July 21, 2005
Bucky Done UnderwhelmedMusic
Ananthan points us to a new music video for M.I.A.’s ‘Bucky Done Gun.’ The mix she uses, the official one from Arular, is so spare that it can hardly sustain a video, leaving me squirming during the long gaps when nothing’s happening musically. The version from Piracy Funds Terrorism is much higher energy.
The video is beautifully filmed, though, black and white recolored in pastels, much higher production values than her early efforts. It’s strange seeing gritty radical chic, itself poseur, turn glossy like a high end photography mag. The video recolors a pair of loudspeakers to match the Palestinian flag, and M.I.A.’s checkered tights evoke the PLO kaffiyeh. Its firebomb-throwing young men are porn for the ultra-left, but the images are carefully sanitized: you see colored Holi smoke streaming from bottles, but you don’t see any actual explosions or maimings. In another bid for hip-hop authenticity, the label surrounds Maya with a swarm of backup dancers who are black.
In M.I.A.’s attitude you can already see the shift from awkward ingénue to sexually confident diva. The video opens with M.I.A. in a boxer’s hood, mike dangling from the ceiling. A clear homage to ‘Mama Said Knock You Out,’ it’s the very definition of aggression. The gaze from beneath the bangs covering half her face is no longer diffident, it’s brassy, painted and unblinkingly heavy-lidded. Her previous videos have been much more playful; this one’s simultaneously more serious and more trashy, with Maya and her main backup dancer pole-writhing against a chain-link fence.
I should cheer for a performer coming into her own, but it feels like a Miltonian loss of innocence. Yeah, I’m already nostalgic for M.I.A. circa 2004 ;)
Update: Here are the lyrics:
They’re comin through the window
They’re comin through the door
They’re bustin down the big wall
And sounding the hornWhat you want
The bucky done gun
What you want
The fire done burn
Get crackin, get get crackinTime to spit new shit
I’m rocking on this new bit
I’m hot now you’ll see
I’ll fight you just to get peaceHeavy weight wrestler
Fight me in your comforter
Let you be superior
I’m filthy with the fury yaI’ll hard drive your bit
I’m battered by your sumo grip
Lucky I like feeling shit
My stamina can take itGymnastics super fit
Muscles on the gun clip
Bite, teeth, nose bleed
Tied up in the scarf pieceCan I get control
Do you like me vulnerable
I’m armed and I’m equal
More fun for the peoplePhysical, brute force
Steel, iron, you’re the boss
Yeah, you’re so do-able
Grind me down sugar salt
manish on July 21, 2005 03:49 PM in Music · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
Can you point to me to some of her earlier videos?
don don
quiet and i need to make a sound
new york
quiet and i need to make a sound
caston
quiet and i need to make a sound
wonsdale
quiet and i need to make sound
they come and pray the window
they come and pray the door
they bustin down the big one
and sound in the four
they come and pray the window
they come and pray the door
they bustin down the big one
and sound in the four
we won! bucky done gun
we won! now by done gun
we won! bucky done gun
get cracking get get cracking
we won! bucky done gun
we won! now by done gun
we won! bucky done gun
get cracking get get cracking
time to spair
at new shit
im rockin on this new bed
im hot now you see
you hatche just to get P
severel way, mussel law
fight me in youre comfort A
i let you be superior
im filth with the furior
don don
quiet and i need to make a sound
new york
quiet and i need to make a sound
caston
quiet and i need to make a sound
wonsdale
quiet and i need to make sound
Sonia, just 'mia' into the sepia search engine and you should find all the links for MIA on here.
That's an awesome post title, Manish.
Her previous videos.
Thanks, Saurav.
Haha we swamped the video server
what program do I need to watch the video? It's not opening up.
"confident diva" indeed. We all knew it would happen...just hoped we were wrong. So much home-grown and home-made. Funny how straightening one's hair and getting some highlights can be such a slippery slope...
It's all over now, Baby Blue.
*off to find a mirror. Must make sure I'm not really a fatuous old man*
er, that should've been "so much FOR home-grown"
It's RealVideo.
cicatrix:
Try Real Player.
Thanks Manish and Irene. I have realplayer, so not sure why I can't open this. Hmm.. will try later.
