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3rd Eye Open "Branded"
Posted Mar 30 2006
By Daniel D. Zarazua
“Branded” is multi-layered piece by the Detroit-based spoken-word group Third Eye Open that examines capitalism, exploitation, and cooption via fashion. Essentially, the story talks about how corporate clothing lines entered the urban fashion market and how smaller, independent companies respond to this attempted takeover. Yet the underlying theme is mental and psychological colonialism of Africans by Europeans in the past and asks the listeners to examine their own actions and motivations. Below are the lyrics, while the second page is a worksheet that was handed out before students listened to the song. After the song played, they were divided into groups (they just counted off) and given the second sheet to work on in their smaller groups, which can be found on page three.
Branded worksheet 2
Work on these questions as the song plays then share with your small group.
We’ll come together and discuss this as a class.
1. What types of information would a listener need to know to understand this song?
Give at least three specific examples from the lyrics.
2. How many name brands can you come up with in this song?
3. List at least five metaphors that are used in this track.
4. What do you think was the overall theme of this track?
5. Do you think that one must be Black or African-American to relate to the lyrics?
6. Is there any particular part of the track that particularly stood out to you? That you particularly related to or became angry with?
7. Summarize the lyrics in one or two paragraphs, explaining in “standard” English what you think the author is talking about.
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