Monday 16 June 2014

Quote of the Week - White

Kravitz - the nosy neighbor

"I guess nobody on earth is entitled
Not mothers, not children, not kings
Not a one single person on God's golden shore
Is entitled to one single thing
We don't deserve a single damn thing"
 
~ Jack White, Entitlement


There's that pesky word: entitlement.

When I heard this track from Jack White's new album Lazaretto on KCRW, the lyrics stopped me. I don't know how Jack White can feel unentitled - I mean, he's Jack White -  but he must at least a little bit, or he wouldn't have been able to write this. If Jack White can feel this - everyone can. 

We need to tread different. We need to acknowledge that we're all always behind some fence peering over without the benefit of seeing the whole picture. We certainly have access to the whole picture, but only when we're communicating fully and openly. And that takes work.

Do we want to undertake that work?



Entitlement
Jack White

Every time I'm doing what I want to
Somebody comes and tells me it's wrong
Whenever I'm doing just as I please
Somebody cuts me down to my knees
Yeah, somebody cuts me down to my knees

In a time when everybody feels entitled
Why can't I feel entitled too?
Somebody took away my god given right
I guess God must have gave it to you
Yeah, I guess God must have slipped it to you

Stop what you're doing and get back in line
I hear this from people all the time
If we can't be happy then you can't be too
I'm tired of being told what to do
Yeah, I'm sick of being told what to do

There are children today who were lied to
Told the world is rightfully theirs
They can have what they want, whenever they want
They take like Caesar and nobody cares
Live like Caesar and nobody cares

I can't bring myself to take without penance
Or atonements or sweat from my brow
Though the world may be spoiled and getting worse every day
Don't they feel like they're cheated somehow
I feel like I've been cheated somehow

Stop what you're doing and get back in line
I hear this from people all the time
If we can't be happy then you can't be too
I'm tired of being told what to do
Yeah, I'm sick of being told what to do

I guess nobody on earth is entitled
Not mothers, not children, not kings
Not a one single person on God's golden shore
Is entitled to one single thing
We don't deserve a single damn thing

Here's a whole concert on NPR from the Fonda.

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