Bonfire
Childish Gambino Lyrics


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Okay, it's Childish Gambino, homegirl drop it like the NASDAQ
Move white girls like there's coke up my asscrack
Move black girls 'cause, man, fuck it, I'll do either
I love pussy, I love bitches, dude, I should be runnin' PETA
In Adidas, with some short shorts, B-O-O all over me
My green is where it's supposed to be, your green is in my grocery
This Asian dude, I stole his girl, and now he got that Kogi beef
My dick is like an accent mark, it's all about the over Es
Hot like a parked car
I sound weird like nigga with a hard R
Fly like the logo on my cousin's 440
Eatin' Oreos like these white girls that blow me
Vodka for my ladies, whiskey for a grown man
Hangin' in the islands, lookin' for Earl like Toejam
I made the beat retarded, so I'm callin' it a slow jam
Butcher and I know it, man, kill beef, go ham
These rappers are afraid of him
'Cause I'm a beast, bitch, "Grr", Invader Zim
Gambino is a call girl, fuck you, pay me
Brand new whip for these niggas like slavery
Told me I was awful and that shit did not faze me
Tell me how I suck again, my memory is hazy
"You're my favorite rapper now" Yeah, dude, I better be
Or you can fuckin' kiss my ass, Human Centipede
You wanna see my girl? I ain't that dumb
You wanna see my girl? Check Maxim
"Man, why does every black actor gotta rap some?"
I don't know, all I know is I'm the best one

It's a bonfire, turn the lights out (yeah)
I'm burnin' everything you muthafuckas talk about
It's a bonfire (yeah), turn the lights out (uh-huh)
I'm burnin' everything you muthafuckas talk about

You know these rapper dudes talk shit, start killin'
Fuck that, got goons like an archvillain
I'm from the South, ain't got no accent, don't know why
So this rap is child's play, I do my name like Princess Di
Yeah, they say they want the realness, rap about my real life
Told me I should just quit, "First of all, you talk white!
Second off, you talk like you haven't given up yet"
Rap's stepfather, yeah, you hate me but you will respect
I put in work, ask Ludwig
Put my soul on the track like shoes did
Played this for my cousin, now he can't even think straight
Black and white music? Now, nigga, that's a mixtape
Shout out to my blerds, they represent the realness
Shout out to Gambino Girls, my dick is in the buildin'
I know you hate me 'cause your little cousin play me
And I like black girls who nerdy, but when they dance they be sayin' "Ow"
I'm sorry for who followed me
Chillin' with a Filipina, at your local Jollibee
Yeah, I'm in her ass like sodomy
So if you see my hand under the table, don't bother me
I don't talk soft, that's that other guy
I'm screamin' "What the fuck is up?" like I ain't see the sky
The shit I'm doin' this year? Insanity
Made the beat then murdered it, Casey Anthony
These rappers won't know what to do
'Cause all I did was act me like a Loony Tune




And I'll give you all of me until there's nothin' left
I swear this summer will be summer Camp, bitch

Overall Meaning

"Bonfire" is a song by Childish Gambino that was released in 2011. Throughout the song, Gambino references a variety of topics, from his love for women to his rivalries with other rappers. Gambino also touches on issues of race and stereotypes. He points out that he doesn't have a Southern accent despite being from the South, and he jokes that he can't help rapping because he's the best black actor-turned-rapper. Gambino is self-aware and knows that his lyrics may offend some listeners, as he states, "Told me I was awful and that shit did not faze me. Tell me how I suck again, my memory is hazy." However, he continues to assert his confidence in his own abilities, reminding listeners that he is "the best one."


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "It's a bonfire, turn the lights out. I'm burning everything you muthafuckas talk about." This can be interpreted in a few different ways. On one hand, Gambino may be saying that he's burning down the old ideas and narratives that people have about him and his music. He's not interested in being put in a box and wants to create his own path. Alternatively, he could be saying that he's burning down the competition, all the rappers who talk big but can't back it up. Either way, the overall tone of the song is aggressive and confident.


