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Stressed Out
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
When you're face to face with your adversity
I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
We're gonna make this thing work out eventually

Yo I ain't one to complain but there's things in the game
(What's your name?) Consequence, I'm tight, burnt like flames
(And why's that?) American dreams, they got this ghetto kid in a fiend

Don't stress that cause it's not in your bloodstream
Your whole being, comes from greatness, d'you remember
Shatan got you caught in the storms of December
And brothers on the block packing nines like September
Crazy situations keeps pockets on slender

Yo I be on the avenue where they be actin brand new
I'm splurging on these Reebok joints for shorty boo

All of a sudden, I saw these two kids frontin'
Talking out they joints but they wasn't saying nuttin'
My hand was on my toolie they was actin unruly
(Say word) Yo word up, yo I was tight caught up
But I swallowed my pride and let that nonsense ride
Because I'm positive it seems that negative dies

Yo we was at the dice game making these cats look silly
Flaming, steady running off at the Willie

I had my cash mixed, my rent due, with my play-dough
I gotta see some loot so all my girls I blow
Shook them shits in my palm let em hit the flo'
Kept my eyeballs scopign for them pigs po-po
I got to go on the ave see my parole by fo'
But I gotta steady freak these boys like JoJo

And I was doing it, til I met Ike, Spike, and Mike
One roll, they had my pockets thirstier than Sprite

Yo I know the feeling, when you feeling like a villain
You be having good thoughts but the evils be revealin'
And the stresses of life can take you off the right path (no doubt)
Jealousy and envy tends to infiltrate your staff
We gotta hold it down so we can move on past
All adversities, so we can get through fast, like that

I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
When you're face to face with your adversity
I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
We're gonna make this thing work out eventually
You got the N.W.O. (low cash flow)
Your baby's on the way (and you don't know who)
And crosstown niggas trying to (bust at you)
Aiyyo they got me stressed out (and you don't know what to do)
So frame this Kodak black, and vision to my contact
With a poultry scrap, workers get pistol smacked
The switch hitting Queens, niggas liquid sword spittin
With raw poppy, and now your first love is krill
Your vision of the mil got crept like Hey Lover
Tried to rise to the top, you just couldn't recover
And all I want is my laceration of the pie
To get this whip cream before the water runs dry
Niggas flash dancing, yo, I don't know why
You're sick of snitching, she got you cruising to the pokey
Like Smokey, the stress be trying to squeeze out a homey
While I be trying to get star status like Shinobi
So we can build a dynasty, just like the Toby's
And all I want, is the world to know my steez
These money hungry niggas is seven thirty
And got me stressed out like these frog emcees

I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
When you're face to face with your adversity
I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
We're gonna make this thing work out eventually

Don't worry we gon make it (gonna make it)
Don't worry we gon make it (oh yeah)
Don't worry we gon make it (gonna make it)
We gon make it (gotta make it)
Don't worry we gon make it (gotta make it)
We're gonna make it (we gotta make it)
Don't worry we gon make it (we gonna make it)
We gonna make it (oh)
Don't worry we gon make it (oh)
Don't worry we gon make it (gonna make it)
Don't worry we gon make it (oh)
We gon make it
Don't worry we gon make it
I know we gonna make it (we're gonna make it)
C'mon baby we gon make it (yeah)
We gon make it (yeah)
Don't worry we gon make it (we're gonna make it)
We've gotta make it (we've gotta make it)
We've gotta make it (oh yeah)
Know we're gonna make it
We're gonna make it, gonna make it, we gotta make it, know we gonna make it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to A Tribe Called Quest's song Stressed Out convey the struggles of living in an environment where it seems like everything is working against you. The rapper Consquence talks about how the American dream has left him feeling like a ghetto kid in a fiend. He suggests that despite the challenges, people should not give up because their whole being comes from greatness, and they can get through any adversity.


