There is also a relatively unknown pop-punk band from 78 called Dred Scott.
Dirty Old Man
Dred Scott Lyrics
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Could I carry your books? The girl gives me the ill look
I said I'm not here to uhhh.. molest ya!
I just wanna talk to ya
She says, "Sir I don't know ya that well"
Okay like a white boy I said "Swell!"
And walked away with my head down
Feelin kinda funny just lookin at the ground
On the mic I'm grown yes I got to steal the show
Like this y'all, like uhh.. whatever
Kick it off me, yeah..
The lyrics to Dred Scott's song Dirty Old Man detail a young man's innocent attempt to strike up a conversation with a girl he sees on his way home from school. He asks if he can carry her books, but she gives him a suspicious look and questions his motives. He quickly reassures her that he has no intention of molesting her and just wants to talk. She politely declines, saying she doesn't know him well enough, and he replies with a defeated "swell" before walking away with his head down. The song then shifts to Dred Scott's confident flow on the mic, where he asserts himself as a skilled performer who can steal the show with his funky beats.
One interpretation of the song is that it critiques the stereotype of young black males as sexual predators, particularly when it comes to interactions with white women. The opening verse shows the young man making a genuine effort to be friendly, but his intentions are immediately questioned by the girl, who assumes the worst based on his race and gender. Dred Scott's confident performance on the mic, then, can be seen as a reclaiming of power and agency in the face of these harmful stereotypes.
Line by Line Meaning
On my way home from school
I was walking home from school
Could I carry your books? The girl gives me the ill look
I asked the girl if I could carry her books but she looked at me with disgust
I said I'm not here to uhhh.. molest ya!
I told her that I wasn't there to harm or harass her
I just wanna talk to ya
I just wanted to have a conversation
She says, "Sir I don't know ya that well"
The girl responded by saying that she didn't know me very well
Okay like a white boy I said "Swell!"
I replied casually and awkwardly like a stereotypical white boy
And walked away with my head down
I walked away feeling embarrassed and ashamed
Feelin kinda funny just lookin at the ground
I felt uncomfortable and awkward looking at the ground
Kickin funky beats all the time with the flow
I was always creating new and exciting rhythms with my music
On the mic I'm grown yes I got to steal the show
I am confident and skillful on the microphone, and I always impress my audience
Like this y'all, like uhh.. whatever
I'm going to keep performing with this energy and style, no matter what others think
Kick it off me, yeah..
I'm going to start my performance now
Contributed by Sebastian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.