The Repo Man Sings for You Introduction
In a Nutshell
"The Repo Man Sings for You" is a bit bitter at times. It centers on the image of a demonic representative of your local bank who has come to take your stuff in the night. The anonymous man offers no mercy and no apologies, and he wildly sings "la, la, la, la, la" at you while he drives off in your car.It's a caricature of sorts, but for those who have had cars repossessed or houses foreclosed on in real life, the impersonal nature of the whole process can be a little nightmarish. We also shouldn't have to remind you that in the decade following the Coup's clever lyrical composition, a little thing happened that relates quite closely to the topic of "The Repo Man Sings for You."
What was that, you ask? Oh, yes, right: that little thing called the foreclosure crisis, a disaster of pretty epic proportions involving the loss of millions of homes and accusations of widespread fraud on the part of huge banking companies.
"The Repo Man Sings for You," recorded in 1998, takes on a whole new significance in the context of a crisis that is in many ways a massive mirror of the situation the song describes.
About the Song
| Artist | The Coup feat. Del tha Funkee Homosapien | Musician(s) | Boots Riley, Del tha Funkee Homosapien (vocals), DJ Pam the Funkstress (mixing) |
| Album | Steal This Album | ||
| Year | 1998 | ||
| Label | Dogday | ||
| Writer(s) | Boots Riley, Del tha Funkee Homosapien | ||
| Producer(s) | Boots Riley | ||
| Buy this song: Amazon iTunes | Try Listen and Learn (BETA) | ||
Shmoop Connections
Whether or not you agree with its anti-capitalist message, you're in for a ride—and a mini-lesson in the economics of foreclosure—with "The Repo Man Sings for You."Boots Riley takes us through the dynamics of having a stranger repossess your belongings after you failed to pay your bills; Shmoop will take you through the dynamics of the housing crisis of the late 2000s that played a part in the biggest economic collapse to hit the U.S. since the Great Depression.
On the Charts
This song didn't chart.Steal This Album was critically acclaimed and peaked at #51 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts in 1998. It was later re-released as Steal This Double Album, which included two new tracks and a second CD of a live performance.