P.O.W.A – English Lyrics

• By: M.I.A.

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of M.I.A.'s "P.O.W.A" and explore themes of power, identity, and rebellion. This song offers a unique opportunity to understand how artists use their music to challenge norms and express their individuality, all while enjoying M.I.A.'s distinctive blend of musical styles and cultural influences.

[English]

♪ ♪

♪ ( POWER ) ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ( KID CHAMELEON ) ♪

♪ DON'T YOU WANNA ♪

♪ TELL ME IF YOU'RE GONNA ♪

♪ PUT DOWN YOUR AMOUR ♪

♪ PROMISE NO MORE DRAMA ♪

♪ THROW UP MY HANDS I SAY I'M NOT DALAI LAMA ♪

♪ THROW UP MY HANDS SAY I'M NOT OBAMA ♪

♪ I'M NOT OSAMA ♪

♪ MONSANTO FARMER ♪

♪ I DON'T DRINK NO SODA ♪

♪ I BELIEVE IN KARMA ♪

♪ THEY TRY TO SHUT ME DOWN ♪

♪ I'VE STILL GOT THE POWER ♪

♪ THEY TRY TO HATE ME ♪

♪ BUT I STILL BE THAT LOVER ♪

♪ I KNOW MY MIND ♪

♪ IN ME I'M GONNA FIND ♪

♪ THIS IS MY TIME ♪

♪ AND I'M SEARCHING FOR THE SIGNS ♪

♪ THROW UP MY HANDS ♪

♪ SAY THIS IS PEOPLE POWER ♪

♪ THROW UP MY FINGER AND I'M TAKING ON THE TOWER ♪

♪ DON'T YOU WANNA ♪

♪ TELL ME IF YOUR GONNA ♪

♪ PUT DOWN YOUR AMOUR ♪

♪ PROMISE NO MORE DRAMA ♪

♪ YOU KNOW ME I DON'T WATCH TV ♪

♪ PEOPLE WATCHING ME ARE ONLY GONNA SEE ♪

♪ I'M NOT YOUR ENEMY FBI CHECKING ME ♪

♪ CURBING MY MONEY BUT THAT DON'T BOTHER ME ♪

♪ I'M MUCH TOUGHER ♪

♪ I DON'T NEED THE BUFFER ♪

♪ I KEEP IT LIGHT ♪

♪ KEEP MY HEAD OUT THE GUTTER ♪

♪ ♪

♪ IMA DO IT NOW IMA DO IT ♪

♪ IMA DO IT NOW IMA DO IT ♪

♪ IMA DO IT NOW IMA SHOW YOU HOW ♪

♪ PA-PA-PA-PA, PA-PA-PA-PA, PA-PA-PA-PA POW ♪

♪ PUT YOUR HANDS UP ♪

♪ PUT YOUR MIDDLE FINGERS IN THE AIR ♪

♪ MIA MAKE IT SPRAY LIKE ITS RAINING UP IN HERE ♪

♪ THINK YOU'RE GETTING BAPTISED ♪

♪ WITH THE SWEAT ON YOUR TEE ♪

♪ WHERE WHERE WHERE ♪

♪ YOU SAY WHERE MY WATER THERE (HEY) ♪

♪ YOU SAY WA WA WA WA WA ♪

♪ I SAY PA PA PA PA PA ♪

♪ YOU SAY WA WA WA WA WA ♪

♪ I SAY PA PA PA PA PA ♪

♪ SUPA-KALA FACIST, RACIST, ESPI ALA-TAZORS ♪

♪ POSERS WITH THE CASES ♪

♪ THEY BETTER NOT ERASE US ♪

♪ BETTA COME FACE US ♪

♪ ♪

♪ (HEY) I'M NOT RHIANNA ♪

♪ I'M NOT MADONNA ♪

♪ I'M NOT MARIAH ♪

♪ OR ARIANA ♪

♪ IM BEEN AROUND IN THIS WORLD CAUSING DRAMA ♪

♪ THE REAL SPICE GIRL, HOT GIRL POWER ♪

♪ DON'T YOU WANNA ♪

♪ TELL ME IF YOUR GONNA ♪

♪ PUT DOWN YOUR AMOUR ♪

♪ PROMISE NO MORE DRAMA ♪

♪ THROW UP MY HANDS ♪

♪ SAY THIS IS PEOPLE POWER ♪

♪ THROW UP MY FINGER AND IM TAKING ON THE TOWER ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ( KID CHAMELEON ) ♪

♪ ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
power /ˈpaʊər/ A1	noun - the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way
drama /ˈdrɑːmə/ A2	noun - a serious situation or event
throw /θroʊ/ A1	verb - to send or propel something through the air
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the part of the body at the end of the arm
people /ˈpiːpəl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
search /sɜːrtʃ/ A1	verb - to try to find something by looking or investigating
signs /saɪnz/ A1	noun - a thing that suggests the presence or existence of something
