4 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
A Bird In The Hand Lyrics
(Big Bird: Sesame Street)
Hey look at this! I was cleaning out my nest
and I found a book of my old poetry
(Ice Cube)
Fresh out of school cause I was a high school grad
gots to get a job cuz I was a high school dad
Wish I got paid like I was rappin' to the nation
but thats not likely, so here's my application
Pass it to the man at AT&T
Cuz when I was in school I got the a. e. e.
But there's no s. e. for this youngsta
I didn't have no money so now I have to hunch the
Back like a slave, thats what be happenin
but whitey says there's no room for the African
Always knew that I would boycott, jeez
but welcome to McDonalds can I take your order please
Gotta sell ya food that might give you cancer
cuz my baby doesn't take no for an answer
Now I pay taxes that you never give me back
what about diapers, bottles, and similac
Do I gotta go sell me a whole lotta crack
for decent shelter and clothes on my back?
Or should I just wait for help from Bush
or Jesse Jackson, and operation Push
If you ask me the whole thing needs a douch
a masengel what the hell cracker sale in the neighborhood
To the whorehouse bitches,
Miss porker, little joe or Todd Bridges
Or anybody that he know
so I got me a bird, better known as a kilo
Now everybody know I went from po' to a nigga that got dough
So now you put the feds against me
cause I couldn't follow the plan of the presidency
I'm never givin' love again
Cuz blacks are too fuckin broke to be republican
Now I remember I used to be cool
till I stopped fillin' out my W-2
Now senators are gettin' hired
and your plan against the ghetto backfired
So now you got a pep talk
but sorry, this is our only room to walk
Cause we don't want a drug push
But a bird in the hand is worth more than the bush
tell the politicians, the hustlers: live and let live (yeah)
tell the politicians, the hustlers: live and let live (yeah)
Hey look at this! I was cleaning out my nest
and I found a book of my old poetry
Fresh out of school cause I was a high school grad
gots to get a job cuz I was a high school dad
Wish I got paid like I was rappin' to the nation
but thats not likely, so here's my application
Pass it to the man at AT&T
Cuz when I was in school I got the a. e. e.
But there's no s. e. for this youngsta
I didn't have no money so now I have to hunch the
Back like a slave, thats what be happenin
but whitey says there's no room for the African
Always knew that I would boycott, jeez
but welcome to McDonalds can I take your order please
Gotta sell ya food that might give you cancer
cuz my baby doesn't take no for an answer
Now I pay taxes that you never give me back
what about diapers, bottles, and similac
Do I gotta go sell me a whole lotta crack
for decent shelter and clothes on my back?
Or should I just wait for help from Bush
or Jesse Jackson, and operation Push
If you ask me the whole thing needs a douch
a masengel what the hell cracker sale in the neighborhood
To the whorehouse bitches,
Miss porker, little joe or Todd Bridges
Or anybody that he know
so I got me a bird, better known as a kilo
Now everybody know I went from po' to a nigga that got dough
So now you put the feds against me
cause I couldn't follow the plan of the presidency
I'm never givin' love again
Cuz blacks are too fuckin broke to be republican
Now I remember I used to be cool
till I stopped fillin' out my W-2
Now senators are gettin' hired
and your plan against the ghetto backfired
So now you got a pep talk
but sorry, this is our only room to walk
Cause we don't want a drug push
But a bird in the hand is worth more than the bush
tell the politicians, the hustlers: live and let live (yeah)
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
No comments?! This song is awesome! Especially the music, not so much the rapping, but the rapping pretty good, too. Leave comments, please... :)
This is an amazing song, probably one of Ice Cube's best (nowadays he mainly stars in family movies). It is about a young African American who is forced to turn to the crack game so he can provide for his family. Cube also states that politicians who get stricter drug laws passed are only making the situation worse.
Awesome usage of B.B. King's 'Chains & Things'. Great lyrics.
OK, a question, and a couple corrections.
1.) Does anyone know what Cube is referencing by "when I was in school I got the A-E-E"? I've tried to figure this out for years but can't make heads or tails of it...
2.) It's "There's no SC for this youngster" as in USC, University of Southern California -- not "SE" as above.
3.) "what the hell, crack will sell" NOT "cracker sell". Although, Hell Cracker does seem like a great Alt-Country band name. :-)
4.) Def one of Cube's most concise, and well-developed sets of lyrics in his immense socially-conscious rap library. My favorite Ice Cube song ever.
Brilliant illustration of the position people are put in when born into poverty: Is the right thing to obey the law, or is the right thing to feed my family?
@Kens522 Hi, In regards to your first question, "when I was in school I got the A-E-E" means that he got the highest grades when he was in school. Here's an example of what student report cards looked liked when I was growing up. http://autismdaybyday.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-happens-when-you-get-off.html
@Kens522 Hi, In regards to your first question, "when I was in school I got the A-E-E" means that he got the highest grades when he was in school. Here's an example of what student report cards looked liked when I was growing up. http://autismdaybyday.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-happens-when-you-get-off.html
@Kens522 Hi, In regards to your first question, "when I was in school I got the A-E-E" means that he got the highest grades when he was in school. Here's an example of what student report cards looked liked when I was growing up. "http://autismdaybyday.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-happens-when-you-get-off.html"
@Kens522 Hi, In regards to your first question, "when I was in school I got the A-E-E" means that he got the highest grades when he was in school. Here's an example of what student report cards looked liked when I was growing up. "http://autismdaybyday.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-happens-when-you-get-off.html"
@Rick103617 Thanks! I never saw that before. I assumed that it meant straight A’s but had no confirmation.
@Rick103617 Thanks! I never saw that before. I assumed that it meant straight A’s but had no confirmation.