Double Bubble Trouble - Intellectual

I feel like they are the modern-day untouchables. We generate millions of refugees every year, and they are the true untouchables of our society because they’re faceless and placeless.

The last line “Based on a story that nobody read” speaks for those people whose story was erased.

Like in the video game Bubble Trouble, she stepped in to burst the bubbles.

Throughout the song she describes her travel as an immigrant to reach the West and then the music industry.

The term The Game is used to describe the rap industry; so she basically stepped in to burst both the rap industry’s bubble and the bubble of western prejudices towards immigrants.

The term “trouble” have a double meaning

prejudices towards immigrants may see them as a trouble for the western society
a trouble for the system because they are gonna burst the prejudices and lies towards them.

These lines are based on the 1994 single “Trouble” by British 90s girl group Shampoo:

Uh oh, we’re in trouble, something’s come along and it’s burst our bubble

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=QL15Ya5fsgo

I guess the “something” that Shampoo referred to is actually M.I.A. herself!

Immigrants leave their countries, board a plane or a boat to reach the West – in her case the U.K.

Y'all might remember bunsen burners from high school chemistry:

The filters and effects on this vocal are very similar to those used by Birdy Nam Nam from the track “Goin' In” during the lines:

we’re going wild for the night, fuck being polite

This was later sampled by Skrillex in his remix “Goin' Down” and used in “Wild For the Night” by A$AP Rocky.

https://soundcloud.com/skrillex/birdy-nam-nam-goin-in

“Falafel” is a popular vegetarian arabian dish.

Blanka is one of the characters from the Street Fighter video games series – first appearing in SF II.

Noting the green colour, it’s easy to see the similarity to the hindu deity Matangi.

In a Complex Magazine interview M.I.A. remarked how eastern symbols often acquire a negative meaning when they arrive in the West:

So Matangi itself it’s interesting to talk about it. She is green, because it’s the color of intellect. But green in the West is the color of money. And so you’re already fighting with like a negative image to do with color, and it’s not even like, “I’m brown and I come from Sri Lanka.” But to put forward a cover where you’re green in the West is fucking hard because the only thing you can associate green to is zombies, witches, and money. And they’re like the three most negative existence of that color. And you know in the East it’s life, knowledge, and intellect. So even putting things on the palette in the pamphlet where you have to debate these things, to me it’s not just about the songs. It’s again, the whole concept: why do things turn negative when they get here?

Tiger is an Asian beer brand whereas Corona (a Mexican beer) is arguably more popular in North America

“Played in the park Packed with piranhas I jump in puddle Singing NIRVANA Passed by the past and I end at the start Now I’m living the life and I’m gonna raise the bar Do you know my name Do you know my number Do you know by summer I will make you a member I know you’re busy running round with Linda If I don’t get you now then I’ll get you by december You’re dancing styles out dated like tinga These girls in caps MAMI snap your finger I drift in deserts from bumper to bumper We can rock a dress or we can rock a jumper You want that pain so I set you on fire These girls are high but I take you lot higher”

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This part is not included on the album version. She later uploaded via Spotify. You can peep the song and the lyrics below.

/Mia-trouble-again-lyrics