As well as music, Common has worked as an actor, on films such as 'Smokin' Aces' (as Sir Ivy) 'American Gangster' (as Turner Lucas), 'Wanted', and 'John Wick: Chapter 2'. He may also be seen in cameo roles in films such as 'Brown Sugar'.
His debut was the 1992 album Can I Borrow A Dollar, but he achieved little critical or commercial success until 1994's Resurrection, an instant classic. He produced several more albums, notably Like Water For Chocolate and the highly experimental Electric Circus, before releasing the Kanye West and J Dilla-produced Be in 2005, which was his first album to receive widespread mainstream appeal and radio playtime.
Common is considered a "cred" artist, which has lead him to collaborations with the likes of De La Soul, Jadakiss, T.I, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Erykah Badu, and Fort Minor.
The 2007 album Finding Forever was produced mainly by long-time collaborator, Kanye West. Common released his eighth album Universal Mind Control in 2008, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album but lost to the Eminem album Relapse. He released his ninth album The Dreamer/The Believer in 2011. Nobody's Smiling, his tenth album, was released in 2014. The concept of the album was inspired by his troubled hometown of Chicago.
Charms Alarm
Common Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What we have here is a very serious delicate situation
Lots of people out here always ridin' the dick hmmph
But check this out
I like your style I like your stride
And I like your motivation
But the Late Show we ain't standin' for that shit
So my man right here he wrote a little song about it
Ring the alarm here comes the Com
Call me Mr. Hollywood, check it out!
Ring the, alarm, here comes, the Com
Call me Mr. Hollywood
On the Goodship, Lollipop
Pop goes the lolli lolli, for I'm, the Jolly
Good Fellow, he-llo? Is anybody there?
I'm not a step, so don't stare
Because I Rock-well I always feel like
I always feel like, Somebody's Watchin Me
Ooh, Somebody's Watchin Me
It's gotta be that, that that that nigga that sweat my shit
I say say say, "Black get off the 'zack,
You block my urinal tract"
I gotta go pee-pee, yo you don't know me
You're just a New Kid on My Jock, tip-seekin' and you're phony
It's my little pony and you cannot get a ride
So when you see me homey, just please just step aside
Step aside, not talkin' wlidside, I'm comin' from the Southside
Where the ruffnecks reign, if you can't stand it, don't go outside
Cause it's hot I got the stuff to call your bluff and pull your card
And nowadays it's all these dick kids, that want to be hard
You're fraudulent, I can tell a pussy by his scent
So sorry, but the van got tipped
And out is how I'm lookin', I'm lookin' out for my people
I'm fly like I'm fly like but me don't have no eagle
Beat the beater with the juice, how far would you go to
You're never gonna get it, woo-wooh-wooh-woo!
You wasn't down from the +Jump+, so why you want to Kris Kross?
You no business buyin, insecure junkyard motherfucker
Get lost, 'cause youse a sucker
We really lucky we got 'em, you can spot 'em
From a distance, now let's just say FOR INSTANCE
You got a crank gettin' ganked for his bank by some snake
Little wench,- is you is, or is you ain't
The suck-er
You gotta gotta be, gotta be, to let the shit occur
Gettin' pimped, by a hoe, that ain't too proud to beg, for your dough
She get your money mo money mo money money mo!
I couldn't go out like that if it was my first day off of punishment
Just call me Kaopectate, in relationships, I'm runnin' shit
So don't be comin' to me with that, "We can go out, you pay"
Cancel that bitch, it's the, Unamerican way
This is the circumcision, and skins is gettin' cut off
Ridin' on my shit, just to get they nut off
NOT, no cops, just low-downs want a lick
If you ain't down with the 'Van, Dyke, get off the Dick
Cause I remember the time, the time, the time you tried
To play me like I was booty but now you're just a groupie
Sweatin' me uh, sweatin' me uh
Tellin' me when I get big don't be forgettin' me uh
But forget you, forgot you, after, I rock you
It's Blo Pop time bitch, you better set your clock
To the charms alarm
Why'd the sucker MC sucker MC cross the road?
To get to the other side?!
Why'd the sucker MC sucker MC cross the road?
To get to the other side, now check it out
I got the pep in my step, the slide in my glide
So I won't trip, when I let my backbone slip
Some shake it to the East, I'm shakin' West, well I'ma shake your mid
And I'ma get you suckaz, just give me one side, and one rib
I barbeque the mouths hey, I barbeque the mouths
Cause mom always said, don't play wack in the house!
So take that garbage to the backyard
And I was like, "Everybody want to want to rap hard"
Before you wasn't hardcore, so Sonic why ya flipped?
How you gonna hop when you ain't hip?
