Last Of The Spiddyocks
Digable Planets Lyrics

The season's been good like a sweet
The time period has been enjoyable, like a delicious dessert.

I hang out with a gang out Flatbush with cool beats
I spend time with a group in Flatbush who create great music.

I found the reverberated shout was "god damn"
I heard an echoed exclamation of "god damn."

And questions about the methods how the Planets made jams
People have been curious about how our music is made.

Wallowed through a gang of mirk in the interim
We struggled through difficult times before our success.

A couple of times we got jerked but still invented them
Even though we faced setbacks, we created innovative music.

Wicked litle kick it joints that got us ghetto weight
We made edgy music that earned us respect in our community.

And also kept the jazz alive by pulling off the plates
We preserved and revitalized jazz music by incorporating it into our songs.

Maybe only we was hip to stretching out the brain
Perhaps only we understood how our music had intellectual depth.

I felt like Bird Parker when I shot it in my vein
I experienced a rush similar to that of jazz musician Charlie Parker when creating music.

I toss these major losses on a Mingus jazzy strum
I express my sadness through music in the style of jazz musician Charles Mingus.

Flip off into a nod and dig myself for dying young
I reflect on the possibility of dying young and feel proud of the impact I've made with my music.

It's like cool was the bop and the flair
Being cool was as important as having musical skill.

I kicks it to my pools by the nap of the hair
I speak casually to my friends, close by and in a relaxed manner.

I'm pinning Uncle Sam for the death of swinging quotes
I blame the US government for the loss of great jazz musicians.

For losing Bud Powell sliding over Dizzy's notes
In particular, the loss of pianist Bud Powell, known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie, was a blow to the jazz community.

Was it that the rebirth was the birth of new shit or cool shit
The renaissance of jazz was fueled by either new or 'cool' ideas.

The jazz power shower showed the crew was sure legit
The widespread popularity of jazz proved that our music was legit.

But hey presence is gone, Hank Mo's gone
Great jazz musicians of the past like Lester Young and Hank Mobley are no longer with us.

They killed the coolest breeze in this land of the free
The death of these musicians was a loss for America.

And it been like that since they lied about they flag
The country has been suffering since the government has been dishonest about its values and purpose.

Like all my main man's gave their beats up for skag
Too many of our talented friends and colleagues have fallen into addiction.

So I pops it at your crew like Bu I did a lid
I speak confidently to my rivals, like musican Clifford Brown would when taking a solo.

But I use Lee's Cooker I got my buzz around midnight
I rely on trumpeter Lee Morgan's influence when creating music late at night.

The season's been smooth like the suede
The past few months have passed without difficulty.

Pumas that Butter got when Butter got paid
Butter has new shoes, bought after he got paid for his music.

Or better yet Dolphy's archetypes for cool dudes
Or, even better, the music of jazz musician Eric Dolphy's is a model for cool guys like us.

Or better still 'Trane using space in afro blue
Or, the best inspiration comes from John Coltrane's use of space in his interpretation of 'Afro Blue.'

It's simple
The concept is straightforward.

Swing be the freakin' of the time
The dominant style of jazz right now is swing.

The spinning by the King's good for speaking of the mind
Duke Ellington's sophisticated arrangements are excellent for expressing complex ideas.

The 47 sessions gave the buzzes that I caught
The records made by famous jazz musicians during the 1940s inspired me.

They asked me was it cool blues Knowledge
People have been curious if what inspired me was a form of blues music.

I told them it was solid, dig, the licks was way out
I replied that the inspiration was solid and impressive.

My baby loves to kiss when Ornette just lays out
My significant other loves to kiss when saxophonist Ornette Coleman is playing a slow, laid-back melody.

So the quotes be as such about the kits, uh
So, I often provide insight on jazz fundamentals when asked about them.

{You down with Digable Planets you is a hipster, shit}
If you like our music, you're considered cool and trendy.

I lay it on the cats about Monk
I teach other musicians about Thelonious Monk's style and significance.

The logical extensions coming booming out that trunk
The addition of newer musical ideas is like the addition of new parts to a musical instrument.

Assuming that the room in which you zoom's designed by your mind,
If you believe that your surroundings are a reflection of your thoughts and ideas,

not the stars and stripes
Then the American flag has no bearing on your creative process.

But Red Callis booms and the rat-a-tat-tat by Max or Philly Joe
Other drummers like Red Callender and Max Roach also inspire me.

On we go
We continue to make great music and push the boundaries of the jazz genre.

The season's been fat like some boom
This period has been fruitful and exciting, like an intense bass note.

Doodlebugs math jazz fillin gup the room
My music is complex and engaging, and it fills the entire space with sound.

When Booker jammed with Eric at the funky 5 spot
When pianist Booker Little played with Eric Dolphy at a New York club called the Five Spot,

And Jimmy Cob's job was laying crashes on the top
And drummer Jimmy Cobb was playing exciting cymbal crashes on top of their music.

Butter cops his lid at this little Harlem jam
Butter just bought a new hat while playing at a small performance in Harlem.

The tenor bopped the middle in his shades and his tam
The tenor saxophonist played beautifully while wearing cool shades and a hat.

I'm digging how these dudes made my buzz a little hipper
I appreciate how these musicians have made me even cooler and more relevant.

And angles on the mood really couldn't get no blacker
The emotions conveyed in this music are incredibly intense and evocative.

I'm sinking deep to the slickness of the horn
I am deeply moved by the smooth sound of the horn.

I'm thinking take the hipness and just lay it in my form
I want to incorporate this coolness into my own music and persona.

So when the hoodlums flood waiting for another anthem
When the rougher crowd comes to our concerts, waiting to hear a new hit song,

I say it's in the blood 'cause it ain't nothing but rhythm
I explain that our music is natural to us and simply a product of our innate rhythmic abilities.

And rhythm goes on and on to the break of moon baby
The beat of our music will never stop, not even until the moon sets.

The dads is gone but the youth still come lovely
The elder statesmen of jazz are no longer with us, but young musicians are still making great music.

The sickness towards the world when Sam caused the blues
The negative feelings and emotions that come with worldly problems are expressed through blues music.

But hipness takes a swirl in jams by my crew
However, when my crew performs, coolness and style are front and center.