This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Hey, Macklemore, can we go thrift shopping?
What-what, what, what?
What-what, what, what?
What-what, what, what?
What-what, what, what? (Da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome (now)
Walk up to the club like, "What up, I got a big cock"
Nah, I'm just pumped, I bought some shit from a thrift shop
Ice on the fringe is so damn frosty
The people like, "Damn, that's a cold-ass honkey"
Rollin' in hella deep, headed to the mezzanine
Dressed in all pink, 'cept my gator shoes, those are green
Draped in a leopard mink, girls standin' next to me
Probably should've washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets
(Piss)
But shit, it was ninety-nine cents (bag it)
Coppin' it, washin' it, 'bout to go and get some compliments
Passin' up on those moccasins someone else has been walkin' in
Bummy and grungy, fuck it, man, I am stuntin' and flossin'
And savin' my money and I'm hella happy that's a bargain, bitch
I'ma take your grandpa's style, I'ma take your grandpa's style
No, for real, ask your grandpa, can I have his hand-me-downs? (Thank you)
Velour jumpsuit and some house slippers
Dookie-brown leather jacket that I found diggin'
They had a broken keyboard, I bought a broken keyboard
I bought a skeet blanket, then I bought a kneeboard
Hello, hello, my ace man, my mellow
John Wayne ain't got nothing on my fringe game, hell no
I could take some Pro Wings, make 'em cool, sell those
The sneaker heads'll be like "Ah, he got the Velcros"
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
What you know about rockin' a wolf on your noggin?
What you knowin' about wearin' a fur fox skin?
I'm diggin', I'm diggin', I'm searchin' right through that luggage
One man's trash, that's another man's come up
Thank your grandad for donatin' that plaid button-
Up shirt 'cause right now, I'm up in here stuntin'
I'm at the Goodwill, you can find me in the bins
I'm not, I'm not stuck on searchin' in that section (men's)
Your grammy, your auntie, your mama, your mammy
I'll take those flannel zebra jammies second hand and rock that, motherfucker
The built-in onesie with the socks on that motherfucker
I hit the party and they stop in that motherfucker
They be like, "Oh, that Gucci? That's hella tight"
I'm like, "Yo, that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt"
Limited edition, let's do some simple addition
Fifty dollars for a T-shirt, that's just some ignorant bitch shit
I call that getting swindled and pimped shit
I call that getting tricked by a business
That shirt's hella dope
And having the same one as six other people in this club is a hella don't
Peep game, come take a look through my telescope
Tryna get girls from a brand? Man, you hella won't
Man, you hella won't
Goodwill
Poppin' tags, yeah
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
I'll wear your grandad's clothes
I look incredible
I'm in this big-ass coat
From that thrift shop down the road
I'll wear your grandad's clothes (damn right)
I look incredible (now come on, man)
I'm in this big-ass coat (big-ass coat)
From that thrift shop down the road (let's go, come on)
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
Hahaha
Is that your grandma's coat?
What-what, what, what?
What-what, what, what?
What-what, what, what?
What-what, what, what? (Da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
What-what, what, what? (Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
(Da-dum, ba-dum, ba-da-do-da)
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome (now)
Walk up to the club like, "What up, I got a big cock"
Nah, I'm just pumped, I bought some shit from a thrift shop
Ice on the fringe is so damn frosty
The people like, "Damn, that's a cold-ass honkey"
Rollin' in hella deep, headed to the mezzanine
Dressed in all pink, 'cept my gator shoes, those are green
Draped in a leopard mink, girls standin' next to me
Probably should've washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets
(Piss)
But shit, it was ninety-nine cents (bag it)
Coppin' it, washin' it, 'bout to go and get some compliments
Passin' up on those moccasins someone else has been walkin' in
Bummy and grungy, fuck it, man, I am stuntin' and flossin'
And savin' my money and I'm hella happy that's a bargain, bitch
I'ma take your grandpa's style, I'ma take your grandpa's style
No, for real, ask your grandpa, can I have his hand-me-downs? (Thank you)
Velour jumpsuit and some house slippers
Dookie-brown leather jacket that I found diggin'
They had a broken keyboard, I bought a broken keyboard
I bought a skeet blanket, then I bought a kneeboard
Hello, hello, my ace man, my mellow
John Wayne ain't got nothing on my fringe game, hell no
I could take some Pro Wings, make 'em cool, sell those
The sneaker heads'll be like "Ah, he got the Velcros"
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
What you know about rockin' a wolf on your noggin?
What you knowin' about wearin' a fur fox skin?
I'm diggin', I'm diggin', I'm searchin' right through that luggage
One man's trash, that's another man's come up
Thank your grandad for donatin' that plaid button-
Up shirt 'cause right now, I'm up in here stuntin'
I'm at the Goodwill, you can find me in the bins
I'm not, I'm not stuck on searchin' in that section (men's)
Your grammy, your auntie, your mama, your mammy
I'll take those flannel zebra jammies second hand and rock that, motherfucker
The built-in onesie with the socks on that motherfucker
I hit the party and they stop in that motherfucker
They be like, "Oh, that Gucci? That's hella tight"
I'm like, "Yo, that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt"
Limited edition, let's do some simple addition
Fifty dollars for a T-shirt, that's just some ignorant bitch shit
I call that getting swindled and pimped shit
I call that getting tricked by a business
That shirt's hella dope
And having the same one as six other people in this club is a hella don't
Peep game, come take a look through my telescope
Tryna get girls from a brand? Man, you hella won't
Man, you hella won't
Goodwill
Poppin' tags, yeah
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
I'll wear your grandad's clothes
I look incredible
I'm in this big-ass coat
From that thrift shop down the road
I'll wear your grandad's clothes (damn right)
I look incredible (now come on, man)
I'm in this big-ass coat (big-ass coat)
From that thrift shop down the road (let's go, come on)
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I'm, I'm, I'm huntin', lookin' for a come up
This is fucking awesome
Hahaha
Is that your grandma's coat?
Lyrics submitted by pervnerve, edited by suljic, phoebe9261, songcraze9, tigerx2374, tiffanywex, peachesflag
Thrift Shop Lyrics as written by Ryan Scott Lewis Ben Haggerty
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is a rejection of overly label-conscious clothing choices. But mostly it's just funny as hell. And the video is not to be missed. Macklemore's other music takes on more serious issues such as drug abuse, but the message of image and commercialism here is also an important one.