Get Down
Cold Sweat Lyrics


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Get-Get. Get Down! - [James Brown
[Nas
Uh. Uh. Uh.
New York Streets Where Killers′ll Walk Like Pistol Pete
And Pappy Mason, Gave The Young Boys Admiration
Prince From Queens And Fritz From Harlem
Street Legends, The Drugs Kept The Hood From Starvin
Pushin Cars, Nicky Barnes Was The 70'S
But There′s A Long List Of High-Profile Celebrities
Worldwide On The Thorough Side Of Things
Livest Kings, Some Died, One Guy, One Time
One Day Grabs Me, As I'm About To Blast Heat
40-Side Of Vernon, I Turned Well He Asked Me
Whatchu Up To, The Cops Gon' Bust You
I Was A Teen Drunk Off Brew, Stumbled I Wondered
If God Sent Him, Cause Two Squad Cars Entered The Block
And Looked At Us, I Ain′t Flinch When They Watched
I Took It Upstairs, The Bathroom Mirror, Brushed My Hair
Starin At A Young Disciple, I Almost Gave My Life To What The Dice Do
Yeah Man, Throwin Them Bones
Hopin My Ace Get His Case Thrown
His Girl Ain′t Wait For Him, She In The World Straight Hoein
While He Lookin At Centerfolds Of Pretty Girls
Showin They Little Cooch, Gangstas Don't Die He′s Livin Proof
The D.a. Who Tried Him Was Lyin
A White Dude, Killed His Mother Durin The Case
Hung Jury, Now The D.a. Is Bein Replaced
Pre-Trial Hearin Is Over, It's Real For The Soldier
Walks In The Courtroom, The Look In His Eyes Is Wild
Triple-Homicide, I Sit In The Back Aisle
I Wanna Crack A Smile When I See Him
Throw Up A Fist For Black Power, Cause All We Want Is His Freedom
He Grabbed A Court Officer′s Gun And Started Squeezin




Then He Grabbed The Judge, Screams Out -- Nobody Leavin Everybody
Get Down, Get Down! Get Down, Get D

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cold Sweat's song "Get Down" are a vivid portrayal of the harsh street life of New York City, particularly the struggles of African Americans in Queens and Harlem during the 1970s. The song references several notorious figures, both real and fictional, who symbolized the violent and drug-fueled culture of the era. These include Nicky Barnes, a notorious drug kingpin who ruled Harlem in the 1970s, as well as Pappy Mason, a gangster who was known for his ruthless tactics.


The song also touches on themes of faith, redemption, and the search for identity. The singer of the song, presumably Nas, reflects on his own struggles with addiction and violence, wondering if there is a higher purpose to his life. He also grapples with the conflicting pressures of street culture and his own spiritual beliefs, as evidenced by the lines "Starin At A Young Disciple, I Almost Gave My Life To What The Dice Do / Yeah Man, Throwin Them Bones / Hopin My Ace Get His Case Thrown."


Overall, "Get Down" is a powerful and evocative exploration of the challenges faced by young people growing up in a tough urban environment, and the ways in which they must navigate complex social, cultural, and personal pressures in order to survive.


Line by Line Meaning

Get-Get. Get Down!
The song is calling for everyone to get down and groove.


New York Streets Where Killers'll Walk Like Pistol Pete
The streets of New York are so dangerous that even the notorious killer Pistol Pete could blend in.


And Pappy Mason, Gave The Young Boys Admiration
Pappy Mason, a legend in the streets, inspired admiration from young boys who dreamed of being like him.


Prince From Queens And Fritz From Harlem
Prince and Fritz were two street legends from Queens and Harlem respectively.


Street Legends, The Drugs Kept The Hood From Starvin
These street legends were able to survive and thrive by selling drugs in their neighborhoods.


Pushin Cars, Nicky Barnes Was The 70'S
Nicky Barnes was one of the top drug dealers back in the 70s.


But There's A Long List Of High-Profile Celebrities
There have been many celebrities involved in criminal activities on the thorough side of things.


Worldwide On The Thorough Side Of Things
This line reinforces that criminal activity exists all over the world.


Livest Kings, Some Died, One Guy, One Time
Many of these 'livest kings' ended up dying young, but one guy was able to survive for a long time.


One Day Grabs Me, As I'm About To Blast Heat
As the artist was about to do something violent, he was caught by someone.


Whatchu Up To, The Cops Gon' Bust You
The person who caught the singer warned him that the cops were on their way.


I Was A Teen Drunk Off Brew, Stumbled I Wondered
The artist was a teenager who was drunk and stumbled around, wondering about his life.


