"Change" Lyrical Analysis

Oh, tell me that dark could never win the light

Oh, tell me that wrong could never win the right

Baby, tell me that we gon' someday stop the fight

And tell me that every, everything gon' be alright

Oh tell me who’s stupid, baby, is it me or them?

Just tell me who’s insane, baby, is it me or them?

In this crazy world after patience, could we get the pearl?

But this world, which teaches me, preaches me how to curl

Oh, fuck the school

All we got is mad teachers and some visible classes

Divided spaces, and forever-lastin' stresses

Education is notoriously the most emphasized within South Korea society. It is viewed as one of the fundamental and core of South Korean life.

Education is looked upon with a high respect for South Korean families because it defines not only cultural status, but as a method to enhance one's socioeconomic (i.e. wealth, income, etc...) position in South Korean society...it is thought to be the major propeller of social mobility for themselves and their family as a gateway to be classified as wealthy.

Everybody’s mad

Kill people with fingers on Twitter

More than a gun, more than a knife

Perhaps RM is referencing Bangtan's NYC 2015 debut concert, when someone tweeted a threat with claims that they were bringing a gun to the concert. In result, the tweet was being taken seriously and with extreme caution, thus the performance was cut short.

This also tells us of the fact that because of social media, many teenagers (1.53 million predicted in 2020) decide to take upon suicide because of social media--it's no joke that lives are being lost due to social media, therefore we must be extremely cautious with what we say because they really can be considered as a serious weapon.

This may also cross lines with a reference from Drake's Meek Mill diss track called “Back to Back”: "Yeah, trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers"

The tip of your tongue just glitter

Would the pain always win you gain? (Nah)

How could you bet? It's damn checkin' game (Yeah)

We're losin' again, homie, we losin' too many things

What should we tell our sons?

You know that they will be the men

Like you and me

If hope is a taste, what's yours?

What you eat all day? (What you eat all day?)

And if your love is a game

Are we losin', losin'? Oh

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

Yeah, yeah, tell me what is really real?

I'm tryna buy a new Ferrari for my newest deal

Baby girl say, "The world really hate us, huh?"

Pray a lot and maybe God give you Saint Laurent

Wale is using quite the clever wordplay to say if you pray enough maybe God will give you Saint Laurent. A saint is a term often used for a very holy and god-like being, and we have Wale here depicting the designer type fashion called as Saint Laurent.

Saint Laurent manufactures a large variety of phenomenal luxury bags, up-to-the-minute shoes, and high-quality leather goods.

Wish that I could change the world but they hold back

When it's time to go, the people just be mad again

And what if I could change the world with a pen and pad?

When it's time to vote, the people turn to mannequins

Challenge that

This is most likely alluding to the 2016 US Presidential Election, where the voter turnout resulted to a whopping amount of over 55%. It dipped to its lowest point in 2 decades...

The Mannequin Challenge was an internet challenge that went viral.

It was inspired by Rae Sremmurd’s song “Black Beatles". The challenge is to find a group of people standing completely as if they were mannequins, while people filmed them. Wale compares the challenge that depends on being motionless to those voters who had decided to stay quiet.

Namjoon, I'm the man too

I'm out in Chevy Chase the teachers used to lampoon

I sing songs, haikus

Over rap tunes, high IQ

Lookin' for a Song

Hye Kyo, hey cuuutie

Yeah

I'm tryin' to keep it a hunnit

Got no faith in the government

That's why we need each other, hey

Laughin' to keep from cryin'

Donald Trump’s presidency and Republican control has greatly increased political controversy and turbulence throughout the country. Many citizens deceive an inimical favor of how the country is being directed, with results of Donald Trump’s favor ability reaching very characterized downsides.

This says that Wale does depict an adverse view of president Trump, but he has reminiscences of hope that it will allow citizens to unite so that they can make a change in how the country is being directed.

This also references one of Wale's songs called "Smile".

This track suggests that society should still remain positive during the times of loss within the county. In current time, we have Democrats and Republicans throwing back fire, and atrociously arguing.

This justifies that we should be able to have faith in what will unfold for your country and continue to stay positive; regardless of how unfavorable you are for the direction your country is inclining towards.

Folarin's a rap monster

BTS is the ARMY

Now it's on me

I'ma keep the piece until I see some more peace

I'ma keep it G, forever keep it low-key

Take a trip to South Korea with some DC OGs

Chiefin' OG, I'm chiefin' OG

Hated by alt-rights and racist police

Say, woop woop, man, 12 comin'

They make them kids really freeze, when they say, "Freeze!" Freeze!

In the United States especially, the Alt-Rights movement have been exhihited with a very projected voice since the recent election of Donald Trump. 2016 could be reckoned as the year of the most racist police killings based on the outrageous amount of numbers (963) and the social media delirium that outwardly never reached its cessation...

All of this has greatly characterized the freight for those of color because of the immense pandemonium relating to racism.

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

(ooh ooh ooh)

World is gonna change

The world is gonna change

The world is gonna change

World is gonna change

The world is gonna change

The world is gonna change

World is gonna change

The world is gonna change

The world is gonna change

World is gonna change

The world is gonna change

The world is gonna change

World is gonna change

Moonz, prayin' for better days for you and I

I see progress via my daughter's eyes

This is possibly referencing women rights.

The "progress" is being shown through protests and women marches in the USA and many other major parts of the world. This is great progress because people have no deemed a conscious of how important gender equality is; and they are finally taking the time to project their voice and fight back.

Wale is saying that there had definitely been an improvement of added awareness of women.

I think I think too much now and drink too much now

I numb it 'cause I don't wanna cry

Prayin' for better pace for you and I

I see some grass growin' in winter's eyes

I think I think too much now and drink too much now

To numb it 'cause I don't wanna die

I believe that real friends love you to no limit (yeah)

I believe that real change lies in the mirror (yeah)

This line is pretty ironic considering that the mirror is a reflection of an image.

A mirror is supposed to show you an identical image of something. Considering that this track is revolving around the efforts of "change", this is a very powerful line that indicates that if we don't unite and work together to make a change, change will truly never succeed and will always be a reflection of what we have today.

Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" could also be referenced in these verses: 

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you want to make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and make a change"

Since I was a lil' one wasn't 'posed to get much status

Now they got they hands up for me like a stick up

Say, "Hands up, hands up" like a stick up

I'm not quite sure, but this could correlate towards how both artists began their career as adolescents. I don't know much about Wale, but I know RM became a star at a very young age. Through years of training, RM debuted in 2013 around the youthful age of 20.

Hands up, hands up like a stick up

Since I was a lil' one, wasn't 'posed to get much status

Got they hands up for me like a stick up, check it

Take it day by day, night by night

It's on you and me if I'm gon' shine

Not stoppin' day by day, night by night

It's on you and I

Moonz and the ARMY right

These couple last verses conclude the song with something extremely thought-provoking yet so simple; personally, these verses gave me some kind of feeling of reflection. This song is something I can really relate to as far as how I've analyzed it, and I believe these verses are telling us that we should work together to make a change.

That means that both RM and Wale depend on Moonz and ARMY to work together to unite and possibly create a change in society, because they known themselves that anyone can make a change as long as they know what they're fighting for.

First Written: 3/24/2017

Originally Posted Here