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 don't miss out on what you're passing,
you're the hootah of the funky buddah,
eluder of your fucked up style's I get wicked
so come on as Cypress starts to kick it,
cause we're like outlaws sridding while suckers are bidding,
jump behind the bush when you see me driving by'
hanging out the window, with my magnum taking out some negros
acting kind of loco I'm just another local
kid from the street getting paid for my vocals.
Here is something you can't understand,
How I could just kill a man
I'm ignoring all the dumb shit yo
cause nothing is coming from it
I'm not gonna waste no time fucking around my gat straight humming
it's humming coming at ya! sorry that I had to gat ya!
time for some action just a fraction of friction
I got the clearance to run some interference
in to your sattle light shining a battle light
Sen got the gat and I know he'll gat you right
here's an example just a little sample:
how could I just kill a man
one time tried to come in my home take my chrome
I said yo it's on. take cover or you're assed out
how do you like my chrome then I watched the rookie pass out
didn't have to blast out but I did any way, that young punk had to pay
so I just killed a man, here is something you can't understand
how I could just kill a man
It's gonna be a long time before I finish
one of the many missu-ions that I had to establish
to lite my spliff ignite you with insight so if you ain't down
bullshit. say some punk tried to get you for your auto
would call one time and play the role model?
No! I think you'll play like a thug
next you here the shot of a magnum slug, humming coming at ya!
sorry that I had to gat ya. How do you know where I'm at
when you haven't been where I've been, understand where I'm coming from. while you're up on the hill in your big home
I'm out here risking my dome, just for a bucket or a faster ducket,
just to stay alive yo I got to say fuck it.
here is something you can't understand, how I could just kill a man
you're the hootah of the funky buddah,
eluder of your fucked up style's I get wicked
so come on as Cypress starts to kick it,
cause we're like outlaws sridding while suckers are bidding,
jump behind the bush when you see me driving by'
hanging out the window, with my magnum taking out some negros
acting kind of loco I'm just another local
kid from the street getting paid for my vocals.
Here is something you can't understand,
How I could just kill a man
I'm ignoring all the dumb shit yo
cause nothing is coming from it
I'm not gonna waste no time fucking around my gat straight humming
it's humming coming at ya! sorry that I had to gat ya!
time for some action just a fraction of friction
I got the clearance to run some interference
in to your sattle light shining a battle light
Sen got the gat and I know he'll gat you right
here's an example just a little sample:
how could I just kill a man
one time tried to come in my home take my chrome
I said yo it's on. take cover or you're assed out
how do you like my chrome then I watched the rookie pass out
didn't have to blast out but I did any way, that young punk had to pay
so I just killed a man, here is something you can't understand
how I could just kill a man
It's gonna be a long time before I finish
one of the many missu-ions that I had to establish
to lite my spliff ignite you with insight so if you ain't down
bullshit. say some punk tried to get you for your auto
would call one time and play the role model?
No! I think you'll play like a thug
next you here the shot of a magnum slug, humming coming at ya!
sorry that I had to gat ya. How do you know where I'm at
when you haven't been where I've been, understand where I'm coming from. while you're up on the hill in your big home
I'm out here risking my dome, just for a bucket or a faster ducket,
just to stay alive yo I got to say fuck it.
here is something you can't understand, how I could just kill a man
Lyrics submitted by me109cito
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.
Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
I once heard an interview win which B Real stated that the lyrics to this song were inspired by his family being held at gunpoint in their apartment when he was younger. I think it was a drug user who thought he was robbing the dealer who lived across the hall. Anyway, this song deals with the anger that comes from something like that happening
The track is about brutalisation - people who grow up in a brutal environment grow up to be brutal themselves. It is addressed to a rich (probably white) audience who doesn't know how the narrator has it in him to kill people.
The narrator says his wealthy audience can't know 'where he's at' (his perspective) because they haven't 'been where I been' (IE. caught up in gang violence.)
The narrator explains that while they're 'up on the hill' (Beverly Hills) in their 'big home' he is out on the street 'risking my dome' (his head) for nothing more than a quick buck.
Because his audience have not had to grow up in a harsh environment, they are unable to see how he could 'just' kill a man. The word 'just' is particularly important as it implies that, for him, it is a trivial act.
Cypress hill wrote this song. Rage just did a cover of it on their Renegades of Funk Album.
lol DUH cypress hill wrote this way before renegades came out.
Well, as the song's meaning is really obvious (check the title) all I've got to add is that as much ass as Rage's version kicks, Cypress's is exponentially better.
you got some of the lyrics wrong bro
The line "with my magnum taking out some negros" should read "whith my magnum taking out some putos" (spanish word meaning bitches)
taking out some putos. Putos, masculine plural of puto. Puto is a bad word for homosexual, prostitute, coward...offensive (cause if you are a man you dont want to be called homosexual right?). "pinche puto!" =Fucking puto!
its pretty damn obvious... and i totally agree with renegrenade... this is the better version but ratm still kick ass
You guys are young bucks. I remember when this song first came out in 91. It was awesome then and still awesome now.