#93 Paper Plane

#93 Paper Plane – M.I.A.

So that paper plane game app on iPod’s pretty good, huh! This Paper Plane is a song by MIA or M.I.A. from Kala (the album), co-produced by Diplo and Switch (what happens when these people get married!). So deep … such astounding  profundity, for an 8 year old, and profanity from a good little hindu girl. Oh!, I forgot MIA’s music is underground …
A song about (just in case you hadn’t guessed it) the evils of capitalism (making money producing records of course excused on the grounds it doesn’t blow people’s heads off) complete with sample from ‘Straight to Hell’ by the (30-years-ago) Clash and singing children from Brixton (why not Notting Hill while you’re at it!). Her of the vocalising has been recorded as saying the song is a ‘satire’ (apparently she actually used the word without a prompt) and some mumblings about people getting home from work tired. Imagine how much more tired (and pissed-off) they’d be if the governments of the various countries the song is (presumably) aimed at (notably US+UK) stopped producing ordnance (their biggest earner) and became 3rd world countries instead – like Sri Lanka; wouldn’t that be fun.

Again the censorship thing, this time MTV (and David Letterman) : why can’t she say ‘weed’ in passing when MTV play and have played so many, many songs written expressly about the (more famous) songwriter’s class 1 of choice … and censoring gun-shots? (but the tills are ok!) .. really, considering where she comes from, this is bubble-gum pop.
Anyway, despite the grumbling I thought this was one of the best tracks of the noughties. I really like the way it just rumbles on (a bit like a train in fact) and just thought it was a nice feel-good piece of not-too-heavy fun.

Lyrics

I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name
If you come around here, I make them all day
I get one down in a second if you wait

I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name
If you come around here, I make them all day
I get one down in a second if you wait

Sometimes I feel sitting on trains
Every stop I get to I’m clocking that game
Everyone’s a winner now we’re making our fame
Bona fide hustler, making my name

Sometimes I feel sitting on trains
Every stop I get to I’m clocking that game
Everyone’s a winner now we’re making our fame
Bona fide hustler, making my name

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

Pirate skulls and bones
Sticks and stones and weed and bombs
Running when we hit them
Lethal poison through their system

Pirate skulls and bones
Sticks and stones and weed and bombs
Running when we hit them
Lethal poison through their system

No one on the corner has swagger like us
Hit me on my banner, prepaid wireless
We pack and deliver like UPS trucks
Already going to hell just pumping that gas

No one on the corner has swagger like us
Hit me on my banner, prepaid wireless
We pack and deliver like UPS trucks
Already going to hell just pumping that gas

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

M.I.A.
Third world democracy
Yeah, I got more records than the K.G.B.
So, uh, no funny business

Some, some, some I, some I murder
Some, I some I let go
Some, some, some I, some I murder
Some, I some I let go

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money

All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money