Throughout the song, there are references to various hardships such as financial troubles, being a young father, and living in rough neighborhoods. However, the message is a hopeful one. The repeated phrase "We're gonna make this thing work out eventually" reminds listeners that there is light at the end of the tunnel and things will get better one day.


The lyrics to this song make it clear that although the band is famous and successful, they still remember where they come from and the difficulties they faced growing up. They use their platform to give a voice to those who may not have one and bring attention to important social issues.


Line by Line Meaning

I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out
I understand the weight of stress and what it does to a person.


When you're face to face with your adversity
Confronting challenges can be very intimidating and difficult to deal with.


We're gonna make this thing work out eventually
Despite challenges, we remain confident and hopeful that everything will work out fine eventually.


Yo I ain't one to complain but there's things in the game
I don't want to sound like I'm whining but there are issues and difficulties that come with survival.


(What's your name?) Consequence, I'm tight, burnt like flames
My name is Consequence and I'm exhausted, mortified, and frustrated like the heat of flames.


(And why's that?) American dreams, they got this ghetto kid in a fiend
I'm feeling burnt out because the American dream has turned into an illusion that lures kids from the ghetto, and now they crave and obsess over it.


Don't stress that cause it's not in your bloodstream
Don't let this get to you because it's not something you're naturally inclined to do - it's an effect of the situation you're dealing with.


Your whole being, comes from greatness, d'you remember
Remember, your excellence and potential comes from within.


Shatan got you caught in the storms of December
The devil has you trapped in a difficult situation that draws parallels to the storms of winter.


And brothers on the block packing nines like September
People around you are armed and dangerous as if it's the month of September when violence is common.


Crazy situations keeps pockets on slender
Difficult circumstances make it hard to keep enough money in your pockets.


Yo I be on the avenue where they be actin brand new
I'm usually on the avenue where people pretend to be someone they're not.


I'm splurging on these Reebok joints for shorty boo
I'm spending money on Reebok shoes for my girlfriend.


All of a sudden, I saw these two kids frontin'
Suddenly, I noticed two kids acting tough and confrontational.


Talking out they joints but they wasn't saying nuttin'
They were talking non-sense and pointless banter without anything meaningful to say.


My hand was on my toolie they was actin unruly
I was ready to draw my gun, they were acting impolite and uncontrollable.


(Say word) Yo word up, yo I was tight caught up
For real, I was so emotionally involved that I was holding back from causing physical violence.


But I swallowed my pride and let that nonsense ride
I decided to be the bigger person and walk away from the confrontation, leaving the situation behind.


Because I'm positive it seems that negative dies
I'm thinking positively because negativity tends to dissipate when people respond with positivity instead of further negativity.


Yo we was at the dice game making these cats look silly
We were playing a game of dice and completely outsmarted our opponents.


Flaming, steady running off at the Willie
We were trash-talking and insulting our opponents, making them feel degraded.


I had my cash mixed, my rent due, with my play-dough
I had a mix of money I was planning to spend on leisure and fun, but also had bills to pay and expenses for rent.


I gotta see some loot so all my girls I blow
I need to make some money, so I'll go to my friends to try and get financial help.


Shook them shits in my palm let em hit the flo'
I shook some things in my palm and let them fall to the ground to see if I had enough change.


Kept my eyeballs scopign for them pigs po-po
I was on the lookout for the police.


I got to go on the ave see my parole by fo'
I had to go to the street to see my parole officer before four in the evening.


But I gotta steady freak these boys like JoJo
But I have to keep up my image and pretend like I'm untouchable like JoJo.


And I was doing it, til I met Ike, Spike, and Mike
I was succeeding and doing well until I met Ike, Spike, and Mike.


One roll, they had my pockets thirstier than Sprite
In just one game, they took all my money and left me broke.


Yo I know the feeling, when you feeling like a villain
I can relate to the feeling of being considered a villain or bad person.


You be having good thoughts but the evils be revealin'
Even though you may have good intentions, bad things can happen.


And the stresses of life can take you off the right path (no doubt)
Dealing with stress can veer you off of the path of success and happiness without a doubt.


