Eddie Murphy actually has had an extensive singing career, it's just not his biggest claim to fame. His biggest hit was "Party All The Time," which reached #2 in the US in 1985. He had another Billboard Hot 100 hit single in 1989 with the cringe-inducing title "Put Your Mouth On Me," which reached #27. Besides two solo music albums, he's also done some of the songs in films he's appeared in, such as the Shrek franchise and 1988's Coming to America. He's also provided vocals in odd places like Saturday Night Live sketches ("Wookin' Pa Nub," anyone?), backing for The BusBoys, and hey, even appeared in Michael Jackson's video "Remember The Time."
Murphy began his comedy career at the age of 16, as part of a comedy duo with fellow comedian Mitchell Kyser at the Roosevelt Youth Center in Roosevelt, Long Island, where he grew up. At 19 he became a performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live television show, not long after graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School. His characters include a parody of Buckwheat from the Little Rascals and an inner-city black version of Fred Rogers known as "Mr. Robinson". Former SNL writer Margaret Humphert has said Murphy and Bill Murray are the two most talented people in the history of the show. Murphy left the show midway through the 1983-1984 season, appearing in filmed sketches for the remainder of that season.
Murphy later starred in many comedies including the Beverly Hills Cop series. He was recognized by receiving a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, and most recently Dreamgirls. [1]
He is a well-known voice actor and voiced Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu, in Disney's Mulan. Murphy also has the distinction of having starred in more sequels than any other actor in Hollywood. Those films include:Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Shrek 2 (2004), and Shrek the Third (2007).
In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, including Coming to America, where he played four radically different characters, the Nutty Professor films, where he played much of the Klumps clan, and 2007's Norbit. Another trademark of Eddie Murphy's is his deep, infectious, and considerably goofy laugh.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Eddie Murphy's older brother, Charlie Murphy, is also an actor, best known recently for his appearances on Chappelle's Show.
Years active 1977 - present
I Was A King
Eddie Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Painted across the sky
Black man, first Kings.
Black Woman, the first Queen
Eddie Murphy sing and Shabba chant, Scene.
...
I was, I was a king
You brought I to your land in chains
You taught I to worship your God
You stripped I to the bone
You raped I, took my soul
Abused I, records show
You bought and you sold and you killed I
Your blood was cold, disgraced I
Why do you hate I why do you hate I why do you
I was, I was a king
A little?
White nation black nation who's the? Caribbean?
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
Rise up rise up my nation rise up
Wise up wise up my sister wise up
Get-up an' up Eddie says wise up
Get-up an' up Shabba says wise up
I was, I was the first
Of all man to walk on this earth
You're from I or did you forget
Your father deserves some respect
You use I to the bone
You hurt I, took my soul
You cheat I, records show
Your nation was built on my sweat why
Why do you hate I why do you hate I
Why do you hate I why do you
I was, I was a king
Look at me now
Lift every voice and sing
'Till love in heaven, yeah
Ring in harmony
O-oh, please
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
Wise up wise up my sister wise up
Rise up rise up my nation rise up
Stop fight stop fuss that only kill us
We stop hear religion that try to fool us
We buy? Any system? that try to school us
Get up?
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
Shabba Rank him say wise up
Wise up wise up my sister wise up-a
Eddie Murphy say wise up
This is the time that we all stand up
Malcolm X try to let us wise up
Fought to see the conscious and pay the cost
Martin Luther try to let us wise up
Fought to see the conscious and pay the cost
Each one teach us not to kill us
This-a tell-a that one not to hurt us?
Stop your fighting stop all your fuss
Find you conscious you must an' up
Rise up rise up one nation rise up-a
The song "I Was A King" by Eddie Murphy featuring Shabba Ranks is a powerful commentary on the history of Black people in the world. The song begins by acknowledging the greatness of Black people - Black men were the first Kings and Black women the first Queens. Murphy sings "I was, I was a king," referring to the historical fact that Black people were once powerful rulers of their own countries and societies. However, as the song continues, Murphy addresses the brutal history of slavery, colonization, and exploitation that was inflicted on Black people by people of other races. He talks about being brought to lands in chains, being forced to work under harsh conditions, being stripped of his identity and culture, and being subjected to violence and abuse. He questions why other races hate Black people so much and sings "Why do you hate I, why do you hate I, why do you?" The chorus resounds with the statement "I was, I was a king," which clearly shows the pride and dignity that Black people once possessed.
Murphy also talks about the relationship between Black people and other races in the world. He asks if people from other races forget that they come from Black people, and that Black people deserve respect. He talks about how Black people have been used, hurt, and cheated by other races. The song calls for unity among Black people themselves, with Murphy and Shabba Ranks urging "Wise up, wise up my brother, wise up/ rise up, rise up my nation, rise up/ wise up, wise up my sister, wise up/ Get up and up Eddie says, wise up." The song ends with a call for racial harmony and peace, with the statement "Lift every voice and sing/ 'Til love in heaven, yeah/ Ring in harmony/ O-oh, please."