For some reason MIA reminds me of PJ Harvey, I don't understand what the hell she's say either..but I like the music..
i saw a good portion of it in QuickTime here.
Anyone know where i can see the full thing in QuickTime?
Launch has it in the Yahoo player, but it isn't QuickTime.
I'm using a mac..I think that's the problem..
Anyway, I saw a bit via Priya's link.
HOLEE SHEEET!
Mesmerizing.
Bucky Don Gun is based on a Baile funk sample, so what little I could see also seems to allude to Rio favelas. I like this album version actually. Most Baile funk songs are this stripped down. In an ADD sort of way.
I say her next album will have a remix of Evita..Can't you just hear it?
D-d-d-d-don cwah fer me, ey Sree Laanka
Cheers for that link Manish. I think I know which mix you mean from PFT, although I notice a new glut has recently been added. I'm not so sure I agree the original is inferior, it has its strong points. And most of those mixes are so amateur they're unpleasant - but one stands out, which is banging - but needs some serious mastering.
Cicatrix is Baila Funk a concept you just invented or is this real? If so, where do I get some?! My baila collection is looking healthy enough, picked up some random stuff when I was working out there this year, but baila funk...now that sounds good.
Very interesting to read your take on the vid Manish. As a breaker, I was just happy when I saw some capoeira in there.
The person that wrote those lyrics are wrong.. those arent the lyrics.. i mean do they even make sense to u???
so no one go with those lyrics up there.. cause they are wrong
Yeah, they're spectacularly wrong.
London!
Quiet down, i need to make a sound
New York!
Quiet down, i need to make a sound
Kingston
Quiet down, i need to make a sound
Brazil
Quiet down i need to make a sound
they're comin through the window
they're comin through the door
they're bustin down the big wall
and sounding the horn
what you want
bucky done gun
what you want
the fire done burn
what you want
bucky done gun
Get cracking, get get cracking
what you want
bucky done gun
what you want
the fire done burn
what you want
bucky done gun
Get cracking, get get cracking
time to split the new shit
i'm rocking on this new bit
i'm hot now you'll see
i'll fight you just to get peace
heavy weight wrestler
fight me in your comforter
let you be superior
i'm filthy with the fury ya
London!
Quiet down, i need to make a sound
New York!
Quiet down, i need to make a sound
Kingston
Quiet down, i need to make a sound
Brazil
Quiet down i need to make a sound
i'll hard drive your bit
i'm battered by your sumo grip
lucky i like feeling shit
my stamina can take it
gymnastics super fit
muscle on teh gun clip
bile, teeth, nose bleed
tied up the scarf piece
what you want
bucky done gun
what you want
the fire done burn
what you want
bucky done gun
Get cracking, get get cracking
what you want
bucky done gun
what you want
the fire done burn
what you want
bucky done gun
Get cracking, get get cracking
can i get control
do you like me vunerable
i'm armed and i'm equal
more fun for the people
physical, brute force
steel, iron you the boss
yeah you're so doable
grind me down sugar salt
*mixed "toto" thing*
what you want
bucky done gun
what you want
the fire done burn
what you want
bucky done gun
Get cracking, get get cracking
what you want
bucky done gun
what you want
the fire done burn
what you want
bucky done gun
Get cracking, get get cracking
and thats it!
I made a mistake the second paragraph is said twice.. but other than that i think its good.. not sure tho., cuase i basically listenned thro it like 5 times to get wat she's saying, lol
Bong Breaker, Baile funk comes from the favelas around Rio de Janeiro. Also called Funk de Moro and Funk Carioca. It's had many permutations over a 30 yr span, but the current incarnation incorporates Miami Bass. This is the most talked about import. Diplo released another called Favela Booty Blast. There's not much else available in the US, yet.
Are you talking about Portugese Baila? Sri Lankan popular music is called Baile too, but it's a form of the Portugese version, adapted into Sinhalese, and dates back to when the Portugese colonized the island. The Brazillian Baile Funk most likely has the same roots, but it's morphed into something else entirely... and I'm already way ahead of myself in spouting musicologist jargon.
Taiwo, I copied it from a lyrics website and I didn't do any quality assurance testing, so don't get your panties in such a knot. :P
By the way, the horn blast and drum fills in Bucky Done Gun are typical of Baile funk songs. Diplo sampled a song called "Injeção" by Deis Tigrona for this MIA track. I'm sure wouldn't do anything like illegal, like download it via limewire, would you?
