“Borders” is a music video and second single released by recording artist M.I.A. for her fifth studio album, AIM (2016).
The Banger of a Track and video for the song was filmed in India, directed and edited by M.I.A. in collaboration with Sugu Arulpragasam and Tom Manaton. It tackles the issue of the 2015 European migrant crisis.
The track was written by M.I.A., Levi Lennox and Amish Patel, and has been described as an electronic song incorporating such musical styles as hip hop and world music.
M.I.A. reportedly wrote “Borders” in two hours, which is the quickest she has ever written a song. Lyrically, the song references current world problems and reflects on popular culture.
The single was made available for online streaming on November 20th 2015, but was pulled later the same day. It was released globally as a digital single on November 27th 2015, accompanied by its socially and politically charged music video which went viral and sparked controversy.
Time magazine has named it one of the best videos of 2015.
Lyrics for Borders
Song by M.I.A.
[Intro]
Freedom, ‘I’dom, ‘Me’dom
Where’s your ‘We’dom?
This world needs a brand new ‘Re’dom
We’dom – the key
We’dom the key’dom to life!
Let’s be ‘dem
We’dom smart phones
Don’t be dumb![Verse 1]
Borders (What’s up with that?)
Politics (What’s up with that?)
Police shots (What’s up with that?)
Identities (What’s up with that?)
Your privilege (What’s up with that?)
Broke people (What’s up with that?)
Boat people (What’s up with that?)
The realness (What’s up with that?)
The new world (What’s up with that?)
Am gonna keep up on all that[Hook]
Guns blow doors to the system
Yeah f*** ’em when we say we’re not with them
We’re solid and we don’t need to kick them
This is North, South, East and Western
Guns blow doors to the system
Yeah f*** ’em when we say we’re not with them
We’re solid and we don’t need to kick them
This is North, South, East and Western[Verse 2]
Queen (What’s up with that?)
Killing it (What’s up with that?)
Slaying it (What’s up with that?)
Your goals (What’s up with that?)
Being bae (What’s up with that?)
Making money (What’s up with that?)
Breaking internet (What’s up with that?)
Love wins (What’s up with that?)
Living it (What’s up with that?)
Being real (What’s up with that?)[Hook]
Guns blow doors to the system
Yeah f*** ’em when we say we’re not with them
We’re solid and we don’t need to kick them
This is North, South, East and Western
Guns blow doors to the system
Yeah f*** ’em when we say we’re not with them
We’re solid and we don’t need to kick them
This is North, South, East and Western[Bridge]
We representing peeps, they don’t play us on the FM
We talkin’ in our sleep, they still listen on a system
We sittin’ on a stoop
Where we get a scoop
This is how we keep it cool
This is how we do
We representing peeps, they don’t play us on the FM
We talkin’ in our sleep, they still listen on a system
We sittin’ on a stoop
Where we get a scoop
This is how we keep it cool
This is how we do[Verse 3]
Egos (What’s up with that?)
Your values (What’s up with that?)
Your beliefs (What’s up with that?)
Your families (What’s up with that?)
Histories (What’s up with that?)
Your future (What’s up with that?)
My boys (What’s up with that?)
My girls (What’s up with that?)
Freedom (What’s up with that?)
Your power (What’s up with that?)[Hook]
Guns blow doors to the system
Yeah f*** ’em when we say we’re not with them
We’re solid and we don’t need to kick them
This is North, South, East and Western
Guns blow doors to the system
Yeah f*** ’em when we say we’re not with them
We’re solid and we don’t need to kick them
This is North, South, East and Western[Bridge]
We representing peeps, they don’t play us on the FM
We talkin’ in our sleep, they still listen on a system
We sittin’ on a stoop
Where we get a scoop
This is how we keep it cool
This is how we do
We representing peeps, they don’t play us on the FM
We talkin’ in our sleep, they still listen on a system
We sittin’ on a stoop
Where we get a scoop
This is how we keep it cool
This is how we do[Outro]
Gonna keep up on all that
Gonna be doing it like that