The Real Thing
Cypress Hill / Pearl Jam Lyrics


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It's time, I came to get mine
Runnin' through the hoods with a hand on the nine
Why do the pigs come?
Bring your ass on cross the line so I can get the blast on
Oh shit, I'm empty, but I got a shank on the side so don't even tempt me
Runnin' the program, Cypress Hill on the real
With the Pearl Jam and I'm packin' the steel
Don't come my way, 'cause it only takes one minute to reach for the AK
Then pow!, whatcha' gonna do now
Nowhere to run when my dog's on the prow
Prowlin', howlin', give it up punk, you might want to throw the towel in
I like doin' the ill thing, 'cause ain't nothin' like the real thing

It ain't nothin' like the real thing
It ain't nothin' like the real
Ain't nothin' but the real thing
Ain't nothin' but the Hill
Ain't nothin' but the real thing
Ain't nothin' but the real
Ain't nothin' but the real thing
Ain't nothin' but the Hill

Keep me a tazer up in the blazer
And the black nine by the waistline
Never know when someone'll test ya'
Let you know I got mine by my body, yes why'all
I'm the victim that became the attacker
Have my little friend waitin' for the carjacker
That'll do anything for the looper
When I leave the Hill I strack when I swoop

Clack, clack, bang, bang, 'cause it ain't no thang
When I hang with Stone and I kick that funky slang
I got the funk when I got ta' do the ill thing
'Cause ain't nothin' like the real thing
Ain't nothin' like the real thing } (2x)
Ain't nothin but the real }





Ain't nothin' like the real thing } (2x)
Ain't nothin' but the Hill }

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Real Thing" by Cypress Hill; Pearl Jam depict a scene where the singer is running through the streets with a gun in hand, waiting for someone to cross the line so that he can take the shot. The song describes a menacing situation where the singer is ready to defend himself with force, indicating a rough history of violence that he is familiar with. He speaks about the need to always be prepared for potential danger, hence why he is constantly armed with a tazer and a gun. The singer also expresses his affinity for doing "the ill thing" and how nothing compares to the real thing, which may allude to the adrenaline rush and thrills of engaging in risky behavior.


Line by Line Meaning

It's time, I came to get mine
I'm ready to claim what's rightfully mine


Runnin' through the hoods with a hand on the nine
I'm moving quickly through the neighborhood with my gun ready for any danger


Why do the pigs come?
Why do the police always show up when I'm minding my own business?


Bring your ass on cross the line so I can get the blast on
Come across this line and I'll shoot you


Oh shit, I'm empty, but I got a shank on the side so don't even tempt me
I've run out of ammo, but I have a knife as a backup so don't try me


Runnin' the program, Cypress Hill on the real
I'm in charge here and the Cypress Hill crew is representing the truth


With the Pearl Jam and I'm packin' the steel
I'm with Pearl Jam and I have my gun with me


Don't come my way, 'cause it only takes one minute to reach for the AK
Stay away from me, because I can quickly grab my AK and shoot you


Then pow!, whatcha' gonna do now
Once I shoot you, what are you going to do?


Nowhere to run when my dog's on the prow
You can't escape when my violent crew is hunting for you


Prowlin', howlin', give it up punk, you might want to throw the towel in
I'm aggressively searching for you and you should just surrender


I like doin' the ill thing, 'cause ain't nothin' like the real thing
I enjoy doing bad things, because there's nothing quite like it


It ain't nothin' like the real thing
There's nothing like the real experience


It ain't nothin' like the real
There's nothing that compares to the genuine article


Ain't nothin' but the real thing
Nothing else but the actual thing


Ain't nothin' but the Hill
Just the Cypress Hill crew


Keep me a tazer up in the blazer
I always have a taser in my car


And the black nine by the waistline
I carry my black gun on my waist


Never know when someone'll test ya'
You never know when someone will try to provoke you


Let you know I got mine by my body, yes why'all
I'm letting you know that I'm carrying my weapon with me at all times


I'm the victim that became the attacker
I was once a victim, but now I've turned into someone who attacks others


Have my little friend waitin' for the carjacker
I have my gun ready to use on anyone who tries to steal my car


That'll do anything for the looper
Someone who is willing to do anything for money


When I leave the Hill I strack when I swoop
When I leave the Cypress Hill crew, I'm always on guard


Clack, clack, bang, bang, 'cause it ain't no thang
Shooting my gun is no big deal to me


When I hang with Stone and I kick that funky slang
When I'm with my crew and we're speaking our unique language


I got the funk when I got ta' do the ill thing
I feel powerful when I'm doing something bad


Ain't nothin' like the real thing
There's no substitute for the genuine experience


Ain't nothin' but the Hill
We are only talking about the Cypress Hill crew




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ABBRUZZESE, JEFF AMENT, STONE GOSSARD, SENAN REYES, LOUIS FREESE, LAWRENCE MUGGARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jimmyplenderleith9471

This album was 5-6 years before its time. Before rap-rock became a thing......I remember getting this as a 15 year old and being blown away by how solid every track on it was

@sebaFear

Me tooo .. was 15 .. or something

@princesssolace4337

Rap - Rock was Aerosmith + Run DMC
Rap - Core was Anthrax + Public Enemy
Ice T Body Count is standing on its own.
So does RATM and FNM.
.. as for the rest of post 2000 ..it gave birth to what the rest of the world knew

@MikeMike-wr7zi

Yup, got this CD from the old BMG mail order shit. Me and my twin brother came home from school and opened the old school cardboard pack of CDs and jammed this nonstop.

@mr.hostetter855

This album was rap-rock becoming a thing. This is the birth of that...

@dexterhuntington2495

​@@mr.hostetter855Run-dmc disagree.
King of rock!

2 More Replies...

@Pokerface-tr1ds

This Soundtrack is a rare diamond which has to be kept until the end of our days.... Rock / Hard Rock / Metal + Hip Hop = BOOOOOOM!!!! These 2 get along just fine :)

@dragoncoin171

was and still is absolutely bad ass

@jamesrabbitt

Oddly, this song sounds better today than it did 29 years ago.

@heinrichdude

Such a awesome soundtrack ... holds up well 15 years later

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