In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
"Yeah! Revenge! Now what we're gonna do right now,
is we gonna try a little experiment, you know what I'm saying?
A little science project. We're gonna call it...
Switch!
You, you, you, yes, let the words rule you
till you woozy, let the lyrics subdue you,
Massage and soothe you, move you
Till consciousness lose you, Lu now rules you,
Do what Lu do, and you'll do beautiful
Switch!
I'm the meanest, you the meanest?
I'm the meanest, and I mean this
Now I don't mean this to sound fiendish,
but I'm a genius, You a genius?
And the cleanest, never seen this
as clean as my cleanest
From on top, from underneath,
from behind, or in between us
Switch!
I'm a hustler, creepin' with my hat low,
Niggas know I'm packed so, what they go do that fo'?
Niggas got my back, though, like answering the back door,
Catch you, I'ma slap you, leave you redder than the Bat Phone,
Switch!
Put a little bit of this and a little bit of that (that)
Mix with a little bit of pimp and a little bit of mack,
And a little bit of limp, and a whole lotta gangsta lean,
I can't be seen, I ain't the king, but a nigga is strengthening,
To paint the scene, and take the thing over like a soldier
Colder than a polar, got the hood like a cobra, nigga thank the team
"Alright, now remember that. That's--thats a part of the experiment, I had to set it up,
But don't worry, I know what you're thinking, I was thinking the same thing, Just, just follow
me, okay? Watch, okay? C'mon!"
Murder niggas, step on my shoes, I'll hurt a nigga,
Kill a nigga, fill a nigga with holes,
Call women 'hoes,' hold up niggas, hold up hoes,
Break the calm, dead and they bomb, Blow up niggas blow up hoes,
Turn around, smack they mom
Switch!
Heal niggas, educate and build niggas,
Instill in niggas it's real to respect women
Treat them like they real, they feel nigga,
Watch the birds, watch Dr. Phil nigga,
Chill nigga, go learn a skill nigga.
Switch!
Rims, Mercedez Benz, 20s, 22s, 24s,
Rolls, gold, platinum watches, cases, and mo',
Gucci, rubies, mansions, models, VIP, Ferraris
chinchillas, diamond rings, chains,
Rangerovers, bling bling.
Switch!
Nigga busses, trains, pockets full of change,
Dimes, quarters taking orders, delivering pizzas,
Air conditionless, beaters, hand-me-down sneakers, silver,
Wannabe models won't show me love, and I can't get in the club.
Switch!
"Hah. You're doing good, right? Alright so check this out.
Now, go back to the first one, alright? Run back to that one.
We're gonna have a little more fun with that one. Alright? You ready? Alright. C'mon!"
Switch!
Hey, hey, hey, it's coming back to you, Lu no longer rules you,
You can do what you do, back to your usual.
Switch!
It's official? It's official, I'm official
As officials got the stripes, and the flags, and the whistles,
Switch!
Hustlin' watch my niggas come from the undergound,
Just like Thrilla play Bambi, you gonna hear that 'thumple' sound
Switch!
They can't touch the sound that I'm bustin' out
It's like a cloud trying to touch the ground,
Tough and bound ever since I've been touching down,
Jealous niggas catching feelings 'cause I'm hustlin' now
Switch!
They be hatin'?
Switch!
They be hatin'!
Switch!
What what what, they be hatin
Don't give 'em say in this
Switch!
What's a nigga supposed to say when they up in my face?
That you got a cousin that don't mind catchin' cases
bustin' niggas heads and slappin' niggas faces?
Switch!
And he'll do it. He'll do it? He'll do it
And I'll prove it, 'Cause I done seen it
You done seen it? I done seen it,
He the meanest,
Switch!
Ho, ho, wait a minute,
I thought you were the meanest
see, that's why this thing is finished right now.
"Yeah. Experiment done. I think that was good,
I think that was a nice little science project."
is we gonna try a little experiment, you know what I'm saying?
A little science project. We're gonna call it...
Switch!
You, you, you, yes, let the words rule you
till you woozy, let the lyrics subdue you,
Massage and soothe you, move you
Till consciousness lose you, Lu now rules you,
Do what Lu do, and you'll do beautiful
Switch!
I'm the meanest, you the meanest?
I'm the meanest, and I mean this
Now I don't mean this to sound fiendish,
but I'm a genius, You a genius?
And the cleanest, never seen this
as clean as my cleanest
From on top, from underneath,
from behind, or in between us
Switch!
I'm a hustler, creepin' with my hat low,
Niggas know I'm packed so, what they go do that fo'?
Niggas got my back, though, like answering the back door,
Catch you, I'ma slap you, leave you redder than the Bat Phone,
Switch!
Put a little bit of this and a little bit of that (that)
Mix with a little bit of pimp and a little bit of mack,
And a little bit of limp, and a whole lotta gangsta lean,
I can't be seen, I ain't the king, but a nigga is strengthening,
To paint the scene, and take the thing over like a soldier
Colder than a polar, got the hood like a cobra, nigga thank the team
"Alright, now remember that. That's--thats a part of the experiment, I had to set it up,
But don't worry, I know what you're thinking, I was thinking the same thing, Just, just follow
me, okay? Watch, okay? C'mon!"
Murder niggas, step on my shoes, I'll hurt a nigga,
Kill a nigga, fill a nigga with holes,
Call women 'hoes,' hold up niggas, hold up hoes,
Break the calm, dead and they bomb, Blow up niggas blow up hoes,
Turn around, smack they mom
Switch!
Heal niggas, educate and build niggas,
Instill in niggas it's real to respect women
Treat them like they real, they feel nigga,
Watch the birds, watch Dr. Phil nigga,
Chill nigga, go learn a skill nigga.
Switch!