(I'm not this much of a music smartass, like, ever. Just a lucky break. I was invited on a trip to Brazil a few months ago, and now I'm supposed to be writing a *really over-due* article about it.)
I like musicologist jargon, you have educated me. Indeed you are right, I was getting my Baile confused with my Baila.
And you have also put the capoeira into context having explained the Brazilian influence. Nice.
Thanks :)
BTW - I mistyped. The Sri Lankan form is also called Baila.
and to add to my corrections: Diplo's album was Favela On Blast.
I really hope for MIA's sake she finds another Diplo. I'm kind of scared of what the second album will sound like without him.
and my last comment before I pass out, slobbering and giggling over my computer : Sluggo, those lyrics are brilliant!
"they come and pray the window
they come and pray the door
time to spair
at new shit
im rockin on this new bed
severel way, mussel law
fight me in youre comfort A"
*mopping keyboard*
How did I miss this!!
"caston
quiet and i need to make a sound
wonsdale
quiet and i need to make sound"
*rolling around, beating fists on the floor*
It's genius!!!
Hehe I knew they were off a little, I was just wondering how many people would actually check them out. :)
Guys, I saw her front row in LA. Honestly, I think Sluggo had the right lyrics.
I'm bad at detecting sarcasm on the Internet, but really Abhi - those aren't the right lyrics. You can listen to acapellas on her site. Oh yeah and they make NO SENSE!
Just what we need right now - suicide-bombing electro rap - yeah!
Baila? Baile? Bhalle Bhalle!
By the way, the horn blast and drum fills in Bucky Done Gun are typical of Baile funk songs. Diplo sampled a song called "Injeção" by Deis Tigrona for this MIA track.
I always thought it was the Rocky theme sample that they used..hence, my version of the lyrics are "..time to split the new shit/i'm Rocky on this new bit.." and here i was thinking i was da hot shit..o well..i'll just crawl back into my FOB shell..
"The mix she uses, the official one from Arular, is so spare that it can hardly sustain a video, leaving me squirming during the long gaps when nothings happening musically"
This is the first song I`ve heard from M.I.A. and I think its pure class! It blew my mind, I`ve been dancing around my room like crazy every so often during the day.
I think the video is really cool. She looks dam sexy too.
This is one of the best songs I ever heard and the video is tight, I can't wait to get the album
does anyone know who or what "bucky done gun" really is, other than the title and part of her song.
The song is so cool, it sounds like brazilian funk music (yes, I'm brazilian). \o/
This song is very nice!!! I can't stop listening it! And this song has samples from the song "Injeção" da Deise Tigrona. That strange horn is present in many Funk Carioca's songs. But it's very funny listening you talking about Funk Carioca! I'm Brazilian and I thought no one from other countries could ever like this kind of songs.
You know, even here in Brazil most of people dislike Funk do Morro. It's considered music of a low level, from slams, favelas... And also because there's too much violence in Bailes Funk, many deaths and women getting pregnant in the middle of the party. Usually women go without panties in these Bailes Funk.
The songs talk about sex in their majority, homeowners that have sex for fun and sing about it shamelessly. Tranvestites that stand by the corners waiting for their men and this kind of stuff. All the lyrics are very funny and are about the reality of the Brazilian poverty. That's why is odd to see people talking about Funk Carioca around the world... Despite of everything I also like it!
I love M.I.A, and I've heard too many versionsof Bucky DOne Gun where you think she is sayin one thing...kinda confusing. ANyways, my favs are Sunshowers, hombre and 10 dollar on the album. SUper Jam-out music. cant wait till wen she comes to Canada to open for Gwen stefani!
First of all... KANBLE, u were soooo funny trying to describe a BAILE FUNK! DonŽt be so exaggerated! Those things still happen, but if u talk like that, people will think that that happens everywhere in Brazil. U know how they are, right?
Uhmmm I like this singer, but I think she ISNŽT VERY ORIGINAL. I thought funk carioca had only influenced her music but when I listened to Bucky Done Gun I could see that she TOTALLY COPIED BRAZILIAN FUNK! I donŽt think thatŽs cool... people think sheŽs creative (and all those "sweet" adjectives lol) but everything she did was pressing a button!
