Words I Never Said

Overview

• Credits

• Editions

• Promotion

"Words I Never Said"Single by Lupe Fiasco featuring Skylar Grey
from the album Lasers
Released	February 8, 2011 (2011-02-08)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:20 (single version) 4:16 (album version)
Label	1st & 15th Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Alexander Grant Holly Hafermann Wasalu Jaco
Producer(s)	Alex da Kid
Lupe Fiasco singles chronology
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Lasers singles chronology
1. "The Show Goes On" 2. "Words I Never Said" 3. "Out of My Head" 4. "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now"
Lasers chronology
‹ Previous	"Letting Go"
	"Words I Never Said"
Next ›	"Till I Get There"
Media

"Words I Never Said" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, the second track from his third studio album Lasers (2011). The song was released on February 8, 2011, as the album's second single. Produced by Alex da Kid, it features guest vocals from Skylar Grey on the hook. It has been described as both an "anti-war" and political song, addressing themes of hypocrisy, resistance, and challenging the status quo and authority. Fiasco noted that it was similar to his other song "American Terrorist," though "Words I Never Said" was more suitable for radio play.

Background

Release and promotion

The song was recorded in 2010 at Blast Off Studios. A one-minute teaser video was uploaded to YouTube on January 18, 2011, featuring shots of New York City's Times Square displaying lyrics from the song on animated neon and LED signs, as well as gigantic billboards. The track premiered on Fiasco's website on February 1, 2011, along with its cover artwork. When the full audio was released, #wordsineversaid trended on Twitter. It became available in stores and on iTunes on February 8, 2011.

Composition

Fiasco revealed to Complex that record producer Alex da Kid had wanted to collaborate with him, which traced all the way back to The Cool. After submitting various tracks, one in particular caught Fiasco's attention. The hook was already pre-recorded by Skyler Grey, where he recalled, "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 having already addressed the topic of terrorism on Food & Liquor, he remarked that this aspect was often forgotten in 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 of 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." This statement garnered controversy and criticism from online. He added that he had no desire to vote in the upcoming 2012 presidential election, believing 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 later explained his comments to Billboard, saying, "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 that he disdains 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 occurred 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," reportedly performing it for over thirty minutes. While event organizers tried to stop him by turning off the lights, the band continued playing, and Fiasco refused to leave the stage. Eventually, he 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 later released an official statement, saying, "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, contrary to Hypervocal's statement, while Billboard observed, "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.'"

Critical reception

Upon its release, HipHopDX called it "a solid addition" to Fiasco's discography. AllMusic's Andy Kellman penned, "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.'" Likewise, Todd Martens of 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." Brandon Soderberg of Spin wrote, "Fiasco smuggles 9/11 conspiracies and a fairly sophisticated take on the Middle East into a pop-rap anthem. Compared to Lasers' other confrontational crossover songs […] is an effective attempt at culture-jamming the Billboard charts."

Live performances

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.

Music video

The accompanying music video was directed by Moroccan-born director Sanaa Hamri and premiered to MTV on April 29, 2011. It depicts a spiritual leader being wrongfully abducted at her rally, with Fiasco witnessing her being taken away. Interspersed throughout are shots of people wearing coverings over their mouths, symbolizing silence and obedience to authority. Fiasco chooses to speak out and, as a result, is taken away and faces an audience of representatives from countries he criticizes. He is held as a political prisoner but 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.

To Rap-Up, Fiasco explained that he was a secret agent who snuck into a prison to rescue one of his comrades.

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

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Spiritual Leader Abducted at Her Rally on Saturday

15^TH 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 them over the edge, she notes. When she first saw them drive up that night, she stayed in the r[?]

Music Video	Information
	Released	April 29, 2011
	Director	Sanaa Hamri
	Producer	Steven Johnson
	Prod. Company	Factory Features
	Editor	D.J. Sing
	Length	5:45

Personnel

• Alexander "Alex da Kid" Grant – writing, production
• Blast Off Productions – recording
• Brian Gardner – mastering
• Erik Madrid – mixing assistance
• Holly "Skylar Grey" Hafermann – featured vocals, writer
• Joe Peluso – additional engineering
• Manny Marroquinn – mixing
• Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead vocals, writing

Cultural references

• The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) is a global military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks.
• '9/11, building 7' refers to the conspiracy theory behind the World Trade Center Building 7 collapsing.
• Jersey Shore is an American reality television series.
• Rush Limbaugh (January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who made racist and sexist comments.
• Glenn Beck is an American conservative political commentator who accused Barack Obama of being a racist. Ironically, he has said plenty of racist things himself.
• Barack Obama served as the 44th president of the United States. Under his administration, they provided funds in Foreign Military Financing assistance to Israel, who in turn initiated a series of bombing attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
• Jihad is defined as "struggle" or "striving," despite America's belief of it being a holy war where believers combat enemies of their religion.
• Tupac "2Pac" Shakur (born June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996) is regarded as one of the greatest rappers. His music tackles social issues.

Lyrics

"Words I Never Said"

[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

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	89
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs (Billboard)	26

External links

• Words I Never Said on Apple Music
• Words I Never Said on YouTube
• Words I Never Said on SoundCloud
• Words I Never Said on Spotify
• Words I Never Said on Amazon Music
• Words I Never Said on Tidal