Gorillaz Clint Eastwood Original Song
Willy Aucoin
I disagree. I think he's telling us that we spend too much time thinking about things that aren't important instead of opening our eyes and seeing what's going on around us. Lines such as "cause you don't see with your eyes, you percieve with your mind" point this out blatantly. Also the use of the words fictional and mystical help. "Hype shit" refers to all of the crap we meditate on such as what clothes we're going to wear or even what music we're going to listen to. I think that the guys are just saying that we're psuedo-simplifying everything and we need to stop. As for smoking marijuana... I don't see it. Could just be me.
Like all songs this has several keys to figuring out the meaning. Firstly there are sound clips from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" - the Clint Eastwood film, and the "sunshine in a bag" could refer to money in a bag - hence the name of the song.
However, there is another "sunshine" people sometimes forget. Rewind 30 years, "Sunshine Acid" was a particular potent form of LSD manufactured that was as high as 300 micrograms (that's about 3x as potent as a relatively potent tab of blotter these days) - it was commonly referred to as just "Sunshine"
"No, I couldn't be there. No, you shouldn't be scared.I'm good at repairs and I'm under each snare." - Psychedelics often make people afraid, even those who have never taken them, but they can be powerful healing tools - and the tripper just needs to remember that the psychedelics are only so powerful, they won't kill you or make you do anything stupid.
"Chicks and dudes, who you think is really kicking tunes?" - Here they're talking about how much psychedelics have influenced music, they're saying it's not the artists that came up with the ideas, but the acid.
"You think it's fictional? Mystical, maybe.Spiritual hero who appears in you to clear your view when you're too crazy." - Talking about how some people don't understand psychedelics and think they can't help you, when really they're a very powerful aid. They can also "clear your view" as suggested when things are clouding up your mind, by removing the ego, or "mental chatter" temporarily.
"You like it? Gun smoking, righteous, with one toke, psychicAmong those, possess you with one go." - This is the part that confuses people, as a toke is the inhalation of Cannabis smoke - however people often smoke while on LSD as it can heighten the trip and make it more intense, one toke of even the best Cannabis will do very little, but while you're tripping, that's another matter.
"The essence, the basics, without it, you make it.Allow me to make this childlike in nature.Rhythm, you have it or you don't, that's a fallacy.I'm in them, every sprouting tree, every child apiece,Every cloud at sea, you see with your eye.You see destruction and demise, corruption in disguise,From this fucking enterprise" - Anyone who has ever taken psychedelics will probably get a sense of deja vu when they first hear this song. This part in particular very much explains a large part of psychedelics. When the ego is lost you feel a strong sense of one-ness, that life is in everything, every rock, every tree, every bird, every person. It also gives a sense of duality, you see the love in everyone, but you also see the destruction and hate, the murder, the corruption in the government and corporate enterprises.
"Y'all can see me now 'cause you don't see with your eye.You perceive with your mind. That's the inner." - Do I really need to explain this part? Really? Just do a simple Google search for "third eye", or "inner eye", "inner mind" and "psychedelics"
"Bust a few rhymes so motherfuckers rememberWhere the thought is. I brought all thisSo you can survive when law is lawless.Feelings, sensations that you thought was dead.No squealing, remember that it's all in your head." - This whole last part is going on about how the song's basically a quick dedication to psychedelics and telling people not to worry and go with the trip, because it's just a drug and it'll be over soon - even if the experience is going bad.
Alright. I'm not a huge supporter of drug culture. Regardless, I think it's hard to deny that the lyrics of this song make references to smoking marijuana. Listen to other songs on the album. Track 17 starts with the sound of a lighter and a bubbling bong. 'Clint Eastwood' is an awesome song, but don't try to attribute innocence where it isn't due. In short... yeah, it probably has to do with using drugs.
2D says "I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad. I got sunshine in a bag. I'm useless, but not for long. The future is comin' on" because he's Stuart "2D" Tusspot and he's always on a combined sugar and aspirin high.
If you know anything about the characters, you know that the rapper in the song is a ghost (named Del) who lives inside Russel's head. The entire rap is all about Del's mammoth-sized ego, how he can alter reality as a ghost, and about the impossible existance of Gorillaz in general as they're cartoons.
