911 is a song by Gorillaz and hip hop group D12 featuring singer Terry Hall, named after the September 11th terrorist attacksW on New York City. It was recorded on September 2001 without EminemW after D12 were left stranded in England as a result of said attacks. It was released as a non-album single on 7 December 2001.
Recording and Information[]
911 was recorded during a pre-arranged session with D12, who were over for a tour (without Eminem) to promote their album 'Devil's Night' in September 2001. Terry Hall was also invited to the session. The session fell on the day following 9/11 and you can hear this in the lyrical direction the song took. The song was released as an exclusive download on Gorillaz.com and on the D12 website D12World.com, complete with downloadable high-res artwork and a short 47-second promotional flash movie and on a few promo CDs. The download would eventually be removed from both sites. An edited version of 911 would eventually be made available almost a year later on the 'Bad Company' soundtrack. The track is credited to 'Gorillaz and D12 featuring Terry Hall'.
It was later re-released with the name London on D12 member Bizarre's compilation album DJ Smokey Gray Presents Compilation Album Volume 4 on 5 May 2016.
The song has only been performed live twice, at the New York City Hammerstein Ballroom concert of Gorillaz Live in 2002 (later released as a Spotify-exclusive minor single for the We Are Ten Radio Show in 2011 with the name '911 (Live in NYC)' and with hip hop group Phi-Life Cypher, at the Isle of MTV Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, also in 2002.
Footage from the recording of the song was later included on the behind-the-scenes documentary Bananaz.
Video[]
- Main Article: 911 (Promotional Video)
The 'music video' for 911 was different from the other ones from Phase One, as it did not contain the full song, and was instead a 47-second clip made to promote the free digital download of the single. It was produced by Zombie Flesh Eaters member Mat Wakeham and features reused illustration from the previous music videos (Tomorrow Comes Today, Clint Eastwood and 19-2000) but with a different background.
D12 (minus Eminem) is shown running towards the camera, in a similar pose to theirs on the cover art for the song. Terry Hall does not appear on the video.
Lyrics[]
Gorillaz
Back the fuck up
D12
The new terrors in rock
On every block
Late for school, late for work
But ahead of these cops
My credit is shot, end up dead in a box, right?
Until my life ends as pathetic as Pac's
A waste of the talent, they say my boys is just nowhere
Placed on the planet, remain in poisonous warfare
Derelict Arabic terrorists in the air
Shit, arrogant, apparent to punish people by their heritage
NATO barriers, hate embarrassed
There is the faith to cherish
In your room face to face with race awareness
A race to scare off the army bombing, your God is with you
Calm over war, we got a starter pistol
Cause if you right, and know you right, then where's your righteous ways
We sacrifice, snatch your life, many nights and days
Follow me into equality, we might behave
And only Christ can save the trife when we unite again
America's own, without a fucking care in my dome
Barin' my bones, I'm far away staring at home
Stay at my zone, falling asleep, lay with my chrome
Fahrenheit from these rockets burning like straightening combs
Stay at the streets, bullshit and playing for keeps
Spray at your peeps for christmas, give a K to my niece
Real n•••as feel us and fear us, Gorillaz beat on they chest when
Danger is near us, I hope that you hear us
The spirit of Bugz is still in me
God bless it, the Trinity
'Cause my bullets, they come in threes like trilogies
Put the knife away, missles always strike and blaze
So much smoke you can't tell the difference of night and day
Right away, blow your life away, so light your haze
Hold tight grenedes so when it blows I'm slightly grazed
Kuniva might be crazed, unleashing unlikely rage
The next time you hear a verse from me I might be caged
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Every night I talk to a black hawk
Taking heroin in bulks, watch my body hit the chalks
I'm too lazy, mescaline's got me crazy
Rape this old lady, while the bitch was having a baby
And I ain't never going home, Bizarre too far gone
This cold got me deciphering right from wrong
As I sit in my seat and remain calm
And close my eyes and wait for the bomb
(Here it comes!)
I'm getting the fuck on, I'm aggravated
I know I'll make it, I'm in a place full of hatred
Treating my life like it's sacred
Try to check me, I break your neck
Disrespect me, you'll get injected
It's hectic when some bullshit happen when you least expect it
But we just won't accept it, n•••a
I go ahead and lift my trigger
Get rid of bitches, pay you a visit, then get your shit lit
I'm a nitwit with a big dick and big balls
I don't miss shit
I hit all, whoever that did this
We gonna getchy'all
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Now whether its Saddam or Bin Laden that's been startin all this trouble for us
Creeping horrors, doing show after show, sleeping on the tour bus
We lost Aaliyah, lost our families, it takes no genius
You dont need us to say the world is fucked up, y'all can see it
Now it seems the public needs this shit to calm its kids
'Cause they findin out how you lied about your twisted sins
They say we bad for you, but shit, our music is your friend
They can't deter you from the truth 'cause we the helping hand
We are one, and one is all
We are, we are, we are one
And one is all
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayayaya
Aaaahhhiyyyaaaa
Ahhhayayayaaa
Formats[]
Digital Download=, 12 Vinyl & Acetate[]
- 911
Note: This is the same as the 'Full Length Dirty' version on the promo CD.
Promo CD[]
- 911 (Short Length Ultra-Clean)
- 911 (Full Length Clean)
- 911 (Full Length Dirty)
Release dates and chart positions[]
Worldwide: 07/12/01 – highest chart position: N/A (free download only)
Videos[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- 911 is one of the two Gorillaz singles from Phase One, along with Lil' Dub Chefin', to have not been included on the compilation album The Singles Collection 2001-2011.