The album was the band's biggest commercial success to date, with subsequent ones selling progressively less, despite receiving high praise from critics. They were influential in the early stages of rapper/actor Mos Def's career, and are a core part of the Spitkicker collective. They are the second longest standing Native Tongues group, after the Jungle Brothers. In 2006, the group won a Grammy for their collaboration with Gorillaz on the single "Feel Good Inc."
In early 2015, they announced plans to release a Kickstarter funded upcoming 9th studio album and the Anonymous Nobody... in September 2015; it was released on August 26, 2016. The album tracks are said to be the result of multiple improvised jam sessions. The album also features guest appearances from artists such as Damon Albarn, Little Dragon, David Byrne, 2 Chainz and Snoop Dogg.
Studio albums
3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
Stakes Is High (1996)
Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
AOI: Bionix (2001)
The Grind Date (2004)
Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve (2012)
and the Anonymous Nobody... (2016)
Trainwreck
De La Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good things come to those who wait
She don't even care about who she is
She don't care about nothing and nobody
Because no class, no representation
Might take on the days woman
You've got so many different flavors
You've got so many different types
Can't go wrong with that
Knowing how to cook a good twenty-two pound ham
Hootie hoo
Nothing like a tall six-foot-five woman
For a short man like me
To fill up a good waterbed
I'm only sixty-seven
I still got lot more time to find the right one
And you do need to find the right one
She move forward like proceed
Keep heads up like nosebleed
A piece from the East, from the norm
But she off of the chain
So she cover all globally
Devil could touch faith, so I'm holding
Bullets found a target
The gun know me
The past life bags from my memory
A fan of a large and I'm a member see
I give it to her like that fool
Sucker for love
Yeah I'm that dude
When she's on the wood
She give good oral
When I'm not with her
I get withdrawal
Lord
I'm half a man without a one to call
She claimed a mathin' man
She's a wonder-doll
She leave me floored
Pack an iron-snake on thirty rims
She like the snake in her bird-tim
I'm addicted by design, a fiend
If she ever try to cut me from her team
Don't turn your back
When she's on that track
Watch out for that train-wreck
Cause when she come
You better watch your back
Watch out she's a train-wreck
She had me at Star-bucks
Sippin' frappuccino
I wanna grind on that coffee-bean
A couple cups of that joe is a pep-back
She'll be swinging on chandeliers
Baby got that skin
I can handle years
And I won't mind if she fucks asleep
Her mouth game is like Rap-A-Lot
Her Facebook say that she aim at this rap a lot
Online surfing for them beach boys
To bring the sand under her feet boys
She my rock bottom like last offers
Wouldn't write me off like the last offer
Even though she a bomb scare
I'm standing right here
I'm right here
Don't turn your back
When she's on that track
Watch out for that train-wreck
Cause when she come
You better watch your back
Watch out she's a train-wreck
Don't turn your back
When she's on that track
Watch out
The lyrics of De La Soul's TrainWreck describe a woman who seems to be carefree and uninterested in anything or anyone around her. She is not concerned about her own identity or how she is perceived by others, and has no concern for class or representation. The song's protagonist is intrigued by her various flavors and types, desiring a package deal. He wants it all.
The lyrics also delve into the sexual desires of the singer, who is attracted to the woman's physical attributes and sexual prowess. He craves the feeling of being with her and experiences withdrawal when they are apart. Despite acknowledging the woman's potential to be a "trainwreck," the singer is still drawn to her and is willing to take the risks that come along with it.