You found rap, on a two-way street, and lost it
On a parkway, I ain't sayin' no names, yo Rico Suave
Fuckin' goons fakin' stab wounds, I need to shank the crank
Elvis Presley Jr., tryin' to be somethin' that you ain't
No daps, y'all are hoes, y'all go on stage
And take off all your clothes, then you,- strike a pose
You knows and I knows, that's how you sell your record
Because your shit is butt, you gotta get naked!
But you're wack, you're wack, showin' your body to me
I said you're wack, you're wack, showin' your body to me
You got no Soul man, and you need to get a Pound
Cause you, ain't, ah-really down
With true hip-hop you suckers
The lyrics to Common's song "Charms Alarm" rebukes anyone who is trying to be something they are not in the hip-hop world. It begins with Common addressing someone who is following the trend and not being authentic to themselves. He praises someone else for their individuality and motivation, but then introduces a song that calls out those who are just riding on the coattails of the genre. The lyrics express that Common is not going to tolerate fakeness in the hip-hop scene, and anyone who is not genuine will be disregarded. He calls out people who are trying to imitate other rappers and not creating their own style.
In the song, Common uses clever wordplay to communicate his message. He references other artists and incorporates popular phrases from the time period. The chorus repeats, "Ring the alarm, here comes the Com, call me Mr. Hollywood," which shows off his confidence and attitude towards his abilities. He adds small jabs at other artists, like "I barbeque the mouths," which is a play on Naughty By Nature's "O.P.P." line, "You down with O.P.P.? Yeah, you know me." The lyric "I always feel like somebody's watching me" is from Rockwell's song of the same name, which adds another layer of humor to the verse. Overall, the lyrics to "Charms Alarm" promote individuality, authenticity, and hard work in the hip-hop industry.
Line by Line Meaning
A hem
Listen up, pay attention
What we have here is a very serious delicate situation
There's a major problem that needs to be addressed carefully
Lots of people out here always ridin' the dick hmmph
Many people are trying to gain favor by being supportive
But check this out
But listen to this
I like your style I like your stride
I appreciate your way of doing things
And I like your motivation
I admire your drive and determination
But the Late Show we ain't standin' for that shit
But we won't tolerate that behavior here
So my man right here he wrote a little song about it
So this guy here wrote a song addressing the issue
Why don't you sing it
Why don't you perform it?
Ring the alarm here comes the Com
Alert everyone, the Com is here
Call me Mr. Hollywood, check it out!
Refer to me as Mr. Hollywood, take a look
On the Goodship, Lollipop
On this enjoyable journey
Pop goes the lolli lolli, for I'm, the Jolly
The lollipop pops because I'm the jolly one
Good Fellow, he-llo? Is anybody there?
Hello, is anyone listening?
I'm not a step, so don't stare
I'm not here to be looked down upon, so don't stare
Because I Rock-well I always feel like
Because I'm Rockwell, I always have this feeling
I always feel like, Somebody's Watchin Me
I always feel like someone is watching me
Ooh, Somebody's Watchin Me
Oh, someone is definitely watching me
It's gotta be that, that that that nigga that sweat my shit
It must be that person who is jealous of my success
I say say say, 'Black get off the 'zack,
I'm telling this person to stop bothering me
You block my urinal tract'
You're causing me discomfort
I gotta go pee-pee, yo you don't know me
I need to use the bathroom, you don't understand me
You're just a New Kid on My Jock, tip-seekin' and you're phony
You're just trying to get attention and you're fake
It's my little pony and you cannot get a ride
I have control over the situation and won't let you join me
So when you see me homey, just please just step aside
So when you see me, please move out of the way
Step aside, not talkin' wlidside, I'm comin' from the Southside
Step aside, I'm not talking about going wild, I'm representing the Southside
Where the ruffnecks reign, if you can't stand it, don't go outside
Where tough people dominate, if you can't handle it, stay away
Cause it's hot I got the stuff to call your bluff and pull your card
Because it's intense, I have the ability to expose your lies
And nowadays it's all these dick kids, that want to be hard
These kids nowadays are trying to act tough
You're fraudulent, I can tell a pussy by his scent
You're fake, I can easily identify someone weak
So sorry, but the van got tipped
I'm sorry, but my group ran into some trouble
And out is how I'm lookin', I'm lookin' out for my people
I'm watching out for my friends and supporters
I'm fly like I'm fly like but me don't have no eagle
I'm confident and stylish, but I don't have any backing
Beat the beater with the juice, how far would you go to
Overcome obstacles with determination, how much effort are you willing to put in
You're never gonna get it, woo-wooh-wooh-woo!
You'll never understand, woo-wooh-wooh-woo!
You wasn't down from the +Jump+, so why you want to Kris Kross?
