Words I Never Said

## Single by Lupe Fiasco featuring Skylar Grey

"**Words I Never Said**" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on February 8, 2011, as the second single and track from his third studio album *Lasers* (2011). It features guest vocals from Skylar Grey on the chorus and production handled by Alex da Kid. It has been described as an "anti-war" and political song that addresses hypocrisy, resistance, and challenging the status quo and authority. Fiasco noted it was similar to his other song "American Terrorist," though "Words I Never Said" could be played on the radio.

He performed the song on *The Colbert Report* in May 2011 and the BET Hip Hop Awards in October 2011. In January 2013, as the main act, Fiasco performed a 30-minute version of "Words I Never Said" at the StartUp RockOn concert at the Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C. It was reported that he was removed from the stage "at an official pre-inauguration concert" for its controversial message. This was later amended, as Fiasco repeated the song overtime, which polarized the audience.

## Background

A one-minute teaser video was uploaded to YouTube on January 18, 2011, containing shots of New York City's Time Square displaying lyrics from the song on animated neon and LED signs and gigantic billboards. The record premiered on Fiasco's website on February 1, 2011, along with its cover artwork. When the full audio was released, #wordsineversaid was a trending topic on Twitter. It became available to stores and iTunes on February 8, 2011.

Fiasco revealed to *Complex* that record producer Alex da Kid wanted to collaborate with him, which traced all the way back to *The Cool*. After submitting various tracks, one record caught Fiasco's attention. He recalled, "The hook was already on it with Skylar. The first day I heard it, I went into the studio and recorded it. The song had a bridge we took out because initially, the song was supposed to be about a relationship, like a boyfriend/girlfriend, Drake song or something. And I'm like, 'Nah, I'm going to talk about world affairs.'"

Despite already addressing the topic of terrorism from *Food & Liquor*, he remarked how this was often forgotten about with his newer music. He concluded, "I've always been talking about the same thing, so when people ask me what's different with this album, I just say the music. The messages on the album, whether they're little more or less lyrical than their predecessors, I'm basically saying the same things I've said on other mixtapes and albums. [The song] is not a big step for me. It's not me striving to do anything different."

Alex da Kid told MTV News, "It's politically charged, it's controversial, and it's Lupe being honest about his opinions on society. It's really cool. I like it."

Grey's own solo version, "Words," was released from her album *The Buried Sessions of Skylar Grey* (2012). She revealed, "Originally, I wrote this song about my grandfather who passed away before I had a chance to say goodbye."

## Controversy

Perhaps what brought the track to notoriety was Fiasco's open disapproval for the president at the time. The following lyric, 'Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say shit / That's why I ain't vote for him, next one either' raised questions in the media. In a 2011 radio interview, Fiasco expressed, "You have someone who is a great speaker, but kills little children—our president. I'm not talking about an accident. I'm talking about ordering a drone attack. Ordering drone attacks that go and kill mothers, innocent bystanders, children. Militants too, but the collateral damage. You're responsible for that, too."

On CBS' *What's Trending*, he stated, "To me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America. I'm trying to fight the terrorism that's causing the other forms of terrorism. You know the root cause of terrorists is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists," which garnered controversy and criticism from online. He added that he had no desire to vote in the upcoming 2012 presidential election, where he believed that getting involved in politics was "meaningless." He explained, "If I'm going to say I stand behind this person and write on a piece of paper that says, 'Yeah, I stand for this person,' then I have to take responsibility for everything he does 'cause that's just who I am as a human being. So politicians aren't going to do that because I don't want you to bomb some village in the middle of nowhere." He explained his comments to *Billboard*, "I've got nothing to clarify. It's Obama and the U.S. government. [It's] every president that came before him and every president that comes after him. It's funny because everybody's pulling soundbites from this one interview that we did, but they don't talk about anything else from the interview. So it's really about, 'What do people want to listen to?' It's not what I want to talk about, 'cause I want to talk about all types of shit..."

Contrary to the belief of his disdain for Obama, Fiasco further clarified in an interview, "I was never on the bandwagon of Obama like that, because I'm not on the bandwagon for the American government, the federal government. It's not all 100 percent evil, but it does a whole lot to not make you think that. The economical policies that are instigated really makes you think that the American government is a bunch of evil bastards. So just because you're black you're still representing that government, and when Obama came into office, he enacted the same policies that we would critique other presidents for. [...] I love Obama, and I love the fact that it's a black president of the United States of America, but he's not the first black president. Robert Mugabe is a black president too so let's not get to talking about precedents being set. The fact that he's black and American, that's different. But that it's anything special beyond that, that just because of that everything's going to be a utopia, then that's not true."

