Saul Williams "Penny For A Thought" at Fremont High School

[thisisacunt]

we are the author of are destiny the dreamer of dreams

[wolfmoonrising]

oh my goddess

there is an intelligent debate in the comments section of a YouTube video

will wonders never cease

[wolfmoonrising]

oh my goddesss

there is an intelegnt debate in the comments section of a youtobe video

will wonders never cease

[ruslan675]

azuritepress.co.za/understandi­ng_keylontic_science.html

[vetiarvind]

I usually listen to his videos many times over to get what he's saying. I'm not retarded or anything but I think to unravel the layers within poetry, you need to do so. Someone who understands everything he says in the first go probably doesn't go deep enough. Either that or they're a genius.

[baginamonolog]

Well,I'll be...

[RendezvouDoo]

Damn... if you listen..this man.. is a teacher ..speaking a language..only the passionate and intelligent can really understand..

[austinmyrick]

Truth spoken, share with friends! Weareallfriendshere,oneearth,o­nesun,onesonofgodtheexixtenceo­fall

[WakeUpRory]

I wish he would come to my high school

[drako1228]

let's be honest, it's going to take some of us 3 more years to completely understand all of this. 

[lepexi]

the 3 people who disliked this are the same as the people who dont like the movie Inception, they didnt like it because they couldnt understand it. haha. damn that ego of ours.

[sudinoelevol]

god, shmod

[TheGreatOldOnes]

I challenge people to recite this at the speed he is. haha

[lestalkmorebasss]

2:42 to 3:04!

[UnderTheBedMedia]

This song is really "Untimely Mediation" but the beginning is "Penny for a Thought".

[chris64566]

its a poem

[UnderTheBedMedia]

Both those songs are "poems". He took the beging from his song Penny for a thought and then a lil bit into it he starts reciting words from his other song Untimely Mediation.

[BadWolf0223]

A modern day Jesus, allowing himself to be crucified by those among us to ignorant to realize. He jumps on the grenade for us, the youth, the future, the unseen and unseeing. Saul Williams, need I say more.

[babaganoosh5000]

you have to see Slam....awesome Saul Williams movie that takes place in DC, where I am from

[rambozo8]

very well said..i to am in awe of this man.. i dont think he should be told to leave anything out.. its his art he does what he pleases..

[falsepride]

He said the N word in a high school? Did he go to that high school? Where did they get the funding to pay for him to speak there? Awesome though.

[MsKariLola]

I met him in 2003.He came to my class and read this exact poem. He came for free and signed my copy of Shotgun =). Very humble man and extremely intelligent.

[elfielvr]

If I were to believe in a god, it would be Saul's. I am so in awe of this man.

[MaBu888]

I can remote view the centers of unpealed bananas. There's some light. In fact it is... very detailed.

[MaBu888]

BTW I am somewhat proud to mention that I don't lack the span of freedom from mind to meditate.

[stfuitsmax]

As much as I am in love with Williams. I still can't wrap my finger around his God concept.. And sometimes I wish he could leave him/her out of it. Just a thought.

[therabbiomchomsky]

If a man's concept of god isn't on the tip of his tongue, then he is not serious about his religion. Period.

[amarillo060291]

I don't think God has much to do with religion and I don't think God is explainablewith a single concept. Religion is a cultural phenomenon based on rules and restrictions. God is a timeless thing that spans all of time and all cultures. God is truth and truth is freedom. I can't think of anything less free than religious doctrine. Some people are going to jump at this comment and call it blasphemy, but they'll only prove my point by showing how little freedom of mind and spirit they have.

[Gjkl345]

@amarillo060291 That is where beliefs lie. Preferably in order to avoid these rigid contridictions of God and religion, do not believe in either. Tire from living in belief because hope is irrational and the observation, the thought of I is all we truly have to recognize as the beginning.

[amarillo060291]

@Gjkl345 I think part of our problem as a culture is precisely that we got lost in rational thought, which is just a tool that you can use to justify anything you want, if you're good enough at using it. It's rationaly comprehensible, and one could even argue necessary, that more than half of the world population live in misery in order for the system to function. War is rationally justifiable, as is going through your life following orders and trying to dull your emotions.

[Gjkl345]

@amarillo060291 Your original defense was for God. If we applied this justifiable view, then yes it was neccessary to go to war, massacre entire civilizations, and blindly follow a being that cannot be heard or seen. It is through their own compromises and functioning primal urges that lead them and God being either the universal excuse or the main reason for it. Rationality is far simpler then this in examining baser concepts. It is utilitzed in explaining ourselves.

