 

 

"When they talk reforms, it makes me laugh
They pretend to help, it makes me laugh"

Now one could say that this part seems to show that it is in fact about Gun Control reforms, but I would still say it doesn't. "They pretend to help"... Republicans in this country are not pretending to help at all when it comes to guns in this country. They are defiantly opposed to any legislation on guns and in fact use fear to go on the offense and use it as a rallying call in saying that the Democrats are trying to take away our guns. Democrats are also not "pretending to help" in regards to gun control because they know that they can't help without support from Republicans. If anything Democrats feel defeated in this area. We want reform but can do nothing about it. So I really don't think the reforms M is talking about have anything to do with guns because neither side is pretending to help in this area. I would say that both sides do pretend to help in alot of other areas that appear to help the everyday person, but usually in fact do not help. (for instance... raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour which would still be poverty wages)

 

"the only gun is in my brain"

Madonna identifies with shooters, however the only gun she has is her art. This is how she chooses to express herself. She understands why people kill, but she chooses to take out her frustration through music and dance and by spreading ideas. 

 

"Every day they have a kind of victory
Blood of innocence, spread everywhere"

 

Who has the victory? Who has a victory when innocent blood is spilled? Is she talking about shooters? I don't think so. I think this is the implication that as long as a society is in conflict with itself, it is easier to control. Therefore governments have a kind of victory when violence reigns. 

 

"It's a weird kind of energy
A bizarre thing that happens to be
An abnormal fraternity
And I feel more than sympathy"

Now this is the chorus, and it only happens once.. which is strange, weird, and abnormal. 

An abnormal fraternity... is our government. (Fraternity:  a group of people sharing a common profession or interests) Going by this definition the abnormal fraternity couldn't be mass shooters as I dont think they are sharing a common interest with everyone else. However, government SHOULD have common interests with regular people but do not. She's expressing that government isn't working. Not just in relation to gun violence, but just in general. We are at a place where we are not moving forward. Climate change, gun violence, social justice, gender equality... 

 

A NEW DEMOCRACY!  This is the real message of the song. 

 

What do you guys think?

 

 

 

 

 

FULL LYRICS

Everybody knows the damn truth
Our nation lied, we lost respect
When we wake up, what can we do?
Get the kids ready, take them to school
Everybody knows they don't have a chance
To get a decent job, to have a normal life
When they talk reforms, it makes me laugh
They pretend to help, it makes me laugh
I think I understand why people get a gun
I think I understand why we all give up
Every day they have a kind of victory
Blood of innocence, spread everywhere
They say that we need love
But we need more than this

We lost God control
We lost God control
We lost God control
We lost God control

This is your wake-up call
I'm like your nightmare
I'm here to start your day
This is your wake-up call
We don't have to fall
A new democracy
God and pornography
A new democracy

People think that I'm insane
The only gun is in my brain
Each new birth, it gives me hope
That's why I don't smoke that dope
Insane people think I am
Brain inside, my only friend
Hope it gives me birth each new
That dope I don't smoke, it's true

Everybody knows the damn truth
Everybody knows the damn truth (wake up)
We need to wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
We need to make up, make up, make up, make up
Make up, make up, make up, make up, make up, make up
It's a hustle, yeah
It's a hustle
It's a con
It's a hustle
It's a weird kind of energy
A bizarre thing that happens to be
An abnormal fraternity
And I feel more than sympathy

We need to wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
We need to make up, make up, make up, make up
Make up, make up, make up, make up, make up, make up

People think that I'm insane
The only gun is in my brain
Each new birth, it gives me hope
That's why I don't smoke that dope
Insane people think I am
Brain inside, my only friend
Hope it gives me birth each new
That dope I don't smoke, it's true

Everybody knows the damn truth
Everybody knows the damn truth
We need to wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
(Wake up)
(Ah)

A new democracy!

Everybody knows the damn truth
Our nation lied, we've lost respect
When we wake up, what can we do?
Get the kids ready, take them to school
Everybody knows they don't have a chance
Get a decent job, have a normal life
When they talk reform, it makes me laugh
They pretend to help, it makes me laugh

[Blue Prince 995]

Madonna is often dismissed as a lyricist, even by her fans. All that you said make sense, it is a political song. She could have written an entirely different track about gun control, something like Intervention for example, but the lyrics are almost incoherent, the beat is distracting. There is a certain intention to hide messages in this song. She has spoken many times about violence and racism and such phenomena. They all stem from fear and insecurity and manipulation of the masses. Even God's name I think is not just to remind us of guns. I believe she addresses the loss of faith. People have lost faith in things and they take matters into their own hands. Just in the wrong way, because they wake up and choose violence, they don't act together. So maybe this is a call to bring people together and remind them of the true 'enemy' who thrives when people are put apart by fear.

[scamper 1,977]

I think that's a good interpretation of the song...

What I'd like to know is what "Brain inside, my only friend" means and "Hope it gives me birth each new"... I'm from Spain, and I think this is the first time I have a problem trying to understand what she means

[RUADJAI 14,905]

17 minutes ago, scamper said:

I think that's a good interpretation of the song...

What I'd like to know is what "Brain inside, my only friend" means and "Hope it gives me birth each new"... I'm from Spain, and I think this is the first time I have a problem trying to understand what she means

 

[EgoRod 5,430]

Consider that Mirwais wrote the core of the song, probably while he was working on 'My generation' too.