The chorus serves as a warning to others to be cautious around the woman, who is described as a "trainwreck" due to her recklessness and unpredictability. However, the singer is still pulled towards her, unable to resist her allure.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the complexities of desire and the risks involved in pursuing it.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't walk out there with your hand open
Don't go into a situation with your guard down and be vulnerable
Good things come to those who wait
Be patient and good things will come to you eventually
She don't even care about who she is
The woman in question lacks self-awareness and doesn't care about her identity
She don't care about nothing and nobody
She's indifferent to everyone and anything around her
Because no class, no representation
She doesn't have any social status or representation
Might take on the days woman
She'll take on whatever comes her way
You've got so many different flavors
You have many different qualities
You've got so many different types
You have various personalities
Give me the package deal
Give me the whole package with all of your qualities and personalities included
Can't go wrong with that
It's a safe bet to go for the whole package
Knowing how to cook a good twenty-two pound ham
It's important to have real-life skills like cooking
Hootie hoo
An expression of excitement or attention-getting
Nothing like a tall six-foot-five woman
There's nothing better than a tall woman when you're a short man
For a short man like me
The singer of the song is short and is appreciating a tall woman
To fill up a good waterbed
To satisfy a sexual desire
I'm only sixty-seven
The artist is young and has a lot of time to figure things out
I still got lot more time to find the right one
The artist has hope that he'll find the right partner
And you do need to find the right one
It's important to find the right partner
She move forward like proceed
The woman moves forward confidently
Keep heads up like nosebleed
She keeps her head up high like someone with a nosebleed
A piece from the East, from the norm
She's unique and different from what's normally expected
But she off of the chain
She's crazy or wild
So she cover all globally
She's known all around the world
Devil could touch faith, so I'm holding
The artist is holding onto his faith, even in difficult times
Bullets found a target
There's been a confrontation with someone or something
The gun know me
The gun has become familiar to the singer
The past life bags from my memory
The singer is carrying baggage from the past in his memory
A fan of a large and I'm a member see
The artist is a fan of something big and is part of the group that enjoys it
I give it to her like that fool
The artist is willing to give everything in a relationship
Sucker for love
The singer is someone who falls in love easily
Yeah I'm that dude
The singer is confident and knows he can be the one for someone
When she's on the wood
When she's in bed with the artist
She give good oral
She performs oral sex well
When I'm not with her
When the artist is away from her
I get withdrawal
The singer misses her and feels withdrawal symptoms
Lord
An expression of emotion or emphasis
I'm half a man without a one to call
The singer needs a partner to feel complete
She claimed a mathin' man
The woman claimed she wants a man who can think or analyze things
She's a wonder-doll
The woman is wonderful and unique like a doll
She leave me floored
The woman leaves the artist speechless or impressed
Pack an iron-snake on thirty rims
She has a car with shiny rims and a powerful engine
She like the snake in her bird-tim
She likes motorcycles with a bird emblem on the side
I'm addicted by design, a fiend
The singer is wired to be addicted, almost like a drug-fiend
If she ever try to cut me from her team
If she ever tries to break up with the artist
She had me at Star-bucks
The artist was attracted to the woman at a Starbucks coffee shop
Sippin' frappuccino
They were drinking frappuccinos, a cold coffee drink
I wanna grind on that coffee-bean
The singer is sexually attracted to her and wants to 'grind on her'
A couple cups of that joe is a pep-back
Coffee is used by the artist for an energy boost
She'll be swinging on chandeliers
She's a wild and free spirit who likes to have fun
Baby got that skin
The woman has nice skin or a nice body
I can handle years
The singer is willing to be with her for a long time
And I won't mind if she fucks asleep
The artist is comfortable with having sex while she's asleep
Her mouth game is like Rap-A-Lot
She is good at oral sex, like a great rapper
Her Facebook say that she aim at this rap a lot
