Mirror, mirror on the wall
Asking a reflective surface for advice on personal appearance.

Tell me, mirror, what is wrong?
Wondering what the issue with oneself is.

Can it be my De La Clothes
Questioning if their clothes are the problem.

Or is it just my De La Soul?
Wondering if their inner self is the root of the problem.

What I do ain't make-believe
Acknowledging that their actions are real and genuine.

People say I sit and try
Others accuse them of being inauthentic.

But when it comes to being De La
But being themselves and true to their identity as De La Soul.

It's just me myself and I (say it now)
They're only relying on themselves to be who they are.

Always pushing that we formed an image
Accused of creating a certain image of themselves.

There's no need to lie
Refuting the claims of forming an image, as there is no need for it.

When it comes to being Plug One
When it comes to their identity as Plug One.

Mi-ine, mi-ine
Claiming ownership over one's identity.

Poems I speak are Plug Two type
Their spoken words are what identifying with Plug Two.

Please, oh, please let Plug Two be
Asking for acceptance of one's true self as Plug Two.

Himself, not what you read or write
Requesting that others see beyond what they think they know or have read about themselves.

Right is wrong when hype is written
Correct information can be perceived wrong or false when given in a context of hype.

On the Soul, De La that is
This statement may refer to the creation of the image critics accused them of earlier.

Style is surely our own thing
Their personalized style belongs to solely themselves.

Not the false disguise of showbiz
Rejecting the fake front that is often attributed to the entertainment industry.

De La Soul is from the soul
Their music and identity is based on authenticity and being true to themselves.

And this fact I can't deny
They're proud of who they are.

Glory Glory Hallelu
An expression of joy or celebration.

That glory's been denied
They feel their celebration has been cut short by those who question their true identity.

By condescending dookie eyes
People who only judge based on appearance or stereotypes.

People think they diss my person
They feel judged and disrespected as a person.

By stating I'm darkly packed
Referring to their skin color and the negative connotations associated with it by some.

I know this, so, I point at Q-Tip
They know they're being judged, but they're not letting it bring them down. Instead, they're pointing at their friend Q-Tip, who shares their skin color, and agreeing that they're both 'black.'

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Asking for advice on appearance once again.

Shovel chestnuts in my path
Dumping obstacles in their way.

Just keep all nuts twistin' up
The person causing trouble is trying to make it worse for them.

But if I do, I'll calmly punch them
If challenged, they'll stand their ground and react calmly.

In the 4th day of July
A metaphor for standing up for oneself and gaining independence from the issue at hand.

'Cause they tried to mess with third degree
The people that are trying to cause an issue or judge them are going too far.

That's me myself and I
As always, they're relying on themselves to fight their battles and stay true to their identity.

Mi-ine, mi-ine (oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
Owning their identity once again as they demand respect from those around them.

Contestant number four, do you have the answers?
Asking someone else if they have a solution to a problem.

Uh, it's on the top of my tongue, uh
Admitting that they know the solution is there, but they can't quite find it.