Then you have the Casey Spooner demo

Both with a strong statement about government policies, social media, capitalism and the direction of humankind vs technology

I think Madonna had an affinity with the text but not as much input.

 

Also 'God' is a clear allegory to "In God we trust' as it shows in the dollar

The original motto. Saying 'we lost god control' talks about the system, the law, the faith and so many other layers of the country.

[Voguerista 11,737]

Great thread. I agree how the song can be interpreted in many ways. I love that about her writing. She makes you think even if you can’t understand why she included some things. And cheers to the video. It’s complex too. In fact, I’d say God Control is one of her most complex projects as a whole. With my first listen, I didn’t like it. Now it’s one of my faves from Madame X. Brilliant! 

[WopaelWopael 722]

With this theory one could make a good mashup of God Control and Gang Bang

[ShantiAshtangi 257]

On 6/2/2021 at 11:41 PM, Blue Prince said:

Madonna is often dismissed as a lyricist, even by her fans.

She is a good lyricist, no doubt, but she didn’t write most of these. 

[Redha DBL 7,264]

It's a good analysis of the songs and the lyrics but unfortuantely, and as @EgoRod mentionned above, nor Madonna or Mirwais wrote the first verse of the lyrics "Everybody knows the damn truth...." wich is the most brilliant part of the track. They didn't even credited him (Casey Spooner) or pay him, he had to rake them to the court to get the credits he deserved. She didn't have THAT much input... 

[ShantiAshtangi 257]

She most likely wrote the part about a new democracy which I always found odd because many populist right wing people and so-called Open minded thinkers also call for a new democracy. I’m not saying Madonna belongs to these people but I can’t help but cringe at these lyrics. 

[WopaelWopael 722]

Lets not forget that casey spooners input was not really about adding new lyrics but correcting what mirwais already wrote.

25.000 or 10.000 $ is not bad for playing autocorrection.

but playing the victom for not including his big creative-lyrical input is odd.

[EgoRod 5,430]

I think the only part Madonna wrote was:

I'm drinking a soy latte
I get a double shot
It goes right through my body
And you know I'm satisfied

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fabiolous 5,488]

5 hours ago, TonyMontana said:

It's a good analysis of the songs and the lyrics but unfortuantely, and as @EgoRod mentionned above, nor Madonna or Mirwais wrote the first verse of the lyrics "Everybody knows the damn truth...." wich is the most brilliant part of the track. They didn't even credited him (Casey Spooner) or pay him, he had to rake them to the court to get the credits he deserved. She didn't have THAT much input... 

This is not true at all

[brank000 2,145]

On 6/3/2021 at 3:44 AM, EgoRod said:

I think Madonna had an affinity with the text but not as much input.

I have to agree. I don't feel like she had a ton of lyrical input on this or most of Madame X to be honest.

[poodle 258]

On 6/2/2021 at 11:45 PM, RUADJAI said:

Joan Crawford is looking gooo-od.

[RUADJAI 14,905]

On 6/3/2021 at 3:44 AM, EgoRod said:

I think Madonna had an affinity with the text but not as much input.

 

7 hours ago, brank000 said:

I have to agree. I don't feel like she had a ton of lyrical input on this or most of Madame X to be honest.

 

14 hours ago, TonyMontana said:

It's a good analysis of the songs and the lyrics but unfortuantely, and as @EgoRod mentionned above, nor Madonna or Mirwais wrote the first verse of the lyrics "Everybody knows the damn truth...." wich is the most brilliant part of the track. They didn't even credited him (Casey Spooner) or pay him, he had to rake them to the court to get the credits he deserved. She didn't have THAT much input... 

 

 

Yeah... it totally could be that she read the lyrics of the verse by Casey Mirwais and felt it was about Gun Control and chose to push it in that direction. 

[Redha DBL 7,264]

8 hours ago, WopaelWopael said:

Lets not forget that casey spooners input was not really about adding new lyrics but correcting what mirwais already wrote.

25.000 or 10.000 $ is not bad for playing autocorrection.

but playing the victom for not including his big creative-lyrical input is odd.

 

4 hours ago, Let'sGetUnconsciousHoney said:

This is not true at all

Oh ok i didn't see the original lyrics by Mirwais. Indeed Casey didn't change That much lyrics. So i'd say these are Mirwais lyrics. Anyway those lyrics are awsome.

[Fabiolous 5,488]

5 hours ago, TonyMontana said:

 

Oh ok i didn't see the original lyrics by Mirwais. Indeed Casey didn't change That much lyrics. So i'd say these are Mirwais lyrics. Anyway those lyrics are awsome.

I'm pretty sure Madonna did have a bih input for the rest of the song. From what I understand, Mirwais only had the intro ready when the recording sessions started. I think Madonna wrote the rest of the song.  It sounds a lot like what Madonna would write

[RUADJAI 14,905]

Resurrecting this thread to ask... What is "God Control"? 

[Prayer 14,275]

20 minutes ago, RUADJAI said:

Resurrecting this thread to ask... What is "God Control"? 

According to her in the "World Of Madame X" documentary:

It's about gun control and how people who buy a gun feel like they are God and "above the law".

[RUADJAI 14,905]

36 minutes ago, Prayer said:

According to her in the "World Of Madame X" documentary:

It's about gun control and how people who buy a gun feel like they are God and "above the law".

hmmmm Im not sure I like this answer. ?