Rats Rule
Die Antwoord Lyrics

Rats, rats, everywhere you look
Rats are ubiquitous creatures, present everywhere one looks

Everywhere you turn there's rats
One cannot evade rats even if they turn

Rats, rats, eating all your books, looking at your photographs
Rats nibble on books and peer at photographs in a mischievous way

Rats, rats, nesting in your closets, hiding underneath your socks
Rats make homes in closets and hide beneath socks

Living in your living rooms, sleeping by your bedroom clocks
Rats reside in living rooms and slumber near bedroom clocks

There must be a couple million and more are coming every day
The number of rats currently living is likely in the millions, and more arrive daily

Soon there could be a couple billion how will you make us go away?
As time passes, more rats may accumulate in the billions, making it challenging to get rid of them

Yo those dirty rats they're ruining everything
Rats are repugnant creatures that spoil everything

There must be some way to get rid of them oh kill them with poison
There ought to be a method to exterminate rats, such as using lethal poison

What? Shut up bitch hou jou bek we're going to fuck you up fok alle kak rappers
Offensive language directed at someone who interrupts the conversation, saying that they will humiliate all inferior rappers in the process

Yo we back with the r to the a to the t to the t to the r to the a to the p
Introducing the chorus, a repetition of the word 'rat' with some added letters, creating an easy-to-remember, catchy rhythm

When the rats wanna rap they say
Whenever rats wish to rap, they declare

Yo gimme that rat trap rat trap say it again?
Demanding to repeat the command to present the 'rat trap'

Yo gimme that rat trap I'm a bad rat, not a good rat
Asking for the 'rat trap' to trap the bad rat and not the good rat

You catch me hanging with hood rats but actually, you never catch me, cause I'm a fast rat
Although fast rats may seem to spend time with 'hood rats,' they avoid being captured

I'm a fast rat
Reasserting their rapid agility

My accent is fucking epic
The rat's dialect calls attention to their excellence

I'm happening, you a has been
Asserting their current trendiness and implying that others have become outdated

Don't want me around when I snap back, don't point at me I'm an attack rat
A warning to not point at the rat, they are liable to strike back

I'm the dap strap, mother fucking matte rat
Some clever wordplay: they are the 'dap strap' and 'matte rat'

Yolandi's the black rat in the rat pack you spitting you fat rap
'Yolandi' is the black rat in the 'rat pack,' and the addressee's rap is labeled 'fat rap.'

We're rolling with jack black, when the rap stap the people go clap clap, the club always jam packed
Boasting having 'jack black' on their side, and implying that their performance garners applause and fills the venue

Little sex rats you wanna get back stage to hang with the zef rats
'Sex rats' interested in meeting the 'zef rats' and entering the backstage

Little white rats, little black rats
Little rats that are either white or black

Oh fuck what a dope butt, let me smack that, she giggly, wriggly, why?
They become distracted by an attractive rat and describe their response to it; perhaps sexual, as they are attracted to 'dope butt.'

Cause I'm sniffing her ass crack
The singer becomes even more focused on the subject's rear end, possibly sniffing it

Yo I'd tap that
The singer states they would engage in sexual activity with the attractive rat

Yo give me the mic or I snatch that, stab you in the back if you act whack
Demanding the microphone, and implying they would attack anyone who does not perform at a satisfactory level

I'm a mad rat with a black gat where the cash at?
'Mad rat' talking about a 'black gat' (a gun) while looking for money

Got a fat sack, weed in my back pack
They have illegal drugs and are advertising it

Mother fucker, yo that's sick
Exclaiming that something is impressive or noteworthy

Slap my hand
The artist requests a high-five, a gesture of excitement or comradery

Wanna get high man?
'Wanna get high?' is a common expression asking if someone wants to smoke marijuana

I wanna get spastic
'Spastic' could refer to the feeling of high energy experienced after consuming drugs or alcohol

Aye, yo, that shit's fuckin' rap shit, rap shit get that rat shit
'Aye,Yo' introduces the next section about their expertise in 'rap,' and punning on the word's similarity to 'rat.'

Yo that shit's fuckin' bat shit
'Bat shit' has a double meaning, either meaning 'crazy' or 'guano,' bat's feces

Crazy
Reiterating how outrageous or shocking something is

Coocoo
'Coo coo' has a similar meaning to 'crazy,' but with a slightly different connotation

Rats rap over trap tracks
'Rats' are 'rapping' to a certain musical genre, 'trap tracks.'

You got that track fucking rat trap
'Rat trap' is used as an exclamation to express enjoyment or agreement

We got next shit
Asserting that they have something new and fresh for the audience

She about to get hectic when we killing the fat cats making whack rap
Anticipating chaos or destruction when they eliminate the rich and arrogant musicians who make mediocre music

Die fuck mother fucker that stupid fuck
Sexist and aggressive language towards someone disliked

No cut it out not my ass ninja, not in my ass, oh my
Someone is objecting to and expressing their unwillingness to participate in a certain sexual activity

Go-o-o-o-d
An expression of satisfaction, relief, or disbelief

Rats are all that you can think of, the only thing that you discuss
Rats are the sole subject of thought and conversation

You can try and find a rat solution but you'll never get rid of us
A solution to the rat problem may seem viable, but the rats will never go away completely

Rats, rats, you think that we're disgusting but actually we're really cool
Although rats are generally seen as unappealing, the artist argues that they are actually impressive creatures

Us rats, started in the gutter, but in the end the rats shall rule
Rats began in unclean environments, but will eventually take over and dominate

In the end the rats shall rule
Repeating the point that the rats will ultimately triumph

Yeah
An interjection to express agreement or acknowledgement

Rats rule mother fucker
Rats are superior creatures, and the artist is confident in their victory