Back In The Days
Ahmad Lyrics

Back in the days when I was young I'm not a kid anymore
In my younger years, I spent my time enjoying the freedom and carefree nature of childhood, but now I am an adult and do not experience those same joys.

But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again
Although I am now an adult, there are moments when I yearn to return to my childhood and experience the innocence and lack of responsibility again.

I remember (back in the days)
There are certain memories and moments from my childhood that I reminisce about fondly.

When I just a little gigolo
In my youth, I was naive and inexperienced about the ways of the world.

I looked up to my bigger bro
My older brother served as a role model and I admired him.

Begged if I could kick it so
I asked him if I could spend time with him and his friends.

When he went out with girls I could go taggin along
If my brother was spending time with girls, I wanted to join them as well.

Naggin if she had a sis maybe could mack a baby hoodrat
I would try to flirt with the girls my brother was spending time with in hopes of finding a potential girlfriend.

Y'all remember way back then, when it was 1985
Do you recall the year 1985 when I was a child?

All the way live, I think I was about ten
I was fully present and enjoying life during this time; I believe I was around the age of ten years old.

One of those happy little niggas singin the blues
Although I was a content child, there were moments of sadness in my life as well.

That be always tryin to bag with the shag and karate shoes
I was attempting to attract and impress girls with my hair and footwear.

Sayin 'Yo momma black, his momma this, his momma that'
I would engage in lighthearted insults with others, particularly about each other's mothers.

Then he get mad and wanna scrap
Sometimes, these exchanges would escalate and lead to physical fights.

We stay mad about, ten minutes then it's like back on the bike
The altercations would quickly blow over and we would resume our normal activities and interactions without issue.

To play hide and go get it with the younger hoes by the bungaloes
We would play games of flirtation with the younger girls who lived in the bungalows in our community.

Then switch to playin ding dong ditch, when that gets
After growing bored of the previous game, we moved on to playing pranks on our neighbors.

Old and too cold to hack it, threw on a bomber jacket
When it became too late or too cold to be outdoors, we would change our clothing to better fit the cooler weather.

You could tell the ballers cuz they bell wearin Gazelles
Those who were considered cool or wealthy would wear fashionable shoes called Gazelles.

And if they really had money raised be sportin BK's
Those who were wealthier would wear even more expensive shoes called BK's.

And, all the girls had they turkish link
Girls would wear a specific style of jewelry called a turkish link chain.

If it broke then they made earrings to it, like they meant to do it
If the turkish link chain broke, the girls would turn it into earrings, making it seem intentional.

But, sometimes, I still sit and reminesce
There are times when I sit and look back on these memories with fondness.

Then, think about the years I was raised, back in the days
During these moments of reflection, I think back to my younger years and upbringing.

(and everybody say)
At this point in the song, the lyrics become more repetitive and less meaningful, serving as background vocals.

(I remember way back when)
These lyrics are another example of the background vocals, adding emphasis to the idea of remembering the past.

(what?) (back in the day) (when?) (back in the day)
Similar to the previous background vocals, these lines are repeated for emphasis and to add to the song's nostalgic feel.

I'm still back in the days, but now the year is '87
Although I have moved on from my childhood, these memories still hold a special place in my heart; in this specific lyric, I am remembering the year 1987.

'88 that's when my crew and I were in junior high
During the year 1988, I was attending junior high school with my group of friends.

In 7th grade, I hated school wish it'd blown up
During my 7th grade year, I strongly disliked attending school and wished something would happen to cancel it for the day.

No doubt I couldn't wait to get out (and be a grownup)
I was eager to grow up and move on from my school years, believing adulthood would offer more freedom and joy.

But let me finish this reminescin and tellin
Although I enjoyed reflecting on the past, I need to wrap up this story and continue on with my present life.

Bout when girls was bellin tight courderoys like for the boys
At this point in the song, I begin reminiscing about a time when girls would wear tight corduroys, imitating the boys in the community.