Line by Line Meaning

Okay, it's Childish Gambino, homegirl drop it like the NASDAQ
I am Childish Gambino and I want you to dance like the NASDAQ stock market drops.


Move white girls like there's coke up my asscrack
I am making so much money that I can hire and afford white girls like I have a lot of coke hidden in my ass.


Move black girls 'cause, man, fuck it, I'll do either
I am so rich and famous that I can have any girl I want, regardless of their racial background.


I love pussy, I love bitches, dude, I should be runnin' PETA
I really enjoy sleeping around with women, to the extent that I may even qualify for running PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).


In Adidas, with some short shorts, B-O-O all over me
I am wearing Adidas brand and short shorts with the letters B-O-O all over me.


My green is where it's supposed to be, your green is in my grocery
I am putting my money where it should be, while your money is ending up in my bank account.


This Asian dude, I stole his girl, and now he got that Kogi beef
I stole the girlfriend of an Asian man, who is now extremely angry and might use some not-so-pleasant means to take revenge on me.


My dick is like an accent mark, it's all about the over Es
My penis is like an accent mark in the sense that it is the most important part, and it's all about going over the Es.


Hot like a parked car
I am so attractive and desirable that I'm as hot and heated as a parked car under scorching sun.


I sound weird like nigga with a hard R
My voice sounds unusual, just like the word 'nigger' with a hard 'R' sound.


Fly like the logo on my cousin's 440
I am flying like the logo on my cousin's 440 car.


Eatin' Oreos like these white girls that blow me
I am enjoying eating Oreos with these white girls who perform oral sex on me.


Vodka for my ladies, whiskey for a grown man
I am offering vodka to my female companions, and whiskey to men who are real, responsible adults.


Hangin' in the islands, lookin' for Earl like Toejam
I am spending time on an island and looking for my friend Earl, the same way one would search for a character called Toejam in a video game.


I made the beat retarded, so I'm callin' it a slow jam
I created a beat that's intentionally simple and basic, and I'm calling it a slow jam.


Butcher and I know it, man, kill beef, go ham
I know how to butcher meat, and I'm ready to kill the beef like a professional.


These rappers are afraid of him
Other rappers are scared of me and my music.


'Cause I'm a beast, bitch, 'Grr', Invader Zim
They're scared of me because I am like a beast, growling like Invader Zim.


Gambino is a call girl, fuck you, pay me
I am a 'call girl' in the sense that people use me for my talents and then pay me for it, and I don't really care about anything else but making money.


Brand new whip for these niggas like slavery
I can afford to buy a brand new car for guys who are like my slaves.


Told me I was awful and that shit did not faze me
Someone insulted me and called me terrible, but it didn't affect me or make me upset in any way.


Tell me how I suck again, my memory is hazy
If you want to criticize me and tell me I suck, you might as well not bother because I don't remember it for long or care about it.


'You're my favorite rapper now' Yeah, dude, I better be
Someone told me that I'm their favorite rapper, and I expect it to remain that way.


Or you can fuckin' kiss my ass, Human Centipede
If you don't like me or my music, you can kiss my ass like they did in the movie, Human Centipede.


You wanna see my girl? I ain't that dumb
I am not so naive as to show or introduce you to my girlfriend.


You wanna see my girl? Check Maxim
If you want to see my girlfriend, you can check out a magazine like Maxim.


'Man, why does every black actor gotta rap some?'
People often question why so many black actors feel compelled to rap as well.


I don't know, all I know is I'm the best one
I don't have an answer, but I know that I am the best artist and rapper among all those who try.


It's a bonfire, turn the lights out (yeah)
I am making fire and you should turn the lights off to enjoy it better.


I'm burnin' everything you muthafuckas talk about
I am burning down everything that you people talk about, and I don't care about the consequences.


It's a bonfire (yeah), turn the lights out (uh-huh)
I am once again telling you to turn the lights off and enjoy the bonfire.


You know these rapper dudes talk shit, start killin'
These other rappers talk a lot of shit, as if they are the real killers.


Fuck that, got goons like an archvillain
I am not scared of these guys because I have some really tough bodyguards like an archvillain in a comic book.