[amarillo060291]

@Gjkl345 That applies if you understand god as a patriarchal father figure who requires worship, I personnaly understand God as the whole ongoing process of the universe, the "oneness" that we all are part of, much like cells are individuated parts of us. In this understanding it seems a bit absurd to say "we go to war because of God", because the universe requires nothing from us, or atleast so I believe. We go to war because of ourselves. Oh, and I can see the universe quite clearly.

[Gjkl345]

@amarillo060291 But not fully, as we learn self-awareness and therefore existentialism emerges where we have transcendental qualities that depict our freedom. No imaginary deity can provide us with what we can decide for our own. It is irrationality when you devoid your life to being a mere calculator or servant without using apprehension like with religious sects. Our analyzations and inqueries are pragmatized to being some of the first things to happen before or after the first idea springs up

[amarillo060291]

@Gjkl345 I agree, which is why I can relate much more to a civilization that worships the sun rather than one who worships an imaginary dad with anger management issues, I'm not referring to something like that when I say "god" I might as well say "the universe" o "energy" or "the ongoing process" or any number of words. I think we are part of something much greater than we can probably imagine a bit like we were the brain cells and "god" where the brain.

[amarillo060291]

@Gjkl345 But this doesn't excuse us of our action, nor justify violence in any form, on the contrary, if you understand that by harming others you harm yourself as a living being and as a human being, you are damaging the whole of which you are part of. If you destroy every tree you destroy your oxygen suply and so on and so forth. Nor does it imply becominga servant, in the sense that how can you become a servant of something that doesn't require you to do anything, much less worship it?

[Gjkl345]

@amarillo060291 No you don't. People are born as individuals seperate and connected to the world by their own free will, not by some massive blob of plurality and flesh. You destroy the tree for other reasons, suchas killing it in order for many more trees to take it's place and redistribute the atmosphere and you would still have the same, if not more of a benificial outcome for your own well-being. Correlation is not causation, respectively, we take not for the whole but for the self. Always.

[Gjkl345]

@amarillo060291 So basically all throughout life, we will live with principles, bases for our distinctions of what is "blue" what is "red" etc, dividing casual effects into categories and so on. You cannot say rationality is a justifiable tool in your argument because everyone uses it, including ones in religion. It is just irrationalized by such unearthly and unnatural concepts from the metaphysical theist point of view. Which hence makes sacrificial bombings acceptable over self being.

[kkendri]

@amarillo060291 Religion is a dedication to that truth, those from the outside, living without that truth need a steple to go to. Your right religion is a restriction, but those who believe everything that looks true are decieved by lies because they exist as well. Religion is human attempt at truth... Life is religion because you have the freedom to be dedicated to the truth or dedicated to what u think, which is limited by human frailty.

[kkendri]

@kkendri What did he say that Jesus didn't say first? he said me, u and God are one! Jesus preached freedom of mind through God in which he provided the example.

[amarillo060291]

@kkendri I think you're describing what religion should idealy be, but, at least from what I observe, I don't think it isn't so. I consider most religions a means of control an manipulation, more of a political system than something sincerely dedicated to truth. But of course, what better means to control the masses than making them believe you're willing to search for the truth they so desperately need?

[mobettea44]

@amarillo060291 i think the only real way to escape it it stop stop givin the word "god" such porwer and to realize that its the human need to know and give label to things in wich we dont understand

[lildebz93]

@amarillo060291 perfectly said

[GoronValley]

@amarillo060291 You might not read this, but I wanted to say thank you.

That is by far the greatest comment I have read on YouTube. It sums up my feelings in words I wish I could have expressed.

It's always nice to read something intelligent and positive in a place over crowded by hate and bullshit.

[SquirrelFromGradLife]

@amarillo060291 why do you need God for truth and freedom?...if you need God to hold your hand like a transcendental babysitter then you will never be truly free or experience freedom....

if God really existed outside your mind then he would surely have come by now and delivered some freedom on your ass.... but no where is God?...not present... like a disgruntled teenager missing morning classes at high school... not present outside your mind... free yourself...

[freesouluniverse]

@amarillo060291 - Religious God Worshippers = War/Slavery, Living with God Spiritually = Freedom/Truth

[MaBu888]

God is that which you fail to talk about at all times, because of your conscious or unconscious projections. I am.