Oh yeah!!! IŽm not only talking about Bucky Done but also Hombre... again, sheŽs copying latin music! lol
Yeah, Carolin is totally right. She copied brazilian funk beat by beat.
Sorry to break it to you but it is the truth.
Plus in my opinion her fake caribean accent is pretty wack too.
hmmm. perhaps because it's NOT "caribean"? also, because it isn't even Caribbean?
"hmmm. perhaps because it's NOT "caribean"? also, because it isn't even Caribbean?"
Whatever it is, it's a fake accent and it sux arse, (fart)
ANNA,
a B makes any difference? lol
eventhough itŽs not cariBBean... it sounds fake anyway!
What exactly do you mean by "fake"?
We know she sampled Baile Funk. Deis Tigrona for Bucky Done Gun, for sure. Read the discussion here. She's not saying that SHE'S Carioca, she just likes the music and sampled it in some of the songs...isn't that what all the Funk Carioca songs do to American music from Michael Jackson to that "Who Let The Dogs Out" song?
MIA's (legally) sampling the (illegal) samplers... Her Piracy Funds Terrorism album was free because she made it like a Carioca album, full of illegal samples, and as a result couldn't sell it.
But if DJ Marlboro thinks she's good enough that he did funk carioca remix for the Bucky...what the hell do you have to complain about?
Ohhhh, so Diplo did all the job? So, what did MIA do on this album? She sang?!
Oh my!
Cica-molay,
Didn't akka admonish you about mocking tards? If not, consider yourself told. You should only debate sentient beings.
So Tati Quebra Barraco singing is different?
Are you saying that a musician must create the whole song, from beat to rhythm to vocals, in order to not be "fake"?
That would be one hell of a bizarre attitude from someone who mocks MIA because "but everything she did was pressing a button!"
Are you saying that Fuck Carioca isn't made that way?
ANNA, you're right. I guess I wanted to have a real discussion about Funk Carioca and its influence on musicians outside Brazil.
Will wait patiently until that sentient being shows up.
So what the heck is so new about faking a Caribbean accent? Talk to anybody from Sri Lanka lately? Sooo desperate to sound Trini, although they do seem to have superior cutlass skills
yes, they do ;)
(ugh..so not funny. But we need a littl gallow's humor to make the koththamalli go down, yeah?)
WOW IS THE BEST I HEAR IN VERY LONG TIME! SHEŽS ESPECTACULAR! I LO VE HER SHEŽS THE BEST!
The horn sample from BDG is indeed from the Rocky theme. Listen to it again and you'll recognize it (if not, read cd sleeve credits).
As Cicatrix has pointed out, BF is just a miami bass spinoff so i dont see MIA/Diplo cant spin off of BF? Though saying that they "sampled BF" is like saying so and so sampled hip hop or rock. Isnt it more like they did a bf song?
BDG is also the only Diplo produced song on her disc.
Totally dug your piece in City Pages, btw, Cicatrix. Perhaps you will find this link interesting: http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/Sept_2005/27092005/full_story_20050927_5.htm
Btw, both Piracy Funds Terrorism and (Diplo's)Favela on Blast mixes are available here: http://www.cokemachineglow.com/reviews/miadiplo_arularet2005.html
Btw, cicatrix, i also just saw No More Tears Sister. It was made by a Canadian chick (Helene Klodawsky) and produced by the Canadian National Film Board and my sister happens to work there. It should probably be playing on CBC Newsworld soon (CBC is the Canadian NBC or BBC and Newsworld is the secondary channel devoted to documentary type programs).
Sucks to hear about the Tiger types showing up at that screening. Talk about continuing insult to injury.
While we're on the MIA and documentary/video tip, you might be interested to peep this behind the scenes look at the filming of a music video for a Somali-Canadian MC named K'NAAN in Kenya.
K'naan left Somalia around the same age Maya left SL and like Maya's crew shooting in India for Sunshowers cuz SL was too heaty, K'naan's crew had to go to neighbooring Kenya instead. They shot in the Somalian ghetto enclave called Kibera (which was also featured in the movie the Constant Gardner).
