Thanksgiving (Nicole Westbrook song)
Thanksgiving is a song by Nicole Westbrook about the joys of Thanksgiving and the importance of giving thanks and eating food. This song is said by some to be the successor to Rebecca's Black Friday, as both have become highly popular for their deeply intellectual and spiritual treatment of their chosen topics. "Thanksgiving" was written and staged by the well-known music pioneer Patrice Wilson and his ARK Music Factory, also the producers of "Friday".
Lyrics and analysis[edit]
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh, oh yeah
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Alright
Come on
This verse appears to be entirely filler text, but in fact it is a highly spiritual passage intended to prepare the listener for what is to follow. It may be likened to Hindu mantras.
I'm wide awake
And I should take
A step and say thank you, thank you
For the things you've done, and what you did
Oh yeah, ooh yeah
In case the listener was not aware that Westbrook was wide awake (perhaps she was singing in her sleep?), she generously alleviates any potential confusion. She then describes various things that she should do, but does not say she is actually doing them. The listener is supposed to be able to infer who 'you' refers to and what 'the things you've done' are--anyone who fails to infer this must not have been paying attention to the subtext.
December was Christmas
January was New Year's
April was Easter
And the Fourth of July but now it's Thanksgiving
This verse enumerates several holidays that come before Thanksgiving, reflecting on the passage of time and inviting the listener to consider how quickly time flies and the importance of enjoying the holidays while they last. It also points out the little-known fact that Easter and the Fourth of July both occur in April.
Oh oh oh, it's Thanksgiving
We we we, we're gonna have a good time
Oh oh oh, it's Thanksgiving
We we we are gonna have a good time
With the turkey (ey!)
And mashed potatoes (ey!)
We we we, are gonna have a good time
We need the turkey (ey!)
And mashed potatoes (ey!)
It's Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving
This verse describes the main highlights of Thanksgiving: turkey and mashed potatoes. It underscores the significance of having a good time and what is required to achieve it. An integral part of the description is the innovative technique of repeating all the lines twice; this ensures that the listener catches the important message, though it falls short of the three repetitions required to make it truly sink in.
You know school is out
I can't wait
I can shout thank you, thank you, thank you
No matter what you do, no matter what you say
This is my favorite day
Here we discover what there is to give thanks for: that school is out. This is also the reason that it's Westbrook's favourite day. Other people usually have other things to give thanks for, but they pale in comparison with school being out.
December was Christmas
January was New Year's
April was Easter
And the Fourth of July but now it's Thanksgiving
This verse repeats an earlier verse to assist with driving home the message and aid the comprehension of those listeners who were not paying attention the first time around.
Oh oh oh, it's Thanksgiving
We we we, we're gonna have a good time
Oh oh oh, it's Thanksgiving
We we we, are gonna have a good time
With the turkey (ey!)
And mashed potatoes (ey!)
We we we, are gonna have a good time
With the turkey (ey!)
And mashed potatoes (ey!)
It's Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving
This verse, too, repeats an earlier verse. The song appears to have more than one chorus; this is a sign of the creativity and willingness to think outside the box that define modern music.
Yo, it's Thanksgiving-givin' and I'm tryin' to be forgivin'
Nothing is forbidden, you know we gotta have it
I gotta give thanks to you, and you, and you
Can't be hateful, gotta be grateful
Gotta be grateful, can't be hateful
Mashed potatoes on my, on my table
I got ribs smelling' up my neighbors' cribs
Havin' good times, we be laughin' 'til we cry
The seemingly awkward rhyming structure is yet another foray into innovation. Again, the listener is supposed to be able to guess who 'you' refers to, though one may safely assume that there are at least three. Three is an important number in the Bible, so this is yet another sign of the spirituality that pervades this song. The next lines are another example of repetition, but they use the technique known as chiasmus, which helps to catch the listener's interest. The final lines of the verse describe more food items that further add to the good times had at Thanksgiving, though it appears the ribs may be engaging in pedophilia.
It's Thanks, Thanks, Thanksgiving
Come on
It's Thanks, Thanks, Thanksgiving
Give 'em thanks, y'all
This verse reminds the listener which holiday the song is talking about, and requests that he too give thanks for the blessing of not having to go to school.
Oh oh oh, it's Thanksgiving
We we we, we're gonna have a good time
Oh oh oh, it's Thanksgiving
We we we, are gonna have a good time
With the turkey (ey!)
And mashed potatoes (ey!)
We we we, are gonna have a good time
With the turkey (ey!)
And mashed potatoes (ey!)
It's Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving
This verse--last but not least--has now been repeated three times, in accordance with the old adage that anything said three times becomes true.