There was an interview with Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (creators of Gorillaz) and they said the song was NOT drug related. They said the "sunshine in a bag" represents whatever you want it to represent, because everyone gets their happiness from different things.
"Now, time for me is nothing cos I'm counting no ageNow I couldn't be there"Introductory description, whatever this is, it is an infinite being or concept that transcends time and physical limitations.
"Bet you didn't think so I command you toPanoramic viewLook I'll make it all manageable"Its saying that you probably weren't even paying attention to whatever this was, but no worries, because he's going to break this down for you ('make it managable'). Panoramic view being a view that allows you to see everything at once.
"Pick and chooseSit and loseAll you different crewsChicks and dudesWho you think is really kickin' tunes?"You really think that Gorillaz are the ones making music? You really think The Beatles were responsible for "Let It Be"? Pick any artist you want -- same situation. It is becoming apparent that whatever this is, it is something incredibly powerful -- implying responsibility as the 'true' source of any artist's talent.
"Picture you gettin' down in a picture tubeLike you lit the fuse"Imagine yourself being a Rock superstar, a rapper, talking in interviews about your craft, like you were the one responsible for your artistic talent ('the fuse'/'the spark' is traditionally associated with initial inspiration).
"You think it's fictionalMystical? MaybeSpiritualHearableWhat appears in you is a clearer view cuz you're too crazyLifeless"You think this is all New Age crap? Maybe it really is truly divine, but it certainly is downright spiritual. You can friggin hear it, and eventually it flows through you if you allow it to. The end result, music or created culture, is more beautiful than your actual self ('cuz you're too crazy'), and he basically calls you out (as a person) as lifeless without the presence of...well...this inspiration.
"You like it?Gunsmokin' righteous with one tokenPsychic among thosePossess you with one go"This is basically bragging, really, just a really abstract way of doing so. He's basically saying all it takes is one listen (if you are listening to music/experiencing culture) or one moment of inspiration (if you are the one creating the culture/music).
"I ain't happy, I'm feeling gladI got sunshine, in a bagI'm useless,but not for longThe future is coming on"This makes a bit more sense later on at the end of the song, but basically I believe this chorus is someone realizing the inspiration and creating a song, and tapping into that magical feeling and feeling unstoppable, (like Clint Eastwood) in the process. As a listener, you come to realizations within yourself that make you feel complete as an individual (feeling great, like fuckiing Clint Eastwood). Alternatively, Del could just be calling this insane inspirational concept that possesses all artists alike a force as powerful as our view of the fictional Clint Eastwood hero.
"The essence the basicsWithout it you make it"Anyone can tap into this. If you aren't already experiencing it, when you're bored you'll make it on your own. It is so natural to the human spirit, that if it isn't present, inspiration will take over on its own.
"I see destruction and demiseCorruption in disguiseFrom this fuckin' enterprise""Clint Eastwood"/Inspiration/This concept that's being described in this song sees the problems of the world and whatnot inherent in our current societal system.
"Now I'm sucking to your lies"On a literal level, this is saying inspiration/'clint eastwood' feeds off of your all the problems of the world and your personal insecurities because without them there wouldn't be any reason to create anything.
Through Russ, though not his muscles but the percussion he provideswith me as a guide"Russel (the drummer of Gorillaz) is the vessel through which "Clint Eastwood"/Inspiration manifests itself through. Not Russel himself, but Russel's ability to allow inspiration to flow and music to come to creation. This concept described in the song is found in the cultural output of humanity once a human allows inspiration to flow -- basically stating, as previously stated in the song, that without 'clint eastwood', we are lifeless.
"But y'all can see me now cuz you don't see with your eyeYou perceive with your mindThat's the inner"So now you get it. You are finally seeing beyond the surface. Some poetry here, really. He's saying we don't see anything anywhere with just our eyes, its really the mind at work perceiving on an individualized, inner level.
"So I'm gonna stick around with Russ and be a mentor"'Clint Eastwood' is leaving now, but he'll be around for a few more bars, guiding Russ to keep the beat of the song. If you remember the music video for this song, Russel gets taken over and possessed by Del. This completely matches up with the interpretation of this song, and it causes the zombies to literally awaken from their graves (people waking up).
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