[stephenknapp1]

This type of stuff still exists?

[StaticPallour]

It exists and is beautiful in every way. Saul Williams in an amazing man.

[HalHazard]

Oh my god. I was at saw this at FHS and had no clue who this was... I just recently got in to his music. I feel foolish and blessed all at the same time.

[originaleptu]

Ooooommmmmm! Saul Williams is my man. Ommmmm

[Bestialincarnet]

"Happiness is a mediocre center for a middle class existence"........damn........

[evilmuffingoat]

ginsberg would be proud. thanks to saul for spitting truth through enlightenment and autonomy. best poet today.

[CodysMahName]

i wish he came to my high school...so lucky

[MaBu888]

He started combing his mind. That was a zen moment in that poem.

[Parafreakingdiso]

what's he say after as I take flight on bolts of lightning

[torisays]

"claiming chaos as my concubine and you as my me"

[Parafreakingdiso]

ahh, concubine!

thank you very much!

[MaBu888]

Emanations of the highest consciousness in hip hop, y'all!

[ZRBarab]

why is this not studied in school?

[luninar]

We studied this when I was in high school. Actually, my high school English teacher is the reason I'm into slam poetry now.

[ZRBarab]

wow you must have had some really great teachers, i wish mine would have at least recognized this.

[torisays]

I think it would have been amazing to have studied Saul's poetry in school, however I feel that pulling it apart and dissecting it would have cheapened his writing a little. To me, it's more like a stream of consciousness from an almost tormented man, maybe words would trivialise his brilliance. It's fuelled with emotion yet it's so intellectual. But then again, I'm sure everyone has their own interpretation. To each his own. :)

[secorbred]

i disagree, "dissect" coded language, every line has meaning

n yes, it wouldve been amazing to study sauls poetry and expose all the fake bastards writing love poems

[luninar]

It really was less dissection and more enlightening. To have something introduced to you in lieu of things that have been beaten to death in American schools (for example, Shakespeare has his place, but does he need to be in every curriculum for every grade after a certain point in school?) is amazing.

[TopGunOriginal]

@ZRBarab Same reason you don't study any other modern poet or artist. Because he is a modern artist their is no professional criticism on him, or at least that is what I have been always told in school when we study poets and writers.

[fede2]

the first 30 seconds were "penny for a thought", the rest is "untimely meditations".

[armedholdup]

i also lack the attention span to meditate .

[blacknight1331]

practice

[0hmprakash]

Simply amazing.

[symon2525]

his music if fantastic but whats the point of speaking sofast when you cant understand what hes saying

[seanthelight]

Different styles of communication activate different aspects of perspective and comprehension.

If you would like to hear every word, but cant be bothered to watch many times over, look up the lyrics and read along as he recites them.

[alexandermarkiewicz]

for some reason every comment i am reading and writting is narrated in his voice even the thoughts passing through my head as i write this, its really wierd anyone else getting this feeling

respond

[1PostPoMoMaN1]

I can understand him quite fine. :)

[javert12345]

I think it helps those of us that know all of the songs and poems. He is speaking fast, but his fans follow and understand every word.

[Sabbatai]

I absolutely love Saul Williams... but I've determined that he has a thing for "pendulums" and "Tibetan Prayer Wheels"

:D

[imfree73]

Amazing! I got to share a dancefloor with him and Mia Toi Dodd the other night. I was humbled just being in their presences. Great words that speak so much of what we are all going through right now. Mad Love.

[musicman9897]

why was he performing at a high school, and how can i get him to perform at mine

[Limezor]

Wow why don't we have cool people like Saul come to my school :(

[JGoeZ888]

Wow this is the school I would have went to if I didn't move :(

[joshgibson]

Shame

[steamboatwillie]

(not penny for a thought)

[steamboatwillie]

This piece is called "Untimely meditations", often misnamed "Five Senses"

[mudpiglet]

saul williams is gay hahahahaha my dick niggy tardust. one time i saw his penis is a movie called slam. gross.

[drumspirit23]

wish he woulda went to my school

[ButterCupKisser]

im from santa cruz ca., and when he came to town i hurried to get tickets to his show. he is amazing, every things that comes out of his mouth is beautiful, he is a true artiest

[aleeseeuh]

I've never commented on a Youtube video before nor on any song for any blog, But this man is exceptional. I'm so blessed to have heard this. I got goosebumps on every video i've so far. This man is beautiful. There is so much passion and conscious awareness rolling off his tounge so elegantly yet agressive. It leaves me speechless but somehow I found a way to express the emotions of what I have felt. There NEEDS to be more conscious music like this. I love it. I can't get enough of it...

