Looking Back

Yesterday morning some lyrics popped into my head. I don't know why, and I couldn't place them at first, but I knew they were important. A haunting tale of life and a defining moment. I spent a good part of the day trying to mentally reconstruct the lyrics to the point where I could locate the song.

And I don't even like rap music, but this is iconic. A tale of the times. A tale of life.

%Don't push me, cuz I'm close to the edge...%



Probably one of the greatest rap songs ever written.

ETA - And something many people don't know...this song influenced so many other artists it's amazing. Phil Collins and Will Smith all used the laugh, along with many others. The style defined a generation of music.

It's okay...you can turn it LOUD.

Crikey

Memories of my younger days at the Bali Hai nightclub in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. UK.

Them were the days when we would light up a CS gas pastille to empty the nightclub of the local squaddies and « save » the local lasses...

Aye lad...

Those lyrics had much meaning at the time but were a bit dodgy :

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah)
Uhraah!
Bass!

Ooh White, White
Ooh White, White
Ooh White, White

(Ooh White Lines) Vision dreams of passion
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
(High fry) a very strange reaction
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
(Something like a phenomenon) Baby!
(Tellin your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
(Blow! Rock it! Blow!)

Ticket to ride, white line highway
Tell all your friends, they can go my way
Pay your toll, sell your soul
Pound for pound costs more than gold
The longer you stay, the more you pay
My white lines go a long way
Either up your nose or through your vein
With nothin to gain except killin' your brain

(Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock!)
(Blow!)

(Ahhh) Higher, baby
(Ahhh) Get higher, baby!
(Ahhh) Get higher, baby!
And don't ever come down! (Freebase!)

Rang dang diggedy dang di-dang
Rang dang diggedy dang di-dang
Rang dang diggedy dang di-dang
Diggedy dang di-dang diggedy dang di-dang

(Pipeline) pure as the driven snow
(Connected to my mind) and now I'm havin' fun, baby!
(High fry) it's getting kinda low
(Cause it makes you feel so nice) I need some one-on-one, baby!
(Don't let it blow your mind away) Baby!
(And go into your little hideaway 'cause white lines blow away)
(Blow!)

A million magic crystals, painted pure and white
A multi-million dollars almost overnight
Twice as sweet as sugar, twice as bitter as salt
And if you get hooked, baby, it's nobody else's fault, so don't do it!

(Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock!)
Raah! (Blow!)

(Ahhh) Higher, baby
(Ahhh) Get higher, baby!
(Ahhh) Get higher, baby!
And don't ever come down! (Freebase!)

(Don't you get too high) don't you get too high baby!
(Turns you on) you really turn me on and on
(When you gonna come down) my temperature is risin'
(When the thrill is gone) no, I don't want you to go

A street kid gets arrested, gonna do some time
He got out three years from now just to commit more crime
A businessman is caught with 24 kilos
He's out on bail and out of jail
And that's the way it goes
Raah!

(Kane! Sugar! Kane! Sugar! Kane!)

Athletes rejected, governors corrected
Gangsters, thugs and smugglers are thoroughly respected
The money gets divided
The women get excited
Now I'm broke and it's no joke
It's hard as hell to fight it, don't buy it!

(Freeze! Haha ha ha! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock!)
Raah! (Blow!)

(Ahhh) Get higher, baby
(Ahhh) Get higher, girl!
(Ahhh) Get higher, baby!
C'mon!
Raah!

(White Lines) Vision dreams of passion
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
(High Fry) a very strange reaction
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
(Something like a phenomenon) Baby!
(Tellin your body to come along, but white lines blow away)

Little Jack Horner sitting on the corner
With no shoes and clothes
This ain't funny, but he took his money
And sniffed it up his nose

(Hey man, you wanna cop some blow?)
(Sure, what you got, dust, flakes or rocks?)
(I got China White, Mother of Pearl, Ivory Flake, What you need?)
(Well yeah, well let me check it out man, just let me get a freeze)
(Go ahead man, stuff I got should kill ya!)
(Yeah man th-that's that's raw, wuh)

(Freeze! Haha ha ha! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock!
Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock! Freeze! Rock!)

JUST SAY NO TO THAT CRAP...


ETA : This was also one of their memorable rap songs... When RAP was RAP :



Lags

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Then this young lady was imported to the UK :



Followed by this by Olly and Gerry from the movie Breakdance :



The best part of that movie was this... Turbos broom dance (look for the wire ;-))) :



THAT was REAL poppin...

Phils laugh can be found here... ENJOY a true and pure artist... Seen him 7 times live and even had his session players in my old group :



Lags

a reply to: Lagomorphe

Collins has used the laugh several times in his albums, the first time was actually in his debut album on the song "Mama".

He would go on to use it on "In the Air Tonight".

Collins has credited Grandmaster Flash as being an influence for the style used in the song.

Oddly, Grandmaster Flash actually didn't appear in the song "The Message" though he is credited with it.

Will Smith also used the laugh in the intro to "Men in Black", and it has been an element of his rap style in a number of songs. In some circles it even defines his style, as seen here in a fun clip with Stefan Raab...

Oooo yes how can one not forget Mama!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Did you just watch our Kia advert.........from 9 years ago? (cant believe its that long....)

a reply to: Lagomorphe

Followed by this by Olly and Gerry from the movie Breakdance :

Wasn't the name of the movie "Breakin'", rather than "Breakdance"?

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Lagomorphe

Followed by this by Olly and Gerry from the movie Breakdance :

Wasn't the name of the movie "Breakin'", rather than "Breakdance"?

Yes in the USA. In the UK it was called Breakdance.

Lags

a reply to: Lagomorphe

Gotcha. I didn't realize they did that with movies.