The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Uh-huh uhh, uhh, uh-uhh
Uh-huh uhh, uhh, uhh
Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!
I am back niggas
Ha ha ha ha ha
Uh-oh, uh-oh woo!
Ladies and gentlemen
H, to the Izzo
I wanna thank everybody out there for they purchase
I surely appreciate it, woo!
What you about to witness is my thoughts
Just my thoughts man, right or wrong
Just what I was feeling at the time, uhh
You ever felt like this, vibe with me
Walk with a nigga man, just vibe with me
Yo, gather round hustlers
That's if you still livin'
And get on down to that ol' Jig rhythm
Here's a couple of jewels to help you get through your bid in prison
A ribbon in the sky, keep your head high
I, Young 'Vito, voice of the young people
Mouthpiece for hustlers, I'm back motherfuckers
Your reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns
Y'all can't fuck with Hov', what type of X y'all on?
I got great lawyers for cops so dress warm
Charges don't stick to dude, he's Teflon
I'm too sexy for jail like I'm Right Said Fred
I'm not guilty, now gimme back my bread
Mr. District Attorney, I'm not sure if they told you
I'm on TV everyday, where the fuck could I go to?
Plus Hov' don't run, Hov' stand and fight
Hov' a soldier, Hov' been fightin' all his life so
What could you do to me? It's not new to me
Sue me? Fuck you, what's a couple dollars to me?
But you will respect me, simple as that
Or I got no problem goin' back
I'm representin' for the seat where Rosa Parks sat
Where Malcolm X was shot, where Martin Luther was popped
So off we go, let the trumpets blow
And hold on, because the driver of the mission is a pro
The ruler's back
Uhh, uh-huh uhh uhh
I am back niggas
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Turn the motherfuckin' music up
The ruler's back
I am back niggas
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, in these times, well at least to me
There's a lot of rappers out there tryin' to sound like Jay-Z
I'll help you out, here's what you do
You gonna need a wide lens 'cause that's a very big shoe
And you got a couple of beans and you don't have a clue?
You situation is bleek, I'ma keep it real 'cause
Fuckin' with me, you gotta drop a mil'
'Cause if you gonna cop somethin' you gotta cop for real
Don't only talk it, walk like it
From the bricks to the booth
I could predict the future like Cleo the psychic
You can't date skee-os and wife it
And you can't sell me bullshit, we know the prices
So what your life is?
We gon' roll 'til the wheels fall off, y'all muh'fuckers check the tires
Off we go, let the trumpets blow
And hold on, because the driver of that Bentley is a pro
The ruler's back
Uhh, uhh
I am back niggas
Feels good! Ha
Pah, holla at me!
The ruler's back
Yeah, woo!
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Now bounce, come on bounce
Uhh, woo! Woo!
Bounce, come on bounce
Uhh, uhh, yeah, yeah
Bounce, come on bounce
Uhh, yeah, just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen
Just what I'm feelin at the time, you know what I mean?
Knahmean?
Uh-huh uhh, uhh, uhh
Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!
I am back niggas
Ha ha ha ha ha
Uh-oh, uh-oh woo!
Ladies and gentlemen
H, to the Izzo
I wanna thank everybody out there for they purchase
I surely appreciate it, woo!
What you about to witness is my thoughts
Just my thoughts man, right or wrong
Just what I was feeling at the time, uhh
You ever felt like this, vibe with me
Walk with a nigga man, just vibe with me
Yo, gather round hustlers
That's if you still livin'
And get on down to that ol' Jig rhythm
Here's a couple of jewels to help you get through your bid in prison
A ribbon in the sky, keep your head high
I, Young 'Vito, voice of the young people
Mouthpiece for hustlers, I'm back motherfuckers
Your reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns
Y'all can't fuck with Hov', what type of X y'all on?
I got great lawyers for cops so dress warm
Charges don't stick to dude, he's Teflon
I'm too sexy for jail like I'm Right Said Fred
I'm not guilty, now gimme back my bread
Mr. District Attorney, I'm not sure if they told you
I'm on TV everyday, where the fuck could I go to?
Plus Hov' don't run, Hov' stand and fight
Hov' a soldier, Hov' been fightin' all his life so
What could you do to me? It's not new to me
Sue me? Fuck you, what's a couple dollars to me?
But you will respect me, simple as that
Or I got no problem goin' back
I'm representin' for the seat where Rosa Parks sat
Where Malcolm X was shot, where Martin Luther was popped
So off we go, let the trumpets blow
And hold on, because the driver of the mission is a pro
The ruler's back
Uhh, uh-huh uhh uhh
I am back niggas
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Turn the motherfuckin' music up
The ruler's back
I am back niggas
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, in these times, well at least to me
There's a lot of rappers out there tryin' to sound like Jay-Z
I'll help you out, here's what you do
You gonna need a wide lens 'cause that's a very big shoe
And you got a couple of beans and you don't have a clue?
You situation is bleek, I'ma keep it real 'cause
Fuckin' with me, you gotta drop a mil'
'Cause if you gonna cop somethin' you gotta cop for real
Don't only talk it, walk like it
From the bricks to the booth
I could predict the future like Cleo the psychic
You can't date skee-os and wife it
And you can't sell me bullshit, we know the prices
So what your life is?
We gon' roll 'til the wheels fall off, y'all muh'fuckers check the tires
Off we go, let the trumpets blow
And hold on, because the driver of that Bentley is a pro
The ruler's back
Uhh, uhh
I am back niggas
Feels good! Ha
Pah, holla at me!
The ruler's back
Yeah, woo!
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Now bounce, come on bounce
Uhh, woo! Woo!
Bounce, come on bounce
Uhh, uhh, yeah, yeah
Bounce, come on bounce
Uhh, yeah, just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen
Just what I'm feelin at the time, you know what I mean?
Knahmean?
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
The Ruler's Back Lyrics as written by Phillip L Hurtt Shawn C Carter
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
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.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Thanks for this song Jay. This was the song that I played after I drove home from my last exam of my last semester of school. It was the soundtrack to the thought that I will die educated if nothing else. Wayne State University holla back.
I think when he says "f'real" in the line after listing the ROC, he's talking about Pharrell.
Sick song, though.