BEHIND THE SCENES:
http://www.directcurrentmedia.com/display.asp?catID=2&pageID=7&videoID=204
SOOBAX MUSIC VIDEO:
http://www.directcurrentmedia.com/display.asp?catID=2&pageID=7&videoID=184
Sorry, dunno how to do them active link thingys but thought you (or some others) may be interested.
As far as baile funk influencing shit outside of brazil, i think you'll have to give it more time, its still largely unknown even in lots of undergrounds scenes, I reckon but aslong as people dont notice the brazilian chants and stuff, some of the stuff can fit right into a breaks/booty set without anyone noticing what it is, I think.
Where'd you get them BDG lyrics, btw? Aint so on, ya?
she not tryna sound trini....its LONDON accent which is similar to trini and gt
I'm brazililan, and brazilian funk isn't copied from outside, the samples are totally remade, the samples make new "melodies" if you can call it that way (the melody side of it is poor really, it's more about the primitive beat). What M.I.A did was direct copy. Which is OK since DJ Marlboro authorized it. Yea he did authorize it.
If you want to know more about funk it's probably gonna be hard to find information in english since it's such a guetto movement, disliked by the high society, who would write about it in stereotypes and pejorative ways.
I can give you some key words to search for brazilian funk:
- Furacao 2000 ("Furacão 2000", if your keyboard can do that)
- Equipe Pipo's
- DJ marlboro
- Veronica Costa
- Romulo costa
- Claudinho e Bochecha
- Vinicius e Andinho
- Tati quebra barraco (this one really sucks, imo, but for some reason she's a success right now, i don't get it)
- MC Marcinho e MC William
Although the funnest funks are usually called "Montagem" so you can search about that too. It's similar to what Diplo should have done to Engessão, instead of copying it.
Funk can also be refered to as "rap" but that's been stopped for 10 years i think.
Hf and good luck (there are very bad music amongst what you'll find hehe, but some are really fun).
ok i just want to say one thing someone said that the track was on a Brazilian Baile Funk sample but i read somewhere that it was actually using a sample from an old song by Afrikaa Bambaataa or someone of that same time period perhaps soul Sonic Force who are both Hip-Hop/Techno-Pop Futurism DJs, Afrikaa Bambaataa having the hit of 1982 Planet Rock, and Soul Sonic Force the hit Searching For The Perfect Beat Or Funky Beat i cant remember right now but both are awesome. anyway i definitely love M.I.A. her music is so original to me here in the U.S. and her beats are crazy sick, and i just could go on and on about how much i love her, because she kicks ass and rules. well im not here to start anything but i also do want to say this M.I.A. has repeatedly denied claims of having ties with the terrorism rumors, as well as being part of the Tamil Tigers or whoever. btw almost anything that she is on i love because its always so fresh and new. i am an open minded music listener anyway so perhaps thats the reason. whatever it is i totally support M.I.A. 10000000000% lol and i think she is one of the sexiest women on the planet!!! but hey thats me. and in Galang i thought the same so its not because of her highlights or her straightening of her hair, she is sexy regardless.
Sluggo, do you notice how your version of the lyrics don't make any sense at all?
Btw, since when in hip-hop, dancehall or any other related genre is sampling "uncreative"? Isn't that the foundation of the music itself? So what if she borrows from other cultures or styles? The genre is one of sound collage, and she has some of the freshest beats I've ever heard. And as far as her "fake" accent- it's called actually being Sri Lanken.
It's just typical though- a female artist makes some sincerely good music and everyone can't wait to tear her down. *sigh*
ok hands up how many people know this means. "bucky done gun." if you are from the west indies like me then you already know that it means "he's already gone." all non west indians shut up and stay out of this. her accent is London, either west end or east end. which means she would have no doubt have been exposed to the London style reggae. and by the way, reggae is rarely made in Jamaica anymore since they death of robert nestor marley. what you get from Jamaica now is Dancehall. both although made by the same inspirations are very differnt.
Now M.I.A. much more clearly uses london style in her song boyz. the beats are unmistakeable. you know lily allen also uses London style reggae beats in most of her songs. look if you don't know what you're talking about jump.
you have to be west indian to know what that means. people that are not from our region and our backgrounds don't know anything about our culture. you only know about the beaches. so therefore you have no right or place even trying to explain something from our collective cultures.
thank you for your time.