Target
Navigating Life's Crosshairs: Joe Jackson's 'Target' Unveils the Urban Bullseye
Lyrics
Uptown - downtown
Contrasting areas of the city, possibly symbolizing different social or economic levels.
No one's fussy I'm a target
Feeling vulnerable or exposed, susceptible to being singled out or attacked.
Black, white - day, night
Reference to racial differences and the contrast between day and night.
No one's fussy I'm a target
Reiteration of feeling exposed or in danger of being targeted.
Somebody say I'm crazy
Others characterize the narrator as insane or irrational.
Walking in this neighborhood
The narrator feels judged or out of place in this environment.
Say you can't be too careful
Advice suggesting extreme caution, which the narrator believes is ineffective.
But that won't do no good
Being cautious won't protect the narrator.
I'm no one special
Downplaying their importance or uniqueness.
But any part of town
The narrator could be anywhere in the city.
Someone could smile at me then
Even in any location, someone could initially seem friendly before harming the narrator.
Shake my hand then gun me down
Despite being unremarkable, the narrator feels they could still be a victim of violence.
Uptown - downtown
Reiteration of the contrast between different parts of the city and the lack of selectivity in targeting.
No one's fussy I'm a target
Continued feeling of being at risk or exposed to danger.
Black, white - day, night
Reiteration of racial differences and the ubiquity of the threat, day or night.
No one's fussy I'm a target
Restating the vulnerability of being an easy target.
Somebody say I'm crazy
Others view the narrator as irrational for living in such a chaotic place.
Living in this crazy town
Describing the city as a crazy or chaotic place to reside.
I say maybe you're just lazy
Suggesting laziness or lack of effort in dealing with the city's challenges.
Got to either swim or drown
Expressing the necessity to either adapt and survive or fail to cope with the environment.
I know what I'm doing
Confidence in handling daily life.
I'm happy day to day
Generally content with life on a daily basis.
But then something happens
Unexpected events or situations undermine the narrator's confidence.
Takes my nerve away
Something occurs that shakes the narrator's confidence and courage.
Uptown - downtown
Reiteration of the constant threat of being targeted in different parts of the city.
No one's fussy I'm a target
Emphasizing the lack of discrimination in who might be targeted.
Black, white - day, night
Reiteration of racial and temporal (day or night) aspects of the pervasive danger.
No one's fussy I'm a target
Reiterating the vulnerability of being an easy target in any circumstance.
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