Butter
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics

1988 Senior Year, Garvey High
The setting for the story that follows: Garvey High in 1988.

Where all the guys were corny but the girls were mad fly
The guys weren't cool, but the girls were attractive and fashionable.

Lounging with the Tipster, Cooling with Sha
Spending time with friends named Tipster and Sha.

Scoping out the honeys, they know who they are
Looking at attractive women - and the women know they are attractive.

I was the B-ball playing, fly rhyme saying
He played basketball and was good at rapping.

Fly girl getting but never was I sweating
He would get women, but wasn't desperate about it.

'Cause when it came to honeys I would go on a stroll
He would look for women to date but had no specific target in mind.

Until I met my match, her name was Flo
He found a woman he really liked named Flo.

Yeah I messed around with the one called Flo
He dated Flo.

All the troopers round the way used to call her a ho
People in the neighborhood called Flo a promiscuous woman.

But deep down in my heart I knew that Flo was good to go
Even though others said negative things about Flo, he felt she was a good match for him.

'Cause I thought it was me, like Bell Biv Devoe
He thought he was the reason why Flo was interested in him, like the song 'Poison' by Bell Biv Devoe.

But little did I know that she was playin' with my mind
Flo was manipulating him and he didn't realize it.

The only thing I learned is, good girls are hard to find
He realized that finding someone like Flo (who he thought was a good match for him) was difficult.

I feel like Heavy D, I need somebody for me
He wants to find someone who is compatible with him, like the rapper Heavy D.

Not someone who's mind is blank and tryin' to juice me for my bank
He doesn't want someone who is only interested in him for his money or possessions.

Swingin' with my main man Lucky behind my back
His friend Lucky is being unfaithful to his partner and he knows about it.

What type of crap is that, yo, how's about a smack?
He is angry about his friend's behavior and wants to hit him.

Word life, I can't front, thought I was all that
He admits he thought highly of himself at the time.

But now it seems, I met my match
He believes he has found someone who is a match for him, in Flo.

I was a stone cold lover, you couldn't tell me jack
He was confident in his ability to get women and didn't want to hear anyone's opinion on it.

Settlin' down with one girl, wasn't tryin' to hear that
He didn't want to commit to one girl, he preferred dating multiple women.

I had Tonya, Tamika, Sharon, Karen
He had dated several women named Tonya, Tamika, Sharon and Karen.

Tina, Stacy, Julie, Tracy
He had also dated women named Tina, Stacy, Julie, and Tracy.

Used ta love 'em, leave 'em, skeeze 'em, tease 'em
He would date women and then break up with them, often treating them poorly.

Find 'em, lose 'em, also abuse 'em
He would often lose interest in women quickly and sometimes treated them badly before losing interest.

My whole attitude was new day, next hon
He had a casual, uncommitted attitude towards dating.

And believe it or not, they all got done
He had dated and slept with all of the women he mentioned previously.

Well here comes Flo, with the crazy whip appeal
Flo is described as very attractive.

And I'm all true man, like Alexander O'Neal
He feels confident in his manhood, like the singer Alexander O'Neal.

Is this really love, then again, how would I know
He is uncertain if he is really in love with Flo.

After all this time tryin' to be a super-ho
He has spent a lot of time dating around and isn't used to being with one person.

She finally played me, but yo, I'd find another
Even though Flo broke his heart, he knows he will find someone else.

'Cause I got the crazy game and yo, I'm smooth like butter (ayo)
He is confident in his ability to attract women and is very smooth in his approach to dating.

It's like Butter, it's like butter baby
He is saying his dating skills are smooth like butter.

Not no Parkay, not no margarine
He is saying his skills are not fake or cheap, like margarine.

Strickly butter, strictly butter baby
Again saying his skills are smooth and top-quality.

I remember when
He is reminiscing about the past.

Girls were goodie two shoes, but now they turned to freaks
He believes that women have become more sexually promiscuous.

All of a sudden, "We love you Phife" ease off ho, my name's Malik
He is saying that women have mistaken him for his fellow band member Phife Dawg.

Phife this, Phife that, where you goin', where you at
Women are interested in Phife and keep asking Malik about him.

These girls don't know me from jack, yet I feel like the Mack
Even though women don't know him, he feels confident and cool.

You didn't want me then, so hun, don't want me now
He is saying that if someone wasn't interested in him before he was famous, they shouldn't be interested in him now.

Here, here, take the towel, wipe off your brow
He is telling women to move on from him.

And take the contact out your eye, you're far from lookin' fly
He is telling women to remove their fake contact lenses and that they aren't as attractive as they think they are.

You get an E for effort, and T for nice try
He is giving them a grade for their attempts at being attractive.

Now tell me what's the reason, for dying your hair
He is questioning why women dye their hair.

Slum village gold still dangling in your ear
He is describing their jewelry.

You barely have a neck but still sportin' a rope
He is criticizing women for wearing thick jewelry that doesn't suit them.

Four-finger ring just so Phifer can scope
Women wear jewelry to attract Malik, just like his friend Lucky.

You looked in the mirror, didn't know what to do
He is saying that women are so caught up in their looks that they don't know what to do without them.

Yesterday your eyes were brown but today they are blue
He is criticizing women for changing their eye color with contacts and saying that they aren't being true to themselves.

Your whole appearance is a lie and it could never be true
He is saying that women are not being true to themselves and that they will never look as good as they want with all the fakery.

And if you really loved yourself then you would try and be you
He is saying that women need to be comfortable with themselves instead of trying to change everything about their looks.

If your hair and eyes were real, I wouldn't have dissed ya
He is saying that he would genuinely like a woman who is natural.

But since it was bought, I had to dismiss ya
He is saying that because women are fake, he is not interested in them.

But if you can't achieve it, then why not try and weave it
He is saying that women should be honest about their looks, but if they can't change them, why not try to improve them?

If you can't extend it then you might as well suspend it
He is saying that if you can't make your hair longer naturally, then you should at least use a weave.

If you can't braid it, best thing to do is fade it
He is saying that if you can't braid your hair, you should wear it short.

I asked who did your hair and you tell me, "Diane made it"
He is mocking women for giving their braids/weaves personal names.

If you were you and just you, talk to you, maybe
He is saying that women should be comfortable being themselves and that he might be interested in someone like that.

But I can't stand, no bionic lady
He is saying that he doesn't want a woman who is all fake.

Tryin' hard to look fly, but yo, you're lookin' dumber
He is saying that women are making themselves look stupid by trying too hard to be attractive.

If I wanted someone like you, I woulda swung with Jamie Summers
He is saying that he would rather date a robot woman from the TV show The Bionic Woman than someone who is completely fake.

You want to be treated right, see Father MC
He is mocking women who want a man to treat them well, like the rapper Father MC.

Or check Ralph Tresvant, for sensitivity
He is mocking women who want men to be sensitive, like the singer Ralph Tresvant.

See I am not the one, I got more game than Parker Brothers
He is saying that he is not interested in dating women who are fake and that his dating skills are better than a board game company's skills.

Phife Dog is on the mic and I'm smooth like Butter
He is introducing himself as Phife Dog (his stage name) and saying that he is smooth like butter (again).