One infamous incident was when Fiasco headlined the StartUp RockOn concert in 2013 and declared that he did not vote for Obama. He launched into "Words I Never Said" for supposedly over thirty minutes. While organizers of the event tried to stop this and turned off the lights, the band did not stop playing and Fiasco refused to leave. Eventually Fiasco was escorted out of the venue. HyperVocal, one of the co-founders of the event, tweeted, "Disappointed that an artist took opportunity to use an event celebrating innovation/startups to make a political statement." They released the official statement, "Lupe Fiasco performed at this private event, and as you may have read, he left the stage earlier than we had planned. But Lupe Fiasco was not 'kicked off stage' for an 'anti-Obama rant.' We are staunch supporters of free speech, and free political speech. This was not about his opinions. Instead, after a bizarrely repetitive, jarring performance that left the crowd vocally dissatisfied, organizers decided to move on to the next act." Online, Fiasco's performance drew both praise and criticism. One noted that he seemed to have a positive response from the crowd in contrary to the statement, while *Billboard* remarked, "it was greeted harshly by the partisan crowd."

Fiasco reflected in a 2019 interview, "When me and Obama had our situation, people stopped picking up the phone and kind of stepped back, which is cool—do that, because I don't know where this is going to go either. But you level up because that opens up a door. [...] It's gonna affect change on a much much higher level in a much much more direct way with the folks who actually have their hands on the levers of social change, social direction, and social power. But with that said, anybody can still walk up to me on the street at any given time and if they are brave enough to come up and approach me, I'll have discourse with a stranger. I always preface it with, 'I don't know what I'm talking about, but at the end of the day, it's you. You have to get out there and do it, but here is my two cents and my point of view.'"

## Music video

The accompanying music video was directed by Sanaa Hamri and premiered to MTV on April 29, 2011. It depicts a spiritual leader being wrongfully abducted at her rally and Fiasco witnesses her being taken away. Interspersed throughout are shots of people wearing coverings over their mouths, symbolizing remaining silent and resisting change. Fiasco chooses to speak out and as a result, is abducted and faces an audience of representatives of countries whom he criticizes. He is held as a political prisoner, though eventually frees himself and the spiritual leader. At the end, a woman walks up with her phone to scan a QR code that leads to Fiasco's *Lasers* manifesto.

The newspaper clipping (0:28), set on May 1, 2011, can read:

>
> **VOICE OF THE PEOPLE**
>
>
> Spiritual Leader Abducted at Her Rally on Saturday
>
>
> 15TH STREET - The abduction took place at a rally where the victim and some of her followers had been organizing a major event. But someone had told the accused a different story: that the rally belonged to someone she was having an affair with. She said she had also asked the accused to return a car she had loaned them and had decided they needed to live apart for a while. The combination of events apparently sent the [?] over the edge, she notes. When she first [?] them drive up that night, she stayed in the [?]
>
>
>
>

## Critical reception

Upon its release, *HipHopDX* called it "a solid addition to the commendable body of work Lupe Fiasco has been creating since stepping foot in the rap game." AllMusic's Andy Kellman remarked, "confronts fear-fueled alienation and, more pointedly, both sides of the political spectrum, following 'Limbaugh is a racist/Glenn Beck is a racist' with 'Gaza Strip was gettin' bombed/Obama didn't say shit.'" *Los Angeles Times* opined, "While the electronic beats are foreboding, Fiasco is fast and slick, offering jabs at the political left and right with equal conviction." *DJBooth* described it as a "politically charged anthem" reminiscent of his previous songs "American Terrorist and "Little Weapon," while *PopMatters* was less favorable, believing it to be "heinous." They added, "feels like Alex da Kid is punishing Lupe for deeming his previous megahits unacceptable. Lupe spits some of the hottest lyrics you'll find on the album, but thanks to a four-minute runtime consisting mainly of Skylar Grey's bland chorus it's going to take a truly dedicated Lupe Fiasco fan to give his words their necessary burn."

