Monday, February 5, 2007

Song Analysis - Brenda's Got a Baby

Regarded as a thug. Cast off as a criminal. Thought of as just another gangster rapper. But like many legends, 2Pac succeeded in surpassing and outright demolishing any criticisms, stereotypes, and ignorant remarks about his music throughout his career. One of his most powerful songs, Brenda’s Got a Baby, was used as a weapon against critics and proved to be one of 2Pac’s most powerful songs, with deep felt meaning. The song Brenda’s Got a Baby delivers a powerful insight and depth into the lives of the people living in the harsh conditions of the inner city.
The song delivers a strong depth with the humanity it brings to the average ghetto statistic. When most people look at the statistics for teen pregnancy, prostitution, crack and/or heroin addiction, and murder in the inner city they mostly just look the other way. People disregard the lives of these people because they are looked as the lower tier of society. They also look at the statistics with an indifference, not able to put a face, a story, a life to the numbers. 2Pac accomplishes to skillfully tell a story of a girl from a very dysfunctional family who becomes pregnant by a very juvenile father. How she struggles just to survive, trying to take care of herself best she knows how, living life without any direction, help, or guidance at all from any avenue. The sad part appears when the listen realizes that the song is not the exception. When the statistics come out, and the media reports them, the meaning is lost. People fail to realize what kind of lives people live. They cannot fathom how horribly people live. They do not comprehend the cycle, and how tough the breakthrough to success is. Teen pregnancy, it carries such a negative connotation. But the way 2Pac weaves the story, the listener can understand where Brenda is coming from. Why Brenda does what she does in the song. One thing leads to another which leads to another. The song ends with again, the average person, reading a newspaper headline of a prostitute found slain. Does the reader of the newspaper know the story behind the prostitute? Do they know why Brenda decided to sell her body? Do they even know that the prostitute’s name is Brenda? 2Pac takes the insensitivity and selfish indifference out of the equation. The listen feels for Brenda. The listener can relate.
2Pac “raps” this song with true passion. His voice and words echo the pain in his heart. The listener can truly feel the angst and passion with what 2Pac voices his poem. He articulates the song with a clarity and deliverance that says he has been there. That he knows the situation and that he empathizes with more that just this story, for it is just one in many. Brenda’s Got a Baby, and the way he speaks clearly state that it breaks 2Pac’s heart.
This song is powerful on many levels. Once cannot listen to this song and speak down on 2Pac’s ability to write, speak from the heart, or claim that he is unintelligent. The song Brenda’s Got a Baby delivers a powerful insight and depth into the lives of the people living in the harsh conditions of the inner city. Thank you and have a nice day.





"Brenda's Got A Baby"

Brenda's got a Baby
Brenda's got a Baby

I hear Brenda's got a baby
But, Brenda's barely got a brain
A damn shame
Tha girl can hardly spell her name
(That's not our problem, that's up ta Brenda's family)
Well let me show ya how it affects tha whole community
Now Brenda never really knew her moms and her dad was a
junky
Went in death to his arms, it's sad
Cause I bet Brenda doesn't even know
Just cause your in tha ghetto doesn't mean ya can't grow
But oh, that's a thought, my own revelation
Do whatever it takes ta resist tha temptation
Brenda got herself a boyfriend
Her boyfriend was her cousin, now lets watch tha joy end
She tried to hide her pregnancy, from her family
Who didn't really care to see, or give a damn if she
Went out and had a church of kids
As long as when tha check came they got first dibs
Now Brendas belly is gettin bigger
But no one seems ta notice any change in her figure
She's 12 years old and she's having a baby
In love with tha molester, whos sexin her crazy
And yet she thinks that he'll be with her forever
And dreams of a world with tha two of them are together,
whatever
He left her and she had tha baby solo, she had it on tha
bathroom floor
And didn't know so, she didn't know, what ta throw away and
what ta keep
She wrapped tha baby up and threw him in tha trash heep
I guess she thought she'd get away
Wouldn't hear tha cries
She didn't realize
How much tha tha little baby had her eyes
Now tha babys in tha trash heep balling
Momma can't help her, but it hurts ta hear her calling
Brenda wants ta run away
Momma say, you makin' me lose pay, tha social workers here
everyday
Now Brenda's gotta make her own way
Can't go to her family, they won't let her stay
No money no babysitter, she couldn't keep a job
She tried ta sell crack, but end up getting robbed
So now what's next, there ain't nothin left ta sell
So she sees sex as a way of leavin hell
It's payin tha rent, so she really can't complain
Prostitute, found slain, and Brenda's her name, she's got a baby

Baaaaaaaaby

(don't you know she's got a baby)
(don't you know she's got a baby)
(don't you know she's got a baby)
(don't you know she's got a baby)
(don't you know she's got a baby)
(don't you know she's got a baby)





2Pac. “Brenda’s Got a Baby”, 2Pacalypse Now. Prod. The Underground Railroad
CD. Interscope Records. 1991.

2Pac. “Brenda’s Got a Baby“. AZLyrics.com. 5. Feb. 2007
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/brendasgotababy.html

2 comments:

Rameez's Club said...

This song is really touching to the audience and it is open song from which any one can gets message.

Saputo said...

So, is the artist for or against what the girl in the story did?