Doing a song project on Tupac - Changes. Can anyone help me out by figuring out the Plot/Interpretation, Mood(How The Song Makes You Feel), and Tone (How Words Are Being Said)

Any help would be apprciated, thanks
Jman

your asking for our opinions?

the interpretation is pretty obvious. He's waxing poetically about the state of the US, specifically how it affects and invlovles blacks (somewhat similar to the original song by Bruce Hornsby). I mean just listen to the lyrics. It's a pretty straight forward song.

Yes, opnions...

1)great song, IMO. I wish there were more songs with this kind of thought behind the lyrics and less songs about 'bling bling'

it's not a particualy angry sounding song, despite the content and the fact that it is tupac. His attitude and the attitude of the song can best be summed up by the line "but hey, that's just the way it is". listen to him say it, he's kinda reserved to his fate as a poor black man in the urban US and all that entails. Not really angry about how things are, like he's saying "see this is how things are, sucks don't it, oh well what could I do". In fact in the first line he wonders if it is all worth it or if he should kill himself. In the end the best solution he can offer is that something has to change. what you ask? everything.

I like this song partially because he just lays things out very rationally, no huge burst of anger or anything like that.

some choice lines:

-Cops give a damn about a negro pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero

-I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other We gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers

-I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is

This song is probably the rap song I've heard the most in my life. It's over played but it is still a great song. Spaceman pretty much hit it right on the nose though. There isn't much in the song thats left to the imagination, its pretty much all just set out for you in a great way.

man i totaly agree !!!

The words I would say would make some think but the tone is like just try to get words out to the youth.
Yep, any of you going to get his new CD It's coming out some time in the summer I think.

here is another way fro interpratation:
to start with the artist states a problem: living as a poor black man in the states:
"I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black "

in the next three verses he suggests three seperate solutions for the situation:

1) the "black panther" solution: uniting, taking care of each other etc.:
"It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other
We gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
and that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me? "

at the end of this verse 2pac shows his disappointment with this solution:
"I'd love to go back to when we played as kids but things changed, and that's the way it is "


2) the "pusher" solution: getting as much money as possible through illegal ways, especially by selling drugs:
"try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is"

3) the "thug" solution: if they come after me, i gotta be prepared, gotta defend myself:
"I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
& I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
some buck that I roughed up way back
comin' back after all these years
rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh"



I think this song is a good window to 2pac confused mind and soul: half revolutionary, half gangster. could not decide between being a panther, a thug and a pop star.