finger /ˈfɪŋɡər/ A1	noun - any of the five terminating parts of the hand
spray /spreɪ/ A2	verb - to eject liquid in a fine mist
baptized /bæpˈtaɪzd/ B1	verb - to administer baptism to someone
sweat /swet/ A2	noun - moisture excreted through the skin
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a colorless, transparent, odorless liquid
fascist /ˈfæʃɪst/ B2	noun - a person who believes in or sympathizes with fascism
racist /ˈreɪsɪst/ B1	noun - a person who believes in racism
poser /ˈpoʊzər/ B1	noun - a person who pretends to be someone else or to have qualities they do not possess
erase /ɪˈreɪs/ A2	verb - to remove or delete something, especially written or recorded information

Key Grammar Structures

• TELL ME IF YOU'RE GONNA

  ➔ Informal Future (be going to)

  ➔ `"you're gonna"` is a common informal contraction of "you are going to", used to express a future intention or prediction.

• I DON'T DRINK NO SODA

  ➔ Double Negative for Emphasis (Non-standard English)

  ➔ While grammatically incorrect in standard English, `"I don't drink no soda"` uses a double negative (`"don't"` and `"no"`) to emphasize the negative, common in some informal dialects.

• I'VE STILL GOT THE POWER

  ➔ Present Perfect with "still" and "have got"

  ➔ `"I've still got"` (I have still got) uses the present perfect to indicate an action or state that started in the past and continues to the present, emphasizing continuity with `"still"`. `"Have got"` is an informal alternative to "have".

• AND I'M SEARCHING FOR THE SIGNS

  ➔ Present Continuous for an Ongoing Action

  ➔ `"I'm searching"` (I am searching) uses the present continuous tense to describe an action that is happening at the moment of speaking or is ongoing.

• I'M TAKING ON THE TOWER

  ➔ Present Continuous for Intention/Challenge (Phrasal Verb)

  ➔ `"I'm taking on"` (I am taking on) uses the present continuous to express a future intention or a current act of challenging something, combined with the phrasal verb `"take on"`.

• PEOPLE WATCHING ME ARE ONLY GONNA SEE

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause (Participial Phrase)

  ➔ `"People watching me"` is a reduced relative clause of "People *who are* watching me". The present participle `"watching"` modifies "People", acting as an adjective.

• BUT THAT DON'T BOTHER ME

  ➔ Non-standard Subject-Verb Agreement (Colloquial)

  ➔ In standard English, `"that"` (third person singular) would require "doesn't bother me". `"Don't"` is used informally here, demonstrating a common colloquial variation.

• IMA SHOW YOU HOW

  ➔ Informal Contraction "I'm going to"

  ➔ `"Ima"` is a highly informal and phonetic contraction of "I'm going to", expressing future intention.

• MIA MAKE IT SPRAY LIKE ITS RAINING UP IN HERE

  ➔ Causative Verb "Make"

  ➔ `"Make it spray"` uses the causative verb `"make"` followed by an object (`"it"`) and the base form of a verb (`"spray"`) to indicate causing something to happen.

• THEY BETTER NOT ERASE US

  ➔ "Had Better" for Strong Advice or Warning

  ➔ `"Better not erase us"` is a contraction of "had better not erase us", used to give strong advice or a warning about what should or should not be done.