“Wordplay” by Flocabulary
Meet Will, a youngin' with an old soul,
An emcee who wants to be the next to blow.
Imagine: he’s in a dark room in Manhattan,
Scrapping, scribbling on napkins,
Trying to make a living off rapping,
But skills, he lacks them. Nobody thought that it would happen,
Until one day, Will switches his style,
Gets deep, and his wordplay gets witty and wild.
He used to sound so embarrassing,
Now peep all the metaphors and comparisons.
His life is a highway, but he’d confess,
He has a plan but needs a GPS.
He’s using references and allusions,
A lyrical Houdini, creating illusions.
Dolphins in '72 - he won't lose,
Up by the first alarm, he’s not snoozing.
You'll be amazed by every phrase,
He will come correct with the wordplay.
Literal lines that block his way,
He will come correct with the wordplay. (x2)
Comparing with like or as, he's dropping similes,
Taking little steps like a centipede.
He's sharp like a laser, sharp as a razor,
In a night as dark as Darth Vader.
Dude can juke and adjust his position,
Contrasting two things in juxtaposition,
From weak to made, cheap to paid,
A creep to a dude who leads the way.
Using personification, what’s he doing?
Making objects and animals seem human.
The moon smiles as the city breathes,
He can feel the heartbeat of the city streets.
A live show? You really oughta see it.
Will will drop some onomatopoeia,
Words that sound like what they describe,
Now the crowd's buzzing - it’s alive.
You'll be amazed by every phrase,
He will come correct with the wordplay.
Literal lines that block his way,
He will come correct with the wordplay. (x2)
Will he exaggerate? Use hyperbole?
He’s the best ever at it, so certainly.
With assonance, vowel sounds he’s repeating,
He seems the least beat in any season.
His fans are legion, all the boneheads who bring beef
Leave with lots of lyrical lesions.
That’s alliteration - same sound sentence,
It’s commonsense - he’s calm with the confidence.
Using irony, opposite meaning,
His lines hit as soft as iron, believe him,
Good with the puns and the wordplay, oh my,
Going deep in double meanings like they were a coal mine.
Will's skills are sick like ERs, you heard of this?
Get hit and you’ll see stars like Copernicus.
If you only have one chance to shine,
You better get up, get out and go wild.
“The Mouth of the Horse”
We pulled out all the stops, took it up a notch,
Stepped it up, so we're over the top.
I’m married to hip-hop till I die,
So I tied the knot…
You flip-flopped, changed your mind
So you get dropped.
"Hip-Hop is dead..."
That’s nonsense,
Stop talking, put a sock in it.
If you don’t have a sock, use a stocking,
We rockin’ it.
Like a quarry,
A diamond in the rough, no need to worry.
Now you know what’s up.
I’m off the record, off the beat, and off the cuff,
I’m off the top, I’m just making it up,
I’m caught with my pants down,
But my hands are up.
We're in your face like your nose is,
So go slow kids.
When you walk through life,
Don’t forget to smell the roses.
And I think that you know this.
Whoa, hold your horses.
You call me a chump ‘cause I’m serving verses?
Y’all know what the mouth of the horse is.
It’s the place where you hear it first kids.
It could be raining cats and dogs,
Big drops that hit when they fall.
Flocab’ll put the pedal to the metal,
If you meddle with my levels,
I’m gonna stir it up like Steve Biko, never settle.
They say the devil’s in the details,
So if you're making a beat,
Never overlook the treble.
I'll be selling this retail,
Like Sally at the seashore selling seashells.
Followers ride our coattails,
We cut them off each week like toenails.
Oh yeah, Flocab up on that,
Crews who be chewing the fat,
Talking bout this and bout that,
Oh, now we up on the map.
Whoa, hold your horses.
You call me a chump ‘cause I’m serving verses?
Y’all know what the mouth of the horse is.
It’s the place where you hear it first kids.
This is news for all you new crews,
Keep your kids close like Kangaroos do.
I could eat a horse, or an animal,
So hungry I can’t stand it though.
I see red when I’m mad like the Red Sea,
Or the color other than blue on your Pepsi,
Who are you to test me?
Hold your horses like a jockey,
Cause it’s impossible to stop me…
Whoa, hold your horses.
You call me a chump ‘cause I’m serving verses?
Y’all know what the mouth of the horse is.
It’s the place where you hear it first kids.
An idiom is a word or group of words where the meaning is not the same as what the words actually or literally mean. This song teaches common American English idioms.
Pulled out all the stops: Did everything possible to make something good.
Took it up a notch: Increased effort beyond expectations
Stepped it up: Increased effort
Over the top: Out of control; too much
Tied the knot: Got married
Flip-flopped: Changed your mind
Get dropped: Get rejected or excluded from something
Put a sock in it: A rude way to tell someone to stop talking.
A diamond in the rough: A person who appears to be tough or bad, but is truly good
Off the record: To say something unofficially, that you wouldn't want a journalist to print
Off the cuff: Made up at that moment; without planning
Off the top (of your head): To say the first thing that comes to mind; speak without preparation
Caught with my pants down: Caught in an embarrassing situation
In your face: Very direct, possibly rude
Don't forget to smell the roses: Take time to stop and appreciate the beauty in life.
Hold your horses: Wait a minute. Be patient.
Mouth of the horse, or often, "Straight from the horses mouth": From the best authority, or from someone you can trust who really experienced what happened
Raining cats and dogs: Raining very hard
Put the pedal to the metal: Move very quickly
Stir it up: Cause trouble or controversy
The devil's in the details: When something seems easy, the small, detailed parts of it can make it difficult
Ride our coattails: When someone else unfairly benefits from your hard work
Cut them off: Don't let someone continue what he or she is doing.
Chewing the fat: Have meaningless conversation to pass time
On the map: Famous
I could eat a horse: I am very hungry.
I can't stand it: Something is bothering me a lot.
I see red: I am angry.