On Facebook, she may have mentioned she's interested in rap music
Online surfing for them beach boys
She may be looking for a partner who enjoys the beach lifestyle
To bring the sand under her feet boys
She wants a partner who can take her to the beach and make her happy
She my rock bottom like last offers
She's the bottom line for the artist, and he's willing to offer everything to be with her
Wouldn't write me off like the last offer
The artist is hoping she won't reject him
Even though she a bomb scare
Despite her being unpredictable or crazy
I'm standing right here
The artist is still willing to be with her
Don't turn your back
Don't ignore the dangers
When she's on that track
When she's in motion or pursuing something
Watch out for that train-wreck
Be cautious of the danger she represents
Cause when she come
When she arrives
You better watch your back
Be careful of her and her actions
Watch out she's a train-wreck
Be very careful of her, she can cause a lot of damage when she's in motion
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, INVERTED MUSIC UK LTD, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Brown, Bobby Byrd, John David Chegwidden, Matthew Reynolds Demerritt, David Jolicoeur, Jordan Katz, Ronald R Lenhoff, Joshua Matthew Lopez, Vincent L Mason, Kelvin Mercer, David Patrick Palmer, Kaveh Rastegar, David Nathaniel West
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Abdullah Al Masum
[Intro]
Don't walk out there with your hand open
Good things come to those who wait
She don't even care about who she is
She don't care about nothing and nobody
Because no class, no representation
Might take on the days woman
You've got so many different flavors
You've got so many different types
We the package deal
Can't go wrong with that
Knowing how to cook a good twenty-two pound ham
Whooty-who
Nothing like a tall six-foot-five woman
For a short man like me
To fill up a good waterbed
I'm only sixty-seven
I still got lot more time to find the right one
And you do need to find the right one
[Verse 1]
She move forward like proceed
Keep heads up like nosebleed
A piece from the East, from the norm
But she off of the chain
So she cover all globally
Never be touched, so I'm holding
Bullets found a target
The gun know me
The past life bags from my memory
A fan of a large and i'm a member see
I give it to her like that fool
Sucker for love
Yeah I'm that dude
When she's on the wood
She give good oral
When I'm not with her
I get withdrawal
Lord
I'm half a man without a one to call
She claimed a mathin' man
She's a wonder-doll
She keep me floored
Pack an iron-snake on thirt(y) rims
She like the snake in her bird-tim
I'm addicted by design, a fiend
If she ever try to cut me from her team
[Hook]
Don't turn your back
When she's on that track
Watch out for that train-wreck
Cause when she come
You better watch your back
Watch out she's a train-wreck
[James Brown Sample]
[Verse 2]
She had me at Star-bucks
Sippin' frappuccino
I wanna grind on that coffee-bean
A couple cups of that joe is a pep-back
She'll be swinging on chandeliers
Baby got that skin
I can handle years
And I won't mind if she fucks asleep
Her mouth game is like Rap-A-Lot
Her Facebook say that she aim at this rap a lot
Online surfing for them beach boys
To bring the sand under her feet boys
She my rock bottom like last offers
Wouldn't write me off like the last offer
Even though she a bomb scare
I'm standing right here
I'm right here
[Hook]
Don't turn your back
When she's on that track
Watch out for that train-wreck
Cause when she come
You better watch your back
Watch out she's a train-wreck
LivSimple
Shit makes tears come to my eyes...How much integrity do you have to have to be off the scene for a minute and not return unless you are returning as YOURSELF and not who someone else wants you to be!...If people can't see that as love for the art and the culture, then you truly are blind!
Marcus Nash
you said it @Liv
capitalmindz
When the code changes depending on the time and you are still trying to say the same thing, the Truth.
Kwasi Pasonm
Word. I'm 44- Dope. sence day one.
Xavier McCloud
You're 44 and don't know how to spell "since"?
Zion El
agreed and last I saw them on stage it felt it was 91' in 2016
DJ RICHLOVE
Goosebumps already!!! "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." - Bob Marley
Thank you, Dave, Pos, and DJ Maseo!
Anton Dre Doublee
Yea buut.... Pain will make it better!!!!
David Barnes
This Album is NUMBER #1 on the BILLBOARD Charts..Well Deserved for the Legends and for the Culture!!! Don't DOWNLOAD this Album,lets get those ADELE Numbers up and show Real Support!!!
Michael Fox
this entire album is dope. it'd be cool if the world gave a dam