Jealousy and envy tends to infiltrate your staff
Being surrounded by jealous and envious people can contaminate your relationships and goals.


We gotta hold it down so we can move on past
We need to stay strong and overcome these obstacles to move forward and progress.


All adversities, so we can get through fast, like that
Overcoming all challenges will allow us to move forward at a faster pace.


You got the N.W.O. (low cash flow)
You're dealing with a New World Order where money is scarce.


Your baby's on the way (and you don't know who)
You'll soon have a newborn baby but you're not sure who the father is.


And crosstown niggas trying to (bust at you)
People from other parts of town are trying to attack you.


Aiyyo they got me stressed out (and you don't know what to do)
I'm so overwhelmed and stressed out that I don't know how to deal with it all.


So frame this Kodak black, and vision to my contact
Take a picture of me and send it to my contact.


With a poultry scrap, workers get pistol smacked
With just a small amount of money, workers are getting shot and attacked.


The switch hitting Queens, niggas liquid sword spittin
The people of Queens can switch from being calm to violent and threatening very quickly.


With raw poppy, and now your first love is krill
Drugs have taken over your life and you're addicted to them.


Your vision of the mil got crept like Hey Lover
Your goal of making a million dollars has been delayed, much like the song 'Hey Lover' by LL Cool J.


Tried to rise to the top, you just couldn't recover
You tried to succeed but couldn't get back up after falling.


And all I want is my laceration of the pie
All I want is a small portion of the profits.


To get this whip cream before the water runs dry
I need to make money before it's too late and the opportunity is gone.


Niggas flash dancing, yo, I don't know why
People are showing off their wealth and status, but I don't understand why they feel the need to.


You're sick of snitching, she got you cruising to the pokey
You're tired of informing on others and now you're heading to jail because of it.


Like Smokey, the stress be trying to squeeze out a homey
Like Smokey from the movie Friday, stress can make you feel like you're losing friends or turning against them.


While I be trying to get star status like Shinobi
I'm trying to become a star like a ninja from the game Shinobi.


So we can build a dynasty, just like the Toby's
We're hoping to create a lasting legacy like the family from the show Roots.


And all I want, is the world to know my steez
All I want is for people to recognize and appreciate my style and unique talents.


These money hungry niggas is seven thirty
These greedy and selfish people are out of control.


And got me stressed out like these frog emcees
I'm as stressed out as these cut-throat and conniving MCs.


Don't worry we gon make it (gonna make it)
Don't be afraid, we'll succeed in the end.


Don't worry we gon make it (oh yeah)
Don't worry, we'll make it through this.


We gon make it (gotta make it)
We're going to work hard to achieve success.


Don't worry we gon make it (gotta make it)
We'll make it, we have to.


We're gonna make it (we gotta make it)
We're going to make it, we have to keep pushing.


Don't worry we gon make it (we gonna make it)
We'll make it, don't worry.


We gonna make it (oh)
We're going to make it, no matter what.


Don't worry we gon make it (oh)
We'll make it, don't stress out.


We gon make it
We're going to make it through this struggle and come out stronger on the other side.


I know we gonna make it (we're gonna make it)
I'm confident that we're going to make it through this tough time.


C'mon baby we gon make it (yeah)
We can do this, let's keep pushing forward.




Lyrics Β© Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Malik Izaak Taylor, Gary Taylor, Dexter Raymond Jr. Mills

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@djbop

It's not that we're hanging on to the 90's, we just want music that means something like this.

@cesaralejandroalvarado2073

A lot of good artists out there man

@stefanoc8039

If you still thinking like this just want to let you know that you are losing on more that you think

@gannibalof21st

@@stefanoc8039 what are we losing?

@mw6343

Preach BOP!

@djbop

@@gannibalof21st that's what I want to know

67 More Replies...

@kingrandor3129

Faith killed that hook

@Msalaspotja

Her voice is just pure gold

@mthokozisithabethe6885

Too much

@chriswitherspoon3754

Yes sir

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