Rims, Mercedez Benz, 20s, 22s, 24s,
Rolls, gold, platinum watches, cases, and mo',
Gucci, rubies, mansions, models, VIP, Ferraris
chinchillas, diamond rings, chains,
Rangerovers, bling bling.
Switch!
Nigga busses, trains, pockets full of change,
Dimes, quarters taking orders, delivering pizzas,
Air conditionless, beaters, hand-me-down sneakers, silver,
Wannabe models won't show me love, and I can't get in the club.
Switch!
"Hah. You're doing good, right? Alright so check this out.
Now, go back to the first one, alright? Run back to that one.
We're gonna have a little more fun with that one. Alright? You ready? Alright. C'mon!"
Switch!
Hey, hey, hey, it's coming back to you, Lu no longer rules you,
You can do what you do, back to your usual.
Switch!
It's official? It's official, I'm official
As officials got the stripes, and the flags, and the whistles,
Switch!
Hustlin' watch my niggas come from the undergound,
Just like Thrilla play Bambi, you gonna hear that 'thumple' sound
Switch!
They can't touch the sound that I'm bustin' out
It's like a cloud trying to touch the ground,
Tough and bound ever since I've been touching down,
Jealous niggas catching feelings 'cause I'm hustlin' now
Switch!
They be hatin'?
Switch!
They be hatin'!
Switch!
What what what, they be hatin
Don't give 'em say in this
Switch!
What's a nigga supposed to say when they up in my face?
That you got a cousin that don't mind catchin' cases
bustin' niggas heads and slappin' niggas faces?
Switch!
And he'll do it. He'll do it? He'll do it
And I'll prove it, 'Cause I done seen it
You done seen it? I done seen it,
He the meanest,
Switch!
Ho, ho, wait a minute,
I thought you were the meanest
see, that's why this thing is finished right now.
"Yeah. Experiment done. I think that was good,
I think that was a nice little science project."
Lyrics submitted by Wulfreigns
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This song is pure genious. I think the whole experiment part is to see if anyone payed attention to the flow. Here's how I interpret it:
VERSE 1 Switch! (FLOW 1) You, you, you, yes, let the words rule you till you woozy, let the lyrics subdue you, Massage and soothe you, move you Till consciousness lose you, Lu now rules you, Do what Lu do, and you'll do beautiful Switch! (FLOW 2) I'm the meanest, you the meanest? I'm the meanest, and I mean this Now I don't mean this to sound fiendish, but I'm a genius, You a genius? And the cleanest, never seen this as clean as my cleanest From on top, from underneath, from behind, or in between us Switch! (FLOW 3) I'm a hustler, creepin' with my hat low, Niggas know I'm packed so, what they go do that fo'? Niggas got my back, though, like answering the back door, Catch you, I'ma slap you, leave you redder than the back fo, Switch! (FLOW 4) Put a little bit of this and a little bit of that (that) Mix with a little bit of pimp and a little bit of mack, And a little bit of limp, and a whole lotta gangsta lean, I can't be seen, I ain't the king, but a nigga is strengthening, To paint the scene, and take the thing over like a soldier Colder than a polar, got the hood like a cobra, nigga thank the team
There four flows in the first verse and he cycles through it every time he yells switch!
VERSE 2 Murder niggas, step on my shoes, I'll hurt a nigga, Kill a nigga, fill a nigga with holes, Call women 'hoes,' hold up niggas, hold up hoes, Break the calm, dead and they bomb, Blow up niggas blow up hoes, Turn around, smack they mom Switch! Heal niggas, educate and build niggas, Instill in niggas it's real to respect women Treat them like they real, they feel nigga, Watch the birds, watch Dr. Phil nigga, Chill nigga, go learn a skill nigga. Switch! Rims, Mercedez Benz, 20s, 22s, 24s, Rolls, gold, platinum watches, cases, and mo', Gucci, rubies, mansions, models, VIP, Ferraris chinchillas, diamond rings, chains, Rangerovers, bling bling. Switch! Nigga busses, trains, pockets full of change, Dimes, quarters taking orders, delivering pizzas, Air conditionless, beaters, hand-me-down sneakers, silver, Wannabe models won't show me love, and I can't get in the club. Switch!
In the second verse the content of the rap changes everytime he yells switch. It goes from a gansta to a to the complete opposite of one to a rich guy and then to a poor guy. Even though this is interesting it is not the main point of the experiment and only done to make you forget about the last verse.
VERSE 3 Switch! (FLOW 1) Hey, hey, hey, it's coming back to you, Lu no longer rules you, You can do what you do, back to your usual. (Switch!) (FLOW 2) It's official? It's official, I'm official As officials got the stripes, and the flags, and the whistles, Switch! (FLOW 3) Hustlin' watch my niggas come from the undergound, Just like Thrilla play Bambi, you gonna hear that 'thumple' sound (Switch!) (FLOW 4) They can't touch the sound that I'm bustin' out It's like a cloud trying to touch the ground, Tough and bound ever since I've been touching down, Jealous niggas catching feelings 'cause I'm hustlin' now Switch! (FLOW 1) They be hatin'? Switch! (FLOW 2) They be hatin'! Switch! (FLOW 3) What what what, they be hatin Don't give 'em say in this Switch! (FLOW 4) What's a nigga supposed to say when they up in my face? Switch! (FLOW 3) That you got a cousin that don't mind catchin' cases bustin' niggas heads and slappin' niggas faces? Switch! (FLOW 2) And he'll do it. He'll do it? He'll do it And I'll prove it, 'Cause I done seen it You done seen it? I done seen it, and he the meanest, Switch! (FLOW 1) Ho, ho, wait a minute, I thought you were the meanest see, that's why this thing is finished right now.
In the third verse he cycles through the same flows used in the first verse and then at the end he does them in reverse at the end.