McKay Class Anthology volume 1 | Page 50

Still Searching and Asking “Where Is The Love?”

Year: 2003

Hip-Hop/R&B

Where Is The Love was released in 2003 by the band The Black Eyed Peas as the lead single for their album Elephunk. The song in itself was generated a lot of success in many countries including the US, the UK, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, etc. The song is a beautiful blend of hip-hop, rap, and r&b with the overall theme of pacifism, love, and respect. The song is split evenly amongst its members with will. I. am, Taboo, and Apl. de. app rapping their own personal lines while Fergie and Justin Timberlake (uncredited) provide the chorus and backing vocals. Each singer’s lyrics reflect the band’s opinion of a major problem that the band feels that the United States has failed to handle properly.

Will. I. Am opens up the song by introducing his dissatisfaction about how the United States has handled the issue of terrorism. The United States fails to realize that there are just as much terrorism actively being committed on US soil as there is overseas. Examples of such terrorism at home include the naming of the Bloods and Crips, and the KKK. These are just the few that Will. I. Am feels are the problem and he goes on to blast the CIA as well for ignoring the hate that goes on that helps to promote the violence occurring daily. The gangs mentioned previously have very violent and bloody reputations that are free to roam the nation and getting away with their bigoted and dangerous actions. All of this stems from hate and as Will raps

“But if you only have love for your own race/Then you only leave space to discriminate/And to discriminate only generates hate/And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah/Madness is what you demonstrate/And that's exactly how anger works and operates/Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight/Take control of your mind and meditate/Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all”, all you have to do is just show, practice, and spread love around for everyone. The goal is to defeat the hate in yourself and help everyone else so we can live in a much more peaceful and loving world.

Fergie and Justin Timberlake (an uncredited backing vocal in both song and music video) have one verse that they repeat throughout the song but it is a powerful set of words that try to show that the people of the United States are desperate and insecure about everything because of the big issues happening to them while their own government ignores them. They list out the daily occurrence of victims “People killin’, people dyin’/Children hurt and you hear them cryin’”. They question the motives of people as many have heard empty words of improvement and tolerance by asking “Can you practice what you preach?/Can you turn the other cheek?”. A bit of religious belief is added to add to the tone of a desperate plea for answers and help in the form of “Father, Father, Father help us/Send some guidance/’Cause people got me questioning’/Where is the love (Love) [Repeat 4x]”.All of this wraps back to the theme of love but this time, it is a search for love since it is so desperately wanted and needed.

Taboo raps about his dissatisfaction of the suffering going on around the nation. He laments “It just ain’t the same, old ways have changed/New days are strange, is the world insane?/If love and peace are so strong/Why are there pieces of love that don’t belong?”. He can be interpreted as pointing a finger at the government being in love to the ideals world agemda instead of prioritizing for it’s citizens first and foremost. He also demands answers as the government and social media choose to give us silence and lies by proclaiming "Makin'

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