[bwarman14]

amen

[RyanM923]

you need to listen to his "children of the night" poem on here...it's amazing what his mind comes up with.

[m4gdelen4]

i just watched a youtube of that one

it was ecstasy

and the people sitting around him were in love and about to rip his clothes off lol. go back and watch the bald white guy smile at him through the whole thing rofl rofl

[Darkknightel3]

this is awesome.

[oldharve]

i love this poem, but it's not penny for a thought, unless he renamed it because this poem is from his early, maybe first published book "the seventh octave" and it's called "Ohm" (you know, like ohhhhhmmmmmmm). and it's on the lyricist lounge vol 1 cd, second disk...

[ediglo]

is this fremont high school in santa clara? like by jakes pizza and shit?

[jaydogg408]

That's what I'm wondering too. I'm originally from that area and transplanted to Pennsylvania. It would make it just that much cooler to be from there.

[Geetah240]

WHATTTTTTTTTTTT>!!!!! Oh MY WORD, PHENOMENAL. Makes you wanna bust out a pin and pad. lol. This is great, he's my all time favorite poet, next to Kesed and Shihan, and Ove. They're all dope. JUST wow. That was great...."I'm to fly, not to fly"..FIYAH. lol

[riodragon]

Best Rapper/Freestyle/Word of Mouth Poet ever. Bar none.

[sgzdsghdshdszh]

Best rapper??? 2Pac more like

But I agree Saul Williams is the best hip-hop poet.

[adamgravelle]

look, just because 2pac fucking made the song 'changes' doesn't make him the best rapper. he sounds/writes like thousands of rappers.

saul is not only unique, but a genius.

[TyonKree]

well actually pac doesnt write anything anymore. :D

and there is nothing above Rakim

[11bcarr]

What the fuck...Was Tupac Shakur NOT unique?????

[Quellezbaby5]

Tupac was da best rapper b/c he was not "just a rapper" like all other rappers. pac gave a voice to a voiceless ppl, those voiceless ppl being the average dude on the block thats deemed as thugs. pac was great b/c he chose to speak for ppl who were and still are demonized by society. pac help give us an understandin of a "g", thug if u will, and brought their side of da story 2table... this is what makes him the best rapper, he moved beyond your average rapper and became an activist!!

[Renthefaceless]

KRS One

[mblavis77]

freemont seattle?

[Madisonmofo]

Fremont where?  Ohio?

[soyamada16]

WTF!!!... i went to fremont when the fuck was this? i missed SAUL WILLIAMS...disgusting

[cttool2]

Children of the Night is one of his best poems

[mmmmmmchicken]

not his

[ntpcurly13]

yes it is

[mmmmmmchicken]

HAHA WOW.. go read "the dead emcee scrolls" see for yourself

[IndianVampire]

it's not freestyle though... like the stuff from SLAM!

[pittsn]

But it is his, if you read the dead emcee scrolls he says that it is his interpretation of what he read. It's is his the same way an monet's impressionist painting of paris are his. But i think that was he way trying to explain through out the dead emcee scroll was that it is all of ours. That art has as interconnectedness. Or maybe i just read it wrong. It's all up to interpretation...

[paltukmo]

i went to this. i remember trying to understand the guy that i lost track of the rest of the poem haha oh well

[AfraRe1]

GOD WILL Grant U Wings U R To FLY NOT TO FLY...

[Archanel]

God DAMN.

[FroLogic]

Wut is up with this stiff audience. lol I woulda fell out hearing this poem live.

[jcyg]

well they are highschool students...i think he went over there heads with this 1

[Quellezbaby5]

thats a insult i was there in like the 3rd row & he did not go over our heads...WTF...i fully understood errything he was saying and so did a majority the audience

[jcyg]

Well Maybe ..But my comment wasn't meant to insult anyone, judging by the content of the poem and the reaction from the crowd as he concludes his poem, it seems as if they didn't understand the message he betrayed... but don't i tried to insult anyone that wasnt the purpose of my input

[MITCardCounter21]

I don't think he really intended to touch everyone with this poem and I don't think there are any poems that are completely universal, but for those who did listen and understand, they knew what he was talking about, and got the message he portrayed. Sure, their high school students, but so am I, and I felt what he was conveying perfectly.