## Personnel

* Alexander "Alex da Kid" Grant – writer, producer
* Blast Off Productions – recorded by
* Brian Gardner – masterer
* Charles "Chilly" Patton – executive producer
* Erik Madrid – assistant mixing engineer
* Holly "Skylar Grey" Hafermann – featured artist, writer
* Joe Peluso – additional engineer
* Manny Marroquinn – mixer
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead artist, writer, executive producer

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Chorus: Skylar Grey]

It's so loud inside my head

With words that I should have said

As I drown in my regrets

I can't take back the words I never said

I can't take back the words I never said

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

I really think the War on Terror is a bunch of bullshit

Just a poor excuse for you to use up all your bullets

How much money does it take to really make a full clip?

9/11, building 7, did they really pull it?

Uh, and a bunch of other coverups

Your child's future was the first to go with budget cuts

If you think that hurts, then wait, here comes the uppercut

The school was garbage in the first place, that's on the up and up

Keep you at the bottom but tease you with the upper crust

You get it, then they move it, so you never keeping up enough

If you turn on TV, all you see's a bunch of what-the-fucks

Dude is dating so and so, blabbering 'bout such and such

And that ain't *Jersey Shore*, homie, that's the news

And these the same people supposedly telling us the truth

Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist

Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say shit

That's why I ain't vote for him, next one either

I'm a part of the problem, my problem is I'm peaceful

And I believe in the people, yeah

[Chorus: Skylar Grey]

It's so loud inside my head

With words that I should have said

As I drown in my regrets

I can't take back the words I never said

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

Now we can say it ain't our fault if we never heard it

But if we know better, then we probably deserve it

Jihad is not holy war, where's that in the worship?

Murdering is not Islam, and you are not observant

And you are not a Muslim

Israel don't take my side 'cause look how far you've pushed them

Walk with me into the ghetto, this where all the kush went

Complain about the liquor store, but what you drinking liquor for?

Complain about the gloom, but when'd you pick a broom up?

Just listening to Pac ain't gon' make it stop

A rebel in your thoughts ain't gon' make it halt

If you don't become a actor, you'll never be a factor

Pills with million side effects, take 'em when the pain's felt

Wash 'em down with diet soda, killing off your brain cells

Crooked banks around the world would gladly give a loan today

So if you ever miss a payment, they can take your home away

[Chorus: Skylar Grey]

It's so loud inside my head

With words that I should have said

As I drown in my regrets

I can't take back the words I never said, never said

I can't take back the words I never said

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence

Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it

We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth

So scared of what you think of me, I'm scared of even telling you

Sometimes I'm like the only person I feel safe to tell it to

I'm locked inside a cell in me, I know that there's a jail in you

Consider this your bailing out, so take a breath, inhale a few

My screams is finally getting free, my thoughts is finally yelling through

[Chorus: Skylar Grey]

It's so loud inside my head

With words that I should have said

As I drown in my regrets

I can't take back the words I never said

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gregory, Jason (March 9, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Interview". *GigWise*.
2. ↑ Vena, Jocelyn (January 21, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco Removed from Inauguration Weekend Gig After Criticizing Obama". *MTV*.
3. ↑ Osei, Anthony (January 19, 2011). "Watch: Lupe Fiasco "Words I Never Said" Teaser". *Complex*.
4. ↑ Ahmed, Insanul (February 28, 2011). "Interview: Lupe Fiasco Hates His Own Album". *Complex*.
5. ↑ Rodriguez, Jayson (February 1, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Gets Political on 'Words I Never Said'". *MTV*.
6. ↑ "Skylar Grey (@SkylarGrey)". *Facebook*. 2012.
7. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco on Calling Obama a Terrorist: 'I've Got Nothing to Clarify'". *Billboard*. June 9, 2011.
8. ↑ Zakarin, Jordan (January 21, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco Sings Anti-Obama Song, Rushed Off Stage at Inaugural Event (Video)". *Hollywood Reporter*.
9. ↑ Damon, Andre (January 22, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco Kicked Off US Inaugural Stage While Performing Anti-War Song". *WSWS*.
10. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco Performs Anti-Obama Song, Rushed Off Stage at Inaugural Event: Video". *Billboard*. January 21, 2013.
11. ↑ Ketchum III, William (February 22, 2019). "Lupe Fiasco on New World Water, and Changing the World with His Bars Before Leaving Rap Behind". *Vibe*.
12. ↑ Lilah, Rose (February 1, 2011). "Words I Never Said". *HipHopDX*.
13. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Lasers Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic.
14. ↑ Martens, Todd (March 7, 2011). "Album Review: Lupe Fiasco's 'Lasers'". *Los Angeles Times*.
15. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco - Lasers". *DJBooth*. March 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011.
16. ↑ Amidon, David (March 10, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers". *PopMatters*. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011.