Allegory Behind Boogieman

In the song “Boogieman”, artist Childish Gambino uses the allegory of the boogieman and a myriad of sound clips to present an embedded, but clear message on police brutality and the experiences of black people in the United States of America. Though the message of the song is entrenched in heavy themes, the track is upbeat and laced with funky seventies guitar riffs and groovy bass lines. It is so groove-able, that upon first listen one might not even catch some of the themes being laid out. The clear sound of a police siren at 2:49 is what alerted my attention to the song’s broader message. From there I went back to listen again and pay closer attention to the lyrics of the song. As I journeyed through the piece once more, it became clear …show more content…
Having no precise shape, form, or appearance the boogieman can morph and transform based on the circumstance. Armed with this context, Gambino’s allusory use of the boogieman as an allegory for racial fear becomes more clear. Who this boogieman is exactly, shifts based on one’s location in the song. For example, in the refrain he says “with a gun in your hand, I’m the boogieman. I’m gonna come and get you.” In this context, the victim of police brutality, specifically the black person, is the ghostly boogieman. The contrast between the lines “with a gun in your hand” and “I’m the boogieman” parallels the brutal irony of a police officer claiming to fear for his life while in the presence of an unarmed black citizen. Gambino is saying that in the eyes of the gun holders, black people are the boogieman scratching at the window or they are the green (or black) fog seeping into a room. Much like the fear of the boogieman that is instilled in a child, racial bias and an irrational fear of the black body is implanted into the white psyche. This fear frequently leads to guns being pointed and in many cases innocent people being shot and