We Ain't Them {prod. Childish Gambino and Ludwig}
Childish Gambino Lyrics
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I got a tab at the Stone baby, this long
My little brother was having a little trouble
I hope that he doesn't care that it's in this song
Korean town lunchin', talking 'bout how to run things
He said Atlanta wanted something
Waka, Jeezy, and Future got the streets locked down
Copycats making sure Tip keep that crown
I'm fucking 'round with the truth, went to see The Roots
Quest brought me back on stage in a suit
I went hard cause niggas say that I'm soft
Even Black Thought thought I maimed it a little hard, I gotta be honest
Feeling like the other stuff is kinda behind us
Making jokes here and there done got us some dollars
I'm tryna show the whole world what it is and it ain't a game
He said homie stay the course, ain't shit changed
Weird night and everybody was tipsy
Hanging out with Questlove reminiscing 'bout Whitney
He like, "Man, we can't even make it to 50?!"
That reminds me, I sent a long text message to my mom and pop
I got the same speech when I left 30 Rock
My mom like "Why you wanna leave a good job?"
My dad like "Do your thing, boy, don't stop"
Shout out to my nigga Lud, shout out to my nigga Swank
For hanging at the crib and telling me what you think
Speak from your heart and never compromise what you feel is real
And never let these white people tell you how to feel
Never let anybody tell you how to feel
I wanted what they had back in the fourth grade
Family vacas, you know I did it all
Just to see my little sis by a waterfall
My great granddad bought his own freedom
Walk barefoot to Virginia to start his own peanut farm
So don't be alarmed, man I'm royalty
Jam of the week, V103
No cosign, no bovine
More swag, pull back on the punchlines
Starving, every track means lunch time
I'm a star, how could I not shine?
Fuck boys chase hype-track chicks
And niggas who stopped texting after 1.6
DG Lover ain't nothing to fuck wit'
D-Money ain't nothing to fuck wit'
And what's a leader if he isn't reluctant
Too bad for y'all, I'm blasting off
I'm not Asher Roth, I don't sleep on my bread
Dick riders stay close, I might flash a ball
Sometimes, all this shit make a nigga feel guilty
I used to sleep with them roaches
Back of my mind though, I hope the show gets cancelled
Maybe then I can focus
Hawaii touch down, go ahead baby put your shades on
East Side! East Side to the gravestone!
Brown liquor, but my girl in Bed-Stuy
Nigga, you got Drive like a sale at Best Buy
Hold up, hold up, we can do better
Put my voice on the track, man that shit is much wetter
At the studio at 8 AM
Hit the booth then eat, nigga we ain't them, nigga we ain't them!
Drop a line, it's your Facebook status
Said that shit about a week ago, you still mad at us
If there's something on your chest, nigga let it out
Cause I'm the best da da da
The song "We Ain't Them" by Childish Gambino is an introspective reflection on his rise to fame and his family's history of struggle. He begins the song by describing himself picking out his fro with a fist comb, a clear nod to his Blackness, before revealing he has a tab at the Stone, a popular club in LA. He mentions his younger brother's struggles and wonders if he will be upset that he is airing it out in a song. Gambino then reminisces about a conversation he had with a friend in Koreatown, where they discussed rap music and the top artists from Atlanta, including Waka, Jeezy, Future, and T.I.
In the next verse, Gambino describes his experience performing with The Roots and wearing a suit, something that Black Thought thought was a bit too hard. He also notes that the jokes he made got him some money but he is ready to show the world what he is really about. Gambino then talks about his family and his desire to have what they had when he was a child, such as family vacations. He reveals that his great-grandfather bought his freedom and started his own peanut farm, which he sees as a source of pride. Finally, Gambino talks about his rise to fame and how he struggles to handle it, feeling guilty and wondering if he should focus more. However, he ends the song confidently proclaiming his greatness and encouraging others to speak their mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Picking out my fro with my fist comb
I am getting ready for the day, combing my hair with a fist comb.
I got a tab at the Stone baby, this long
I am out on the town and I have a long list of things to do.
My little brother was having a little trouble
I hope that he doesn't care that it's in this song
My younger sibling was going through a rough patch, and I hope he doesn't mind me talking about it in this song.
Korean town lunchin', talking 'bout how to run things
He said Atlanta wanted something
Waka, Jeezy, and Future got the streets locked down
Copycats making sure Tip keep that crown
Having lunch in Koreatown, discussing how to become successful. We talked about how Atlanta had a strong hold on the music scene, with artists like Waka, Jeezy, and Future being on top. But, there were also a lot of copycats trying to emulate T.I. to keep his crown.
I'm fucking 'round with the truth, went to see The Roots
Quest brought me back on stage in a suit
I'm playing with the truth, but then went to see The Roots. Questlove invited me back on stage wearing a suit.
