David Vance SubstackRead More
I was sitting thinking about a song called “No Flag” and wanted to check up on the lyrics so I did a quick web search and this is what came up;
“Niggas tryna come and tryna make another me
My baby momma bitching, but she still be fucking me
You blowing up her phone and she be steady sucking me
Woah, woah, you a sucker, sucker
I got her bent over, finna fuck her, fuck her
Them boys police them niggas undercover
Lil’ bitch that pussy so dry you finna break the rubber
I done took a nigga life and I’ll take another”
Now, let me quickly move to reassure you that this was *not* the “No Flag” I was looking for! It’s just the one that Mr Google prioritises!
Here are a few words from the song that I wanted;
“I got no illusions, I’ve had no epiphany
Why should anybody listen to me?
She said, “I’m tearing up the sheets that your love letters stained
All of your magic powers have drained”
No time for this kind of love
No flag waving high above
No sign for the dark place that I live
No god for the damn that I don’t give”
Elvis Costello’s song is light years away from the barely coherent semi porn gangsta trash despite sharing the same title. Yet few people will hear. I find that mildly depressing. The dumbing down of musical culture; the vulgarisation of language; the appeal to base instincts. I hate all of it. Words matter and I feel we should all strive to use them well.