If God Sent Him, Cause Two Squad Cars Entered The Block
The singer starts to think that maybe God sent the person who caught him because two squad cars pulled up right after.


And Looked At Us, I Ain't Flinch When They Watched
The singer remained calm when the cops looked at them.


I Took It Upstairs, The Bathroom Mirror, Brushed My Hair
The singer went upstairs to the bathroom to check himself out in the mirror and fix his hair.


Starin At A Young Disciple, I Almost Gave My Life To What The Dice Do
As the artist was staring at his reflection, he realized that he almost gave his life to the streets by getting involved in dice games.


Yeah Man, Throwin Them Bones Hopin My Ace Get His Case Thrown
Throwing dice was a common street activity and the artist was hoping that his friend would win his court case.


His Girl Ain't Wait For Him, She In The World Straight Hoein
The friend's girlfriend wasn't waiting for him and was out engaging in promiscuous activities.


While He Lookin At Centerfolds Of Pretty Girls Showin They Little Cooch
The friend was looking at pornographic centerfolds of women showing their genitals.


Gangstas Don't Die He's Livin Proof
Despite the danger and violence of the streets, this friend was still alive and well.


The D.a. Who Tried Him Was Lyin
The district attorney who tried the friend was lying.


A White Dude, Killed His Mother Durin The Case
During the case, a white man killed the friend's mother.


Hung Jury, Now The D.a. Is Bein Replaced
The trial ended in a hung jury and now the district attorney is being replaced.


Pre-Trial Hearin Is Over, It's Real For The Soldier
The pre-trial hearing is over and now the friend is faced with the reality of his situation.


Walks In The Courtroom, The Look In His Eyes Is Wild
When the friend walks into the courtroom, he has a wild look in his eyes.


Triple-Homicide, I Sit In The Back Aisle
The friend is being tried for a triple-homicide and the singer is sitting in the back of the courtroom.


I Wanna Crack A Smile When I See Him
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the singer wants to smile when he sees his friend.


Throw Up A Fist For Black Power, Cause All We Want Is His Freedom
The artist wants to support his friend by throwing up a fist for Black Power and hoping for his freedom.


He Grabbed A Court Officer's Gun And Started Squeezin
In a moment of desperation, the friend grabs a court officer's gun and starts shooting.


Then He Grabbed The Judge, Screams Out -- Nobody Leavin Everybody Get Down, Get Down!
The friend then grabs the judge and yells for everyone to get down.




Writer(s): Brown James, Jones Nasir, Wesley Fred A, Gibbs Salaam Remi, Bobbit Charles A

Contributed by David L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@catirerubio

JB could not read music, he could not write music, but he could MAKE MUSIC. Flat out God given musical genius.

@lemmihilldrix1450

The best music composers often can’t read music at first, because music is something that you FEEL. James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, George Benson... they all play from the heart, and that’s where the true music lies. Not on a sheet of paper!

@SingersDream

Music comes from the heart. Not from a pen and a piece of paper. And that’s a blessing. ☺️☺️

@larrote6467

@@lemmihilldrix1450 "(some of) the best music composers..." that is very true. But even so, most of them learned about music throughout as you alluded to, and also: for every James Brown there's a Stevie Wonder and a Ray Charles. Jimi Hendrix never studied theory, but knew blues theory inside and out (which is rather simple, but very powerful).

@larrote6467

@@lemmihilldrix1450 Also, I'm pretty sure that in real life Maceo wouldn't have made that complaint,

@lemmihilldrix1450

@@larrote6467 I think you missed what I meant (or maybe I didn’t say it correctly, to which I apologize haha). Music composition itself is something that starts inside of you. You have to have a natural ear for music in order to compose anything, which is why not everyone can find notes on a piano or teach themselves without sheet music. Yes, generally all outstanding music composers can read/write music, but it’s not necessary at all; and back then a lot of black musicians couldn’t read or write music (Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, etc) they simply played what they heard in their heads. A lot of music theory (especially for blues and jazz) was taken by studying these very artists who created music spontaneously. It’s because of them that we can study the difference between blues & Jazz Rhythms. This is what I mean. Being able to read music is not a requirement for great compositions at all, but what you do need is a natural ear for music. Music theory and learning the rules only enhances the natural gift that’s already there

12 More Replies...

@TheReneex

Chadwick deserved an Oscar!

@rmarley2100

I Say The Same, he played James Brown. Hollyweird smh

@kurtadams3021

I agree

@thedrunkenramblingsnorthea4201

agreeeeeed

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