List of Demands is a powerfully energetic song with some great lyrics. At the same time, it’s also a little confusing.
The song is about reparations for slavery, yet the entire second verse–lyrically fantastic, by the way–is essentially a declaration of love and seems to have nothing to do with verses one and three.
Williams voice is strong and energetic, exhorting the listener into a frenzy, and the lyrics are really, really good. I also think it’s a great choice sometimes for singers to repeat lines of importance as it really drives the point home.
And of course, the lyrics:
I want my money back.
I’m down here drowning in your fat.
You got me on my knees praying for everything you lack.
I ain’t afraid of you.
I’m just a victim of your fears.
You cower in your tower praying that I’ll disappear,
I got another plan, one that requires me to stand.
On the stage or in the street, don’t need no microphone or beat.
And when you hear this song, if you ain’t dead then sing along.
Bang and strum to these here drums til you get where you belong.
I got a list of demands written on the palm of my hands.
I ball my fist and you’re gonna know where I stand.
We’re living hand to mouth!
You wanna be somebody?
See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I gotta list of demands written on the palm of my hands.
I ball my fist and you’re gonna know where I stand.
We’re living hand to mouth!
Hand to mouth!
I wrote a song for you today while I was sitting in my room.
I jumped up on my bed today and played it on a broom.
I didn’t think that it would be a song that you would hear,
but when I played it in my head, I made you reappear.
I wrote a video for it and I acted out each part.
Then I took your picture out and taped it to my heart.
I’ve taped you to my heart dear girl, I’ve taped you to my
heart and if you pull away from me you’ll tear my life apart..
I got a list of demands written on the palm of my hands.
I ball my fist and you’re gonna know where I stand.
We’re living hand to mouth!
You wanna be somebody?
See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I gotta list of demands written on the palm of my hands.
I ball my fist and you’re gonna know where I stand.
We’re living hand to mouth!
Hand to mouth!
Ecstacy, suffering, Echinacea, bufferin.
We aim to remember what we choose to forget.
God’s just a baby and her diaper is wet.
Call the police!
I’m strapped to the teeth and liable to disregard your every belief.
Call on the law!
I’m fixin’ to draw a line between what is and seems and call up a brawl.
Call’em up now!
’cause it’s about to go pow!
I’m standing on the threshold of the ups and the downs.
Call up a truce!
’cause I’m about to bust loose.
Protect ya neck,’cause, son, I’m breaking out of my noose.
I got a list of demands written on the palm of my hands.
I ball my fist and you’re gonna know where I stand.
We’re living hand to mouth!
You wanna be somebody?
See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I gotta list of demands written on the palm of my hands.
I ball my fist and you’re gonna know where I stand.
We’re living hand to mouth!
Hand to mouth!
