Lupe Fiasco’s “Words I Never Said” is a song in which the lyrics are very direct to the point. Fiasco discusses a variety of subjects, specifically media manipulation, the poor state of society through government inadequacies, islamophobia, and the tense state of affairs in the Middle East. Above all this, Fiasco emphasizes that silence and fear must be done away with to allow truth to rise above all. By remaining silent, we as a people allow corruption to dominate our lives. With the enhancement of a visual, Fiasco is able to illustrate his message further with the use of techniques such as symbolism, camera placement, and color schematics, forcing the audience to face this controversial issue head on. 

The first scene of the video begins with a continuous flash of frames that show a woman being detained by agents of a police force. She is being led into a facility protected by various fences and barbed wire. The scene employs a very dark color scheme. It is night time and the uniforms of the agents and bystander are all black. The only color that disrupts the schematic is the woman’s dress, made of solid white. The surrounding blackness is symbolic of evil and corruption, drowning the woman away, whose white is symbolic of purity and innocence. The quick changes of camera angle and rush of multiple shots creates a whirlwind effect for the viewer. The audience is now invoked to ask questions such as, “Why is that woman being detained?” or “What did she do to be detained in such a serious manner?”. The video then shows the front page of a newspaper with the headline, “Voice of the People, Spiritual Leader Abducted at Her Rally…”. In relation to the entire video, the effect of these elements are used to introduce the struggle between corruption and people standing up to voice their concerns. These visual elements portray the woman punished for being the contradiction to evil. 

The following scene solidifies this idea when that same bystander is now boarding a bus. The doors open and he looks up at the bus driver who has a mask locked around his mouth, rendering him unable to speak. As the man enters the bus, he moves towards the back. The camera then goes to a point of view shot, providing a better view for the people on the bus, and displays every person on the bus with the same mask as the bus driver. The mask is symbolic of how society is constrained to not speak out or voice their opinions. As the man now settles at the back of the bus, he picks up a speaker and begins to transmit his message throughout the bus. The camera again reverts to a point of view angle with the passengers turning around with a fixed gaze of appalment that the man is speaking out. He voices his concerns against the government letdown in education and media influence, among less noticeable subjects. Images that pertain to the subject appear on the screen such as scenes from the war stricken Middle East. A passenger alerts the agents to the “crime” and they soon arrive to take him away. While being detained, the man is forced to wear the same mask that the passengers were wearing. Again, the audience is exposed to a situation where a person who does not conform to the silent mentality is punished for his actions. These scenes begin to stir up feelings of outrage in the audience as they are more likely to live in a place that accepts free speech and thought. Realizing that reality may not align with this ideal can create an emotional feeling. 

After being taken away by the agents, the man has now been placed in front of a panel which contains a representative from some countries. This panel is representative of the organizations such as the United Nations, who make large scale decisions that have an impact on millions of people worldwide. In the backdrop of the panel, there is a mugshot wall which is symbolic of these leaders being corrupt. Fiasco intends to show how our leaders have been negligent and rather poor in their decision making. So much in fact, that they should be perceived as criminals for their actions. The man also takes this opportunity to voice his frustrations against the panel. His hand gestures and arm movements signify an aggressive tone, showing that he will stand up for what he believes is right rather than excluding himself from the conversation. 

The final scene of the visual text full encapsulates Fiasco’s main theme. Up to this point, many of the visual elements sought to expose corruption and deceit that society has been facing. This last sequence shows a woman wearing the same mask introduced to the audience during the scene on the bus. When the woman removes the mask, she smiles, indicating a relief from the constraints. The backdrop of the scene is of nature and vibrant colors, signifying a peaceful environment compared to the tense moments earlier in the video. On a nearby bus is a bar code that the woman scans. It leads her to a page with written text that are of positive messages such as, “we want love, not lies” and “we want clarity and truth from our elected officials”. This written text helps to conceptualize the alternate to the evil that Fiasco is striving for. It helps to close the visual text in a manner where the audience can feel more inclined to side with Fiasco’s message. 

Together, these scenes work different aspects of Fiasco’s theme of fighting injustice by speaking up. Earlier scenes work to encapsulate what exactly is wrong with society’s current situation, while later scenes give a blueprint on how speaking up can contribute to a better democracy and sustained equality.