[1PostPoMoMaN1]

Especially nice was: "between everything and everything else!"

[Drumister4]

I LOVE SAUL!

[KristenRea]

"Clothed to the naked eye, five senses cannot sense the fact of our existence and that's the only fact, in fact there are no facts, fax me a fact and I'll telegram I'll hologram I'll telephone the son of man and tell him he is

done. Leave a message on his answering machine telling him there are none. God and I are one. Times moon, times star, times sun" - Incredible!!!

[IndianVampire]

Damn, you're pretty shallow, like all diamond studded collars

[OMnash]

The title of this video is wrong. The title of the poem is "Untimely Meditations".

[max946]

it's the very end of penny for a thought, and then untimley meditations.

[paulAEden]

Ha I bet those kids where like, "What tha..." at the end. This guy is amazing.

[blacketd]

This Poem is called Untimely Meditations

[sardonicus01]

Actually, It's both of them. It's just the end of "Penny for a Thought".

[gregoryfunicello]

"I keep seven o'clock in the bank and gain interest in the hour of God"

hes probably the dopest poet alive

[shineraingrow]

genius

[TooMuchHoneyInMyTea]

Saul Williams is good stuff, i dont say this about anything when it comes to art, and despite his recycling of many words and concepts, this cat is brilliant

[Imaginethe]

erm.

that comment is to 17xmdubx17.

[BobMarley211]

why did he perfrom at ur HS?

[blahblahblahman]

I thought this was called "Ohm"

[hillsad]

A lot of his poems sound similar

[17xmdubx17]

Saul Williams is the man who opened my life to a new way of life. He is amazing.. which is an understatement.

BTW.. You should retitle this "Untimely Meditation." Although the beginning is a verse from the song "Penny For A Thought" in The Dead Emcee Scrolls he has it as spoken hear under the title "Untimely Meditation."

[Imaginethe]

"penny for a thought"

is the name of the song that he is singing here, a capella.

it's off Amethyst Rock Star, if your curious.

[17xmdubx17]

Yeah I have the CDs and the books. Only the first verse is from "Penny For A Thought." He then pauses and begins "Untimely Meditation" which is also on Amethyst Rock Star, track 6. And is written in his book The Dead Emcee Scrolls and also begins on page 46 of his book "The Seventh Octave- The Early Writings Of Saul Stacy Williams."

Dont try to correct someone who knows his work like the back of their own hand.

[Imaginethe]

haha, screw me,

your right.

-retracted-

[Imaginethe]

to: 7x

[asherjm]

"we threw basement parties in the pyramids, i left my tag on the wall" brilliant

[celestetu1]

saul williams is a tru poet

[BunmiHazzan]

how can 1 person be so talented.. thats fricking awsome

[bigbompa]

It's actually a combo of penny for a thought and untimely meditation....

[wildbloodydragon]

I was there.

[THDEZ]

this was the day we interviewed him at De Anza. He is an amazing and inspiring person to talk to!!

[Nirvana2323]

This is actually Untimely Meditations but an amazing performance none the less.

[MrWicked15]

is this fremont high in sunnyvale?

[anilec09]

yeah it is

[fliichiik43]

i kno there is no way he would come to my school. he's good but there are so many ignoratn a** ppl at my school they wouldnt want him to come unless he was talkin about sex.

[Galinaros]

I feel that was sometimes, too.

[DrumasFunk]

Comments like your's expose those who's minds are too closed to take anything from it.

[BunmiHazzan]

maybe, but dumbass comments like that don't help either

[TripReznor]

We appologize that this isn't an interesting video about somebody playing videogames, or that your ignorance is too strong to realize that this will change something, maybe not through his actons alone, but one persons positive opinion is another one step closer. Or were you not paying attention?

[fliichiik43]

or maybe u friggin misunderstood my point. i liked it and i wished that these kind of things could be at my school. my point was that most of my peers arent concernd with things that change the world which is to me a problem.

[MicoJ03]

i was there thats my high school. fremont in sunnyvale. saul williams live was a trip. wow

[jojofoshox3]

wow. i wish saul would come to my high school. i absolutly love his work.

[kleinheero]

that was sick, which fremont high was this?

[zachcalomd]

I would give anything to have Saul perform at my high school

[rawrstephy]

i was at this performance he was amazing