This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Yeah! That all mighty amazing, ill, highly contagious
Kamikaze south splash like it shot from a gauge
Until your body sound clash
Head of the Class, Magna Cum Laude
Beats bring the beast out me, flagrant, foul rowdy
Reed pipe but deed tight, disposition keep on flipping
Keep em playing they position
Keep making the people listen what I spin
Put em out on a limb
Got tears, got blood, got sweat, leaking out of the pen
Y'all fake niggas not setting a trend
We never listen to them
It's like trying to take a piss in the wind
My home team doing visitors in, yo don't test em
They all standing close to the edge, so don't stress em
Now who the type built to last?
It's no question, the Master!
Villain in Black wit no stets in my sound
Hitting you hard from - every direction
Your head and shoulder, area your midsection dawg!
Yeah
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Just give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Cut the check
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Nigga, give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Yeah Illadelph, home of the original gun clappers
Out on the wrong corner your shit'll get spun backwards
You got the fool wanting the rules, enter at risk
Or your own nana'll keep a gat under the mattress
Shorties running reckless from Philly to Texas
Surprising what niggas willing to do to get a neckless
Some emotions felt better left unexpressed at times
Niggas' crime record longer than a guest list
Yes, I done seen things you wouldn't believe
Seen people reach levels thought they'd never achieve
Silhouettes waiting in the wings ready to D
Thirst decise or need at least a buck to breathe
C'mon! Stick up kids, they be out to tax
Most times they be sticking you without the gats
I'll still be on the grind when it all collapse
And if it's my worst bar then I'm a take it right back nigga
Yeah
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Just give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Cut the check
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Nigga, give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Yeah, it ain't nothin' like I rush I get, in front of the band
On stage wit the planet in the palm of my hand
When a brother transform, from aynonomous man
To the force, crush whoever might of thought I was playin'
I'ma flame some, sentence the shit, the cold twist to slang
Thicker than big boy baby, mom, sister pain
Beyond measure, relaxed under pressure
You see the master piece, but to me it's unperfected
Give it here Geffen Records, I'm off the handle
Cut the check, and yo it better be as heavy as anvil
Next joint comin', all bets is canceled
Nigga black ink, red was a G financial
We finna have the whole industry at a stand still
See me put the system on lock like can pill
So get wit them endorsements, and call reinforcements
Cause my click come a full sizable portions
Yeah
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Just give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Cut the check
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Nigga, give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Kamikaze south splash like it shot from a gauge
Until your body sound clash
Head of the Class, Magna Cum Laude
Beats bring the beast out me, flagrant, foul rowdy
Reed pipe but deed tight, disposition keep on flipping
Keep em playing they position
Keep making the people listen what I spin
Put em out on a limb
Got tears, got blood, got sweat, leaking out of the pen
Y'all fake niggas not setting a trend
We never listen to them
It's like trying to take a piss in the wind
My home team doing visitors in, yo don't test em
They all standing close to the edge, so don't stress em
Now who the type built to last?
It's no question, the Master!
Villain in Black wit no stets in my sound
Hitting you hard from - every direction
Your head and shoulder, area your midsection dawg!
Yeah
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Just give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Cut the check
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Nigga, give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Yeah Illadelph, home of the original gun clappers
Out on the wrong corner your shit'll get spun backwards
You got the fool wanting the rules, enter at risk
Or your own nana'll keep a gat under the mattress
Shorties running reckless from Philly to Texas
Surprising what niggas willing to do to get a neckless
Some emotions felt better left unexpressed at times
Niggas' crime record longer than a guest list
Yes, I done seen things you wouldn't believe
Seen people reach levels thought they'd never achieve
Silhouettes waiting in the wings ready to D
Thirst decise or need at least a buck to breathe
C'mon! Stick up kids, they be out to tax
Most times they be sticking you without the gats
I'll still be on the grind when it all collapse
And if it's my worst bar then I'm a take it right back nigga
Yeah
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Just give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Cut the check
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Nigga, give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Yeah, it ain't nothin' like I rush I get, in front of the band
On stage wit the planet in the palm of my hand
When a brother transform, from aynonomous man
To the force, crush whoever might of thought I was playin'
I'ma flame some, sentence the shit, the cold twist to slang
Thicker than big boy baby, mom, sister pain
Beyond measure, relaxed under pressure
You see the master piece, but to me it's unperfected
Give it here Geffen Records, I'm off the handle
Cut the check, and yo it better be as heavy as anvil
Next joint comin', all bets is canceled
Nigga black ink, red was a G financial
We finna have the whole industry at a stand still
See me put the system on lock like can pill
So get wit them endorsements, and call reinforcements
Cause my click come a full sizable portions
Yeah
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Just give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Cut the check
Give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Nigga, give it here, and don't say nuthin'
Lyrics submitted by musicandnintendo
Don't Say Nuthin' Lyrics as written by Tarik Trotter Scott Spencer Storch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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superlyrical124 is dead on....but just to add to that, i heard that when they were creating the song they didn't have a chorus yet, so Black Thought was just mumbling something to fill in for where the chorus was. From there the idea must have grown into basically what superlyrical124 said.