I'm from the South, ain't got no accent, don't know why
I come from the southern United States but I don't have an accent like most people from that region, and I don't know why that is the case.


So this rap is child's play, I do my name like Princess Di
Rapping is so easy for me that it's like child's play, and I am repeating my name like Princess Diana was famous for doing.


Yeah, they say they want the realness, rap about my real life
People often claim that they want genuine honesty in rap music so I am rapping about my real life.


Told me I should just quit, 'First of all, you talk white!
Someone told me to quit rapping because they see me as talk as if I am not black or like a stereotypical black person.


Second off, you talk like you haven't given up yet'
They added that I talk like someone who hasn't given up, implying that I should give up on my dreams.


Rap's stepfather, yeah, you hate me but you will respect
I am like the stepfather of rap music and even if you hate me, you will still acknowledge me and my influence over the genre.


I put in work, ask Ludwig
I work very hard and have a producer named Ludwig whom you can ask for confirmation.


Put my soul on the track like shoes did
I am putting my soul and essence into this song in the same way that Shoe (a singer) did in his music.


Played this for my cousin, now he can't even think straight
I played this song for my cousin and it was so amazing that he became very emotional and disoriented.


Black and white music? Now, nigga, that's a mixtape
Combining black and white music together is a great idea, and it's like a mixtape.


Shout out to my blerds, they represent the realness
I want to give a shoutout to my 'blerds' (black nerds), who represent realness in their own way.


Shout out to Gambino Girls, my dick is in the buildin'
I also want to give a shoutout to my female fans, the Gambino Girls, who are making me sexually aroused.


I know you hate me 'cause your little cousin play me
I realize that you dislike me because your younger cousin listens to my music and you can't stand it.


And I like black girls who nerdy, but when they dance they be sayin' 'Ow'
I have a preference for nerdy black girls, but when they dance, even they can't help but make sounds like 'Ow'.


I'm sorry for who followed me
I apologize to everyone who has been following me and hearing all of the things that I say or do.


Chillin' with a Filipina, at your local Jollibee
I am spending time with a woman from the Philippines at a local Jollibee restaurant.


Yeah, I'm in her ass like sodomy
I am having sexual intercourse with her, just like sodomy.


So if you see my hand under the table, don't bother me
If you notice that my hand is under the table, please do not interfere with me or what I'm doing.


I don't talk soft, that's that other guy
I don't speak in a soft voice like another person you might know.


I'm screamin' 'What the fuck is up?' like I ain't see the sky
I am energetically and excitedly shouting and asking what's going on, as if I haven't seen the sky in a long time.


The shit I'm doin' this year? Insanity
Everything I am doing this year is crazy and insane.


Made the beat then murdered it, Casey Anthony
I created a catchy beat and then completely owned it, just like how Casey Anthony got away with the murder of her daughter.


These rappers won't know what to do
Other rappers won't be able to compete with me or know how to act in response to my music.


'Cause all I did was act me like a Loony Tune
All I did was act randomly and crazy like a character from Loony Tunes.


And I'll give you all of me until there's nothin' left
I am putting all of my effort and energy into this music until I am completely spent, with nothing more to give.


I swear this summer will be summer Camp, bitch
I am absolutely convinced that this summer will be a great experience and a highlight of my life, just like summer camp was for many people in their youth.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Donald Mckinley Glover II

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@lukedavies1517

First rapper to go in hard while wearing a cardigan

@flamingstallion

He had to take it off later on because the fire he was spitting made the room too hot

@DanielSanGV

Pretty sure Kanye had him beat on that one.

@rubenstaps9461

i also think kanye did that first

@someasiankid6323

lol

@keepituppp6785

yooo donald bout fire 😈

6 More Replies...

@fruitlover8718

he seemed very timid in the start and then he just proceeded to go crazy

@starkman8773

Bansh Cwipwa thats how most of his live shit starts. Still awesome though

@nerdygameinggurl

best kind of bois B)

@carladewinter2040

Gambino came into my life
shortly ago
He's teaching me now
and I will follow him

He is one of the prophets
I am one
He told me

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