‘The Manifesto’ brings together Gorillaz, Argentinian rapper Trueno, and the late Proof in a track that feels like a reflection on life, death, legacy, and awakening. It blends deep self-reflection with social and artistic commentary — a mix of Trueno’s poetic spirituality, Gorillaz’s abstract melancholy, and Proof’s raw street realism.
Trueno’s verses dive into ideas of mortality and transcendence — facing death not with fear, but with peace and awareness. When he talks about “walking toward the light,” it’s a metaphor for embracing destiny, letting go of the past, and staying true to his values.
The song carries a strong spiritual tone: it references the weight of the soul (“21 grams”), nature as a teacher (“trees as my teachers”), and self-awareness as a form of freedom (“TR1 rips off your blindfold so you can see that reality’s not for sale”). Through it all, Trueno stands as both a student and a teacher — grounded in acceptance, yet determined to leave something meaningful behind.
Led by Damon Albarn, paints a picture of a mountain that cries — a metaphor for struggle, solitude, and endurance. The mountain stays still while everything around it changes, symbolizing persistence and introspection. Lines like “Don’t lose yourself / If you don’t stop now, then you’re never gonna be done” capture the cycle of ambition and burnout — constantly chasing success under a “gilded sun,” a clear metaphor for fame and external validation.
When placed next to Trueno’s message of light and transcendence, it creates a powerful contrast: while Trueno walks toward spiritual clarity, 2-D warns against losing yourself in the climb.
Then comes Proof’s verse, taken from an unreleased recording, adding a raw, gritty energy to the track. His lyrics bring in themes of violence, addiction, and death — the most grounded and brutal side of the song. While Trueno and Gorillaz look beyond the physical world, Proof’s verse pulls everything back to Earth, reflecting the harsh reality of survival in a world that constantly tests both body and soul.
The collaboration itself — Argentina (Trueno), England (Gorillaz), and Detroit (Proof) — mirrors the song’s theme: different realities connecting through art. It’s about finding unity across generations, languages, and life experiences.
‘The Manifesto’ Full English Lyrics
[Refrain: Trueno]
I don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow
When I answer the light that’s calling me
Mami, my future’s calling out for me
I walk toward the light (I walk toward the light, ma, ma)
I have nothing to lose (I have nothing to lose), ah-ah-ah (He says, ah, yeah)
[Verse 1: Trueno]
I crossed the door and today I feel free, huh
Left the past behind and focused on the simple things
Just give me 21 grams to feel grounded
And I’ll leave you my legacy before I go
Every step’s a lesson, I keep walking with confidence
So fast that time can’t catch me
I don’t look for praise, much less false hope
Rest, like when you were in the womb
And wake up, take matters into your own hands
So you can see life from different angles
[Trueno]
I wonder, what’s out there in that world beyond this one? The good thing is we’re all going there together
I’m going with my values; I blossom watering flowers
I take with me their scents and colors, I make the sky fall in love
And if the clouds cry, let them not cry
I’ve got the trees as my teachers
I love feeling the wind, climbing the mountain breathless
In the end, what matters is the effort
Only my deeds, my virtues, my feelings walk with me
To write the second part of the story
[Refrain: Trueno]
I don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow (I don’t know, I don’t know)
When I answer the light that’s calling me (That’s calling me)
Mami, my future’s calling out for me (Yes, yes, yes)
I walk toward the light (I walk, I walk, huh, yeah)
I have nothing to lose (I walk toward the light, ma, I walk, I walk toward the light, ma)
[Chorus: 2-D]
The mountain, it is high
Yeah, the mountain’s sad so the mountain cry
Tin god, the braided day
But the mountain stays on still
Don’t lose yourself
If you don’t stop now, then you’re never gonna be done
Living under your gilded sun
On the mountain
[Post-Chorus: Trueno]
It’s the TR1
Huh, yeah, con Gori—, con Gorillaz, yeah
From England to Argenti-ti—
[Chorus: 2-D]
Ah, the mountain, it is high
Yeah, the mountain’s sad so the mountain cry
Tin god, the braided day
But the mountain stays on still
Don’t lose yourself
If you don’t stop now, then you’re never gonna be done
Living under your gilded sun
On the mountain
(O-o-o-okay)
[Part II]
[Verse 2: Proof]
You never seen a killer with fangs and millimetres
That bang and killers need to be swangin’ and still I reach ya
Y’all aren’t ready for death until I showed up
Hold breath until you blow the one set my niggas throw up
How many times I gotta prove, y’all not to test me? This uz’ can be deadly, slugs move through your chest piece
It’s all reality, beefin’ with your blocks
Got you creepin’ with your glock, now you sleepin’ in a box
No one can convince the invincible to be sensible
Pits in the principal, my pistol won’t miss you all
Why shouldn’t I diss you, dawg? I’m Leatherface
This E&J make me say your DNA’s genetic waste
A medic case that’ll detonate, Derty Harry
[Proof]
A pathetic taste, a shroomhead that murder fairies A recovering heroin addict, looking down the barrel with my peerman’s eye
Got this shotgun just swerving at it
My triggers have turned a pump into a uzi
You chumps do not move me, y’all jump inside movies
You scary dudes that hide behind ya niggas
Confide inside a squealer and died beneath a river
My urban strikes a lot—
(Oh, I’m just fuckin’, alright, come on, let’s go)
[Verse 3: Trueno]
Let it go, let it go, let it go, huh, huh, yeah
I come in breaking down the door
We’re not afraid here — we’re flipping the script
I pass through portals that kill mortals, tell them the world’s about to explode
Th-th-th-the tectonic plates tremble, the harmonica sounds, the debts are paid
TR1 rips off your blindfold so you can see that reality’s not for sale (Boom)
I keep searching for the end of the tunnel, ah, looking for that light that unites us in the end
Only the good ones rise — souls levitating like volume turned up high
Just one more in the school of fish, seeking peace every Monday
I’m one of those who owns up to their lies, to what they breathe when there’s no perfume (Move 37, game over)
[Outro: 2-D]
You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not even close
You’re open, then you’re closed, then you’re open
You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not even close
You’re true, then you’re untrue, then you’re true again
Only automatic now (now, now, now, now) x4
Slow release pills
You take them today
You take them for tomorrow (Only automatic now now, now, now, now)
Take them for tomorrow (Only automatic now now, now, now, now)
Only automatic now (now, now, now, now) x2
PRISA MEDIA USA, INC, expressly reserves the right to reproduce and use the works and other services accessible from this website by machine-readable media or other suitable means.
USA
ES
MX
CO
CH
PA
ARG
CR
GUA
EC
RD