Basket weaves, Nike Cortez, and footsie socks
I also remember specific fashion styles from this period, including basket weaves, Nike Cortez shoes, and footsie socks.

And eatin pickles, with tootsie pops
One food combination that stands out in my memory from this era is eating pickles with tootsie pops.

And it don't stop, I'm glad cuz when J.J. Fad hit
Despite the passage of time, I am happy that certain things from the past, such as the success of the group J.J. Fad, continue to be celebrated and remembered.

Supersonic it was kinda like a sport to wear biker shorts
After the song Supersonic became popular, it also became fashionable to wear biker shorts.

Or, to wear jeans and it seemed like the masses
Another trend during this time was wearing jeans, which became popular amongst the larger population.

Of hoochies, had poison airbrushed on they asses
Women who were considered promiscuous or 'hoochies' would airbrush toxic images on their buttocks for shock value.

Dudes, had on Nike suits, and the Pumas with
Men would wear Nike tracksuits and Pumas with fat laces.

The fat laces, cuz it was either that or K-Swiss
Fat laces were so popular that people would choose them over other fashionable options, such as K-Swiss shoes.

I miss those days, and so I pout like a grown jerk
I am nostalgic for these days and sometimes behave like a petulant child when I cannot return to them.

Wishin all I had to do now, was finish homework
I sometimes long for the simplicity and minimal responsibilities of my school years, and only having to complete homework assignments.

It's true, you don't realize really what you got til it's gone
This lyric is an introspective statement about the human experience and the tendency to take blessings for granted until they are no longer available.

And I'm not, gonna sing another sad song, but
I am not interested in becoming overly sentimental or emotional about the past, but rather just reliving certain moments in time.

Sometimes I do sit and reminesce then
These lyrics are repeated from an earlier part of the song, further emphasizing the idea of reflecting on past experiences.

Think about the years I was raised, back in the days
At this point, the echoing chorus of 'back in the days' continues to emphasize the idea of reminiscing on the past.

Well, it's the niggerole, I figure that now I'm all grown up
As I have matured and become an adult, I am now more aware of the societal struggles and injustices faced by people of color.

Because I'm eighteen years old, and guess you could say I'm holdin
At the age of eighteen, I am now considered an adult and have achieved some level of success.

Down a steady job and crew steady mobbin
I now have a reliable job and a group of friends who are loyal and supportive.

You steady bobbin your head and I'm paid, so I got it made
In this lyric, I am bragging about my success and wealth, while acknowledging that others are enjoying my music.

But, didn't always have clout, used to live in South Central L.A
Although I am successful now, I was not always in this position and used to live in a neighborhood known for poverty and violence.

That's where I stayed and figured a way out
Despite the challenges of my early life, I was able to find a path to success and prosperity.

I gave it all I had so for what it's worth
In my pursuit of success, I worked hard and dedicated myself fully to my goals.

I went, from rags to riches which is a drag but now I'm first
I experienced a significant shift in my socio-economic status, which can be difficult to adapt to, but now I am considered successful and respected by others.

So Ahmad and The Jones' is on our way up
My music career and group are on the rise and we are becoming more popular.

Yup, we said that we was gonna make it since a kid
Even when I was a child, I proclaimed that I would become successful in the music industry.

And we finally did, but
After putting in the hard work and dedication, we are finally experiencing success, but we recognize that there is still further to go.

Sometimes I still sit there reminescin
Once again, I return to the frequent theme of reflecting on past memories and experiences.

Back in the days
The final repetition of 'back in the day' serves as the outro for the song.

I got jacked for mines
This final lyric is a casual reference to being robbed for my possessions.

You sound like a white dude 'Hey I got jacked for mines!'
This is a continuation of the idea of being robbed and is delivered with some humor and sarcasm.

Aight, aight
These final lyrics end the song abruptly and seemingly without meaning.