You weren't supportive from the beginning, so why do you suddenly want to be involved?
You no business buyin, insecure junkyard motherfucker
You have no right to be involved, you're a worthless and insecure person
Get lost, 'cause youse a sucker
Go away, because you're a fool
We really lucky we got 'em, you can spot 'em
We are lucky to have them, they're easily recognizable
From a distance, now let's just say FOR INSTANCE
From far away, let's give an example
You got a crank gettin' ganked for his bank by some snake
Someone is stealing money from an unsuspecting person
Little wench,- is you is, or is you ain't
Hey, are you really telling the truth or not?
The suck-er
The fool
You gotta gotta be, gotta be, to let the shit occur
You must allow and accept this nonsense to happen
Gettin' pimped, by a hoe, that ain't too proud to beg, for your dough
Being taken advantage of by someone who is shamelessly asking for your money
She get your money mo money mo money money mo!
She keeps asking for more money
I couldn't go out like that if it was my first day off of punishment
I would never let myself be taken advantage of, even if it were my first day after being punished
Just call me Kaopectate, in relationships, I'm runnin' shit
Refer to me as Kaopectate, because I'm in control of my relationships
So don't be comin' to me with that, 'We can go out, you pay'
Don't come to me with the expectation that I'll pay for everything
Cancel that bitch, it's the, Unamerican way
Forget about that, it goes against our values
This is the circumcision, and skins is gettin' cut off
This is the process of getting rid of unnecessary things and removing obstacles
Ridin' on my shit, just to get they nut off
Trying to benefit from my success without contributing
NOT, no cops, just low-downs want a lick
Not the police, just people wanting to benefit from me
If you ain't down with the 'Van, Dyke, get off the Dick
If you don't support and respect me, then leave
Cause I remember the time, the time, the time you tried
I remember when you attempted
To play me like I was booty but now you're just a groupie
To treat me poorly, but now you're just a fan
Sweatin' me uh, sweatin' me uh
Obsessed with me, obsessed with me
Tellin' me when I get big don't be forgettin' me uh
Telling me not to forget about you when I become successful
But forget you, forgot you, after, I rock you
But forget about you, I've moved on after impressing you
It's Blo Pop time bitch, you better set your clock
It's time for me to shine, you better be ready
To the charms alarm
Pay attention to the warning
Why'd the sucker MC sucker MC cross the road?
Why did the foolish rapper cross the road?
To get to the other side?!
To reach the other side?
Why'd the sucker MC sucker MC cross the road?
Why did the foolish rapper cross the road?
To get to the other side, now check it out
To reach his destination, now listen to this
I got the pep in my step, the slide in my glide
I'm confident and have a smooth style
So I won't trip, when I let my backbone slip
I won't stumble when I show vulnerability
Some shake it to the East, I'm shakin' West, well I'ma shake your mid
Some people focus on the East, but I'm focusing on the West and I will overpower you
And I'ma get you suckaz, just give me one side, and one rib
And I'll defeat you all, just give me a chance
I barbeque the mouths hey, I barbeque the mouths
I shut down the critics, I shut down the critics
Cause mom always said, don't play wack in the house!
Because my mom always told me not to bring nonsense into the house!
So take that garbage to the backyard
Take that nonsense somewhere else
And I was like, 'Everybody want to want to rap hard'
And I said, 'Everyone wants to act tough'
Before you wasn't hardcore, so Sonic why ya flipped?
You weren't tough before, so why are you pretending now?
How you gonna hop when you ain't hip?
How can you act cool when you're not even knowledgeable?
You found rap, on a two-way street, and lost it
You stumbled upon rap, but lost your way
On a parkway, I ain't sayin' no names, yo Rico Suave
On a major road, I'm not giving any specific names, hey Rico Suave
Fuckin' goons fakin' stab wounds, I need to shank the crank
Fake tough guys claiming injuries, I need to confront their lies
Elvis Presley Jr., tryin' to be somethin' that you ain't
Someone pretending to be Elvis Presley Jr., trying to be someone they're not
No daps, y'all are hoes, y'all go on stage
No respect, you're all fake, you go on stage
And take off all your clothes, then you,- strike a pose
And strip naked, then you strike a pose
You knows and I knows, that's how you sell your record
You know and I know, that's how you promote your music
Because your shit is butt, you gotta get naked!
Because your music is terrible, you have to rely on nudity!
But you're wack, you're wack, showin' your body to me
But you're terrible, showing your body to me
I said you're wack, you're wack, showin' your body to me
I said you're awful, showing your body to me
You got no Soul man, and you need to get a Pound
You lack soul, and you need to improve
Cause you, ain't, ah-really down
Because you're not truly committed
With true hip-hop you suckers
With real hip-hop, you fools
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind