Superfly
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics

Darkest of night
It's late in the evening and it's dark outside

With the moon shining bright
But the moon is shining, so there's still some light

There's a set goin' strong
There's a party or gathering happening

Lotta things goin' on
There's a lot of activity and commotion

The man of the hour
There's a man who's the center of attention

Has an air of great power
He seems very confident and in control

The dudes have envied him for so long
Other men have been jealous of him for a while

Oh, superfly
Here comes the man that everyone's been talking about

You're gonna make your fortune by and by
He's planning to make a lot of money soon

But if you lose, don't ask no questions why
If he fails, he shouldn't question what went wrong

The only game you know is do or die
He's accustomed to playing dangerous games where the stakes are high

Hard to understand
He's difficult to comprehend

What a hell of a man
But he's certainly an impressive, tough guy

This cat of the slum
He's from a rough neighborhood

Had a mind, wasn't dumb
He wasn't an idiot, despite his tough upbringing

But a weakness was shown
However, he did have a flaw

'Cause his hustle was wrong
The way he was making money was unethical or illegal

His mind was his own
But he had his own thoughts and ideas

But the man lived alone
He was a loner, without a close partner or friend

The game he plays he plays for keeps
He's not just playing around, but really means business

Hustlin' times and ghetto streets
He's making his living in tough urban areas

Tryin' ta get over
He's trying to make it to the top

(That's what he tryin' to do, y'all)
(That's his goal, you see)

Taking all that he can take
He's seizing every opportunity he can

Gambling with the odds of fate
He's risking a lot, hoping for success

The aim of his role
His ambition is

Was to move a lot of blow
To sell large amounts of drugs

Ask him his dream
If you ask him about his ultimate goal

What does it mean?
He wouldn't be able to explain it

"Can't be like the rest"
He doesn't want to be average or ordinary

Is the most he'll confess
He's not willing to give away much more than that

But the time's running out
He knows that his opportunities may be limited

And there's no happiness
And despite all his striving, he's still not content

Woo, superfly
There he goes, the man himself

Tryin' ta get over
Still trying to succeed

Tryin' ta get over
Doing whatever it takes to make it

Tryin' ta get over
No matter what the obstacles

Tryin' ta get over
He's determined to emerge on top

Tryin' ta get over
Despite the odds against him

Tryin' ta get over
Through thick and thin

Tryin' ta get over
Until he finally makes it

Tryin' ta get over
Tryin' ta get over