I went hard cause niggas say that I'm soft
Even Black Thought thought I maimed it a little hard, I gotta be honest
I worked hard because people thought I was soft. Even Black Thought agreed I went a bit too hard, and I have to be truthful.
Feeling like the other stuff is kinda behind us
Making jokes here and there done got us some dollars
I feel like we have left some things behind. Joking around here and there helped bring in some money.
I'm tryna show the whole world what it is and it ain't a game
He said homie stay the course, ain't shit changed
I'm trying to show the whole world what life is really about, and it's not a game. My friend told me to stay on course because nothing has changed.
Weird night and everybody was tipsy
Hanging out with Questlove reminiscing 'bout Whitney
He like, "Man, we can't even make it to 50?!"
We had a strange night and everyone was a little drunk. I was hanging out with Questlove and we were talking about Whitney Houston. He said, 'We can't even make it to 50?!' which reminded me of texting my parents earlier.
That reminds me, I sent a long text message to my mom and pop
I got the same speech when I left 30 Rock
My mom like "Why you wanna leave a good job?"
My dad like "Do your thing, boy, don't stop"
Thinking back on my text message to my parents, I remember getting the same speech from them when I left 30 Rock. My mom asked why I would leave a good job and my dad simply told me to keep doing my thing.
Shout out to my nigga Lud, shout out to my nigga Swank
For hanging at the crib and telling me what you think
Speak from your heart and never compromise what you feel is real
And never let these white people tell you how to feel
Never let anybody tell you how to feel
Giving a shoutout to Lud and Swank for hanging out with me and giving me words of wisdom. They told me to speak from the heart and never compromise on what I believe. Don't let any white people tell you what to do, and never let anyone else manipulate your feelings.
I wanted what they had back in the fourth grade
Family vacas, you know I did it all
Just to see my little sis by a waterfall
I wanted the things my classmates had back in fourth grade, like taking family vacations. I eventually did it all just to see my little sister by a waterfall.
My great granddad bought his own freedom
Walk barefoot to Virginia to start his peanut farm
So don't be alarmed, man I'm royalty
My great granddad bought his own freedom and walked barefoot to Virginia to start his own peanut farm. So don't be alarmed, I come from royalty.
Jam of the week, V103
No cosign, no bovine
More swag, pull back on the punchlines
Starving, every track means lunch time
I'm a star, how could I not shine?
This week's top song is on V103. No one helped me become popular, and I don't play around with bullshit. I have more swag, and I hold back on the punchlines. Every new song is like lunchtime, and I'm a star, so of course I'm shining.
Fuck boys chase hype-track chicks
And niggas who stopped texting after 1.6
DG Lover ain't nothing to fuck wit'
D-Money ain't nothing to fuck wit'
Guys who are just following the trend are chasing after the club girls. And dudes who stopped texting after 1.6 seconds aren't worth anyone's time. DG Lover and D-Money are both people not to mess with.
And what's a leader if he isn't reluctant
Too bad for y'all, I'm blasting off
I'm not Asher Roth, I don't sleep on my bread
Dick riders stay close, I might flash a ball
A leader who isn't reluctant isn't really a leader at all. Too bad for all of you, I'm blasting off. I'm not like Asher Roth, who sleeps his way to success. People who just wanna follow me better stay close because I might just start showing off with my success.
Sometimes, all this shit make a nigga feel guilty
I used to sleep with them roaches
Back of my mind though, I hope the show gets cancelled
Maybe then I can focus
Sometimes, all this stuff makes me feel guilty for having success. I remember sleeping with roaches, and in the back of my mind, I hope my show gets cancelled, so I can focus on what truly matters.
Hawaii touch down, go ahead baby put your shades on
East Side! East Side to the gravestone!
Brown liquor, but my girl in Bed-Stuy
Nigga, you got Drive like a sale at Best Buy
Landing in Hawaii, putting on the shades and embracing the culture. Representing the East Side, all the way to the gravestone. Sipping on brown liquor while my girl is in Bed-Stuy. Damn, you have some Drive like a sale at Best Buy!
Hold up, hold up, we can do better
Put my voice on the track, man that shit is much wetter
At the studio at 8 AM
Hit the booth then eat, nigga we ain't them, nigga we ain't them!
Wait a minute, we can do better than this. Adding my voice to the track makes it so much better. I'm at the studio at 8 AM, recording my music and then eating. We're not like the others, we're not like them!
Drop a line, it's your Facebook status
Said that shit about a week ago, you still mad at us
If there's something on your chest, nigga let it out
Cause I'm the best da da da
Just drop a line on your Facebook status about how you really feel. You said it a week ago, but are you still mad? If there is something troubling you, let it out. Remember, I'm the best!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald Glover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vishwanath Ji
on This Is America
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