Stay Woke! Get Out & Gambino
The use of Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” in Jordan Peele’s Get Out
I will be spoiling plot points from the film Get Out. So if you haven’t watched the film as of yet. Give it a watch and then come back to this article. The film has been out for years now, so surely most have already seen it. If you haven’t, I highly recommend checking it out, it’s best to watch with zero expectations and very few spoilers. With that out of the way, let’s dive in.
Get Out is a 2017 psychological thriller directed by Jordan Peele (MAD TV, Key & Peele) in his directorial debut and first foray into filmmaking. The plot follows a young black man named Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya) as he visits his white girlfriend’s parents at their home. His visit slowly turns into the most horrific, worst-case scenario for any person of colour. As Chris learns that his girlfriend Rose (played by Allison Williams)and her family lobotomize and transform innocent black men into vessels for older/racist caucasian people to use for their advantage and pleasure.
Get Out has become the subject of many film analyses and theories. Jordan Peele’s use of racial prejudice and psychological horror has been lauded by critics as the film exposed issues such as liberal ignorance, racism/stereotyping in film, and more. The film became the primary subject of a paper I wrote a while back while studying film, where I compare other black horror films and critical theories by Franz Fanon to showcase how Get Out exemplifies certain qualities. You can read the full essay by clicking here if you’re interested.
On the music side of things, Childish Gambino’s third album Awaken My Love! released in December 2016, just two months before Get Out’s February release. The album was a sonic departure from Donald Glover’s previous works, as this was a full-blown funk, soul, and R&B album. Heavily influenced by the music of bands such as The Funkadelics. Its most popular single “Redbone” became an instant classic, a love song where Glover fears his partner cheating on him. At first, you’d think the inclusion of the song in the film is to allude to Chris’ girlfriend Rose is possibly cheating on him, however, that’s far from the truth. Peele’s use of the song not only denotes another interpretation of the song but acts as a reminder to Chris throughout the movie: Stay Woke!
For clarification, I’ll be examining the opening scene of Get Out below, where the song first plays. “Redbone” is both the first licensed song we hear in the film, as well as one of the first non-diegetic (a sound that doesn’t originate from the world of the film) sounds in the film, outside of the opening credits score.
When I first watched Get Out, I initially thought the film’s inclusion of the song was a coincidence. Perhaps Peele wanted to bring the song a little more exposure? If that was the case then it certainly helped, as “Redbone” became one of Childish Gambino’s highest charting singles, until 2018’s “This Is America”. Upon repeat viewings though, “Redbone” has some significance to the film’s plot. By reinterpreting the excerpt used in the film’s opening, we can see how Gambino’s song represents a red flag that Chris should have looked out for.
I argue that within the context of Get Out, Gambino is pleading with Chris rather than the lover that the song was written for. Instead of yearning for the woman’s desire to stay, Gambino wants Chris to stay. The very first words we hear from the song are the chorus, which gives us some idea as to what Gambino wants Chris to remember:
But stay woke! Niggas creepin’. They gon’ find you. Gon’ catch you sleepin’ (Oooh) Now stay woke. Niggas creepin’. Now don’t you close your eyes.
I see this as Gambino warning Chris to keep one eye open, Rose and her family are not who they appear to be, as we learn throughout the film. What’s interesting to note here is that during this excerpt, we’re gifted with framed photographs of black men and women, in times of innocence (a black man holding balloons, a pregnant black woman) Before it switches to a frame of a white dog (I’m assuming it’s a Boxer) being held back by its owner. I interpret the dog as an allegory for Rose and her family, who view the other photographed Black men/women and probably Chris, as their prey or something weaker than them.
As the song continues, the camera pulls away from the kitchen and towards Chris’ bathroom where he’s shaving. This becomes our first introduction to Kaluuya’s character. The verse here is split between Chris and Rose, the same way it cuts between Chris in the bathroom, and Rose at a nearby cafe. The first half is dedicated to Chris:
Too late. You wanna make it right, but now it’s too late. My peanut butter chocolate cake with Kool-Aid. I’m trying not to waste my time.
Here, Gambino is telling Chris that he’s already gotten too deep into the rabbit hole of the “relationship”. He’s getting ready to meet Rose’s family, which could potentially mean his demise. Chris could’ve made it right by listening to his friend Rod (Lil Rel Howery AKA “TS motherfuckin’ A”) who warns him later on not to visit Rose’s parents. By not wasting his time, Gambino isn’t trying to sugarcoat the harsh reality to Chris, he’s telling him how it is.
For the second half of the verse, Gambino exemplifies Rose’s predatory behaviour. We’re also given more shots of Rose as she picks out donuts. She has a look in her eyes that really makes you think she has something up her sleeve.
If you want it, oh. You can have it, you can have it.
If you need it. You better believe in something. We can make it (alright).
If you want it. You can have it.
Gambino is telling Rose that she’s already got Chris. She wanted Chris? She got him. Does she have Chris? She does. It’s a line that I believe shows off her mentality when it comes to seducing young black men for her family’s experiments. A mantra that she believes in.
As the scene comes to an end, we’re once again greeted by “Redbone’s” chorus (“Stay Woke! Niggas creepin’….”). It matches perfectly with Rose in an elevator getting closer to Chris’ apartment as he gets ready. It’s almost like Gambino’s final warning for Chris to keep his head on swivel as Rose gets closer and closer to his (or their) place. As Chris opens the door we hear (“Stay Woke!”) repeated again as he kisses Rose when she enters the apartment. I often read this as Chris finally heeding Gambino’s words, because, after this, Chris starts to slowly take notice that something isn’t right.
Reexamining Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” within the context of Get Out’s opening provides us with another interpretation of the song that fits perfectly with the film’s plot. By swapping the love interest perspective, “Redbone” could potentially be seen as Gambino’s plea for young black men to be wary of the hidden motives of their non-black partners. It’s certainly not the first time Donald Glover’s music was used to interpret racial tension and the black body in America, as that was the entire influence behind “This Is America”. Whose song/music video has been analyzed right down to the tee for it’s imagery and symbolism.
When it comes to Get Out, Jordan Peele’s film is a haunting yet satirical look at the fear that some(if not most) people of colour face when dating outside of their race. It’s a film that not only illustrates Peele’s style of storytelling but gives the audience a little more insight as to why he includes certain songs and imagery to help tell the story he wants to tell.
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