Overall, "I Was A King" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that provides insight into the experiences of Black people throughout history. It highlights the challenges that Black people have faced, while also celebrating their strength, resilience, and dignity.
Line by Line Meaning
World-ah right up
The world is rising up and changing.
Painted across the sky
This change is visible and all-encompassing.
Black man, first Kings.
Black men were the first kings of the world.
Black Woman, the first Queen
Black women were the first queens of the world.
Eddie Murphy sing and Shabba chant, Scene.
The music reflecting this change is being made.
I was, I was a king
I, and others like me, were once kings in our own lands.
You brought I to your land in chains
You forcefully brought us to your land as slaves.
You forced I to work by the rod
You forced us to work through violence and coercion.
You taught I to worship your God
You imposed your religion and beliefs onto us.
You stripped I to the bone
You took away everything we had, leaving us with nothing.
You raped I, took my soul
You sexually assaulted us, leaving us traumatized and broken.
Abused I, records show
There is historical evidence of the abuse and mistreatment we endured.
You bought and you sold and you killed I
You treated us like property, buying, selling, and even killing us.
Your blood was cold, disgraced I
Your actions were cruel and showed no empathy, causing us great shame.
Why do you hate I why do you hate I why do you
Why do you hate us so much?
I was, I was the first
We were the first people, the original inhabitants of the world.
Of all man to walk on this earth
We were the first humans to walk on this earth.
You're from I or did you forget
You originated from us, but seem to have forgotten this fact.
Your father deserves some respect
We demand respect for our ancestors and our lineage.
You use I to the bone
You exploit us for cheap labor until we are exhausted.
You hurt I, took my soul
You cause us great emotional and physical pain, breaking our spirit.
You cheat I, records show
You have cheated us out of our rightful earnings and opportunities, as evidenced by past records.
Your nation was built on my sweat why
Your nation was built on the backs of our hard work and suffering.
Look at me now
Despite all you have done, we have risen and persisted.
Lift every voice and sing
Sing out in unity and triumph.
'Till love in heaven, yeah
Until love and harmony prevails in the world.
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
I urge my fellow black men to be wise and conscious.
Rise up rise up my nation rise up
Our nation must rise up and fight for justice.
Stop fight stop fuss that only kill us
Stop the infighting and arguments, which only hurt us.
We stop hear religion that try to fool us
We reject religions that manipulate and deceive us.
We buy? Any system? that try to school us
We don't accept any educational system that oppresses us or denies our history.
Get up?
Stand up and take action.
Each one teach us not to kill us
We need to educate each other instead of hurting one another.
Stop your fighting stop all your fuss
Stop arguing and fighting amongst ourselves.
Find you conscious you must an' up
We need to be mindful and aware of our actions and decisions.
This-a tell-a that one not to hurt us?
Let's encourage and remind each other not to harm one another.
Malcolm X try to let us wise up
Malcolm X was a leader who tried to awaken us to the injustices we face.
Fought to see the conscious and pay the cost
Malcolm X fought for our consciousness and paid the ultimate price - his life.
Martin Luther try to let us wise up
Martin Luther King Jr. tried to inspire us to fight for our rights and dignity.
Fought to see the conscious and pay the cost
Martin Luther King Jr. fought for our consciousness and also paid the ultimate price - his life.
Wise up wise up my sister wise up-a
I urge my fellow black women to be wise and conscious.
Contributed by Isaiah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DJ B-1 Planet Funksville
the lyricsI Was A King"
World-ah right up
Painted across the sky
Black man, first Kings.
Black Woman, the first Queen
Eddie Murphy sing and Shabba chant, Scene.
I was, I was a king
You brought I to your land in chains
You forced I to work by the rod
You taught I to worship your God
You stripped I to the bone
You raped I, took my soul
Abused I, records show
You bought and you sold and you killed I
Your blood was cold, disgraced I
Why do you hate I why do you hate I why do you
I was, I was a king
A little?
White nation black nation who's the? Caribbean?
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
Rise up rise up my nation rise up
Wise up wise up my sister wise up
Get-up an' up Eddie says wise up
Get-up an' up Shabba says wise up
I was, I was the first
Of all man to walk on this earth
You're from I or did you forget
Your father deserves some respect
You use I to the bone
You hurt I, took my soul
You cheat I, records show
Your nation was built on my sweat why
Why do you hate I why do you hate I
Why do you hate I why do you
I was, I was a king
Look at me now
Lift every voice and sing
'Till love in heaven, yeah
Ring in harmony
O-oh, please
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
Wise up wise up my sister wise up
Rise up rise up my nation rise up
Stop fight stop fuss that only kill us
We stop hear religion that try to fool us
We buy? Any system? that try to school us
Get up?
Wise up wise up my brother wise up
Shabba Rank him say wise up
Wise up wise up my sister wise up-a
Eddie Murphy say wise up
This is the time that we all stand up
Malcolm X try to let us wise up
Fought to see the conscious and pay the cost
Martin Luther try to let us wise up
Fought to see the conscious and pay the cost
Each one teach us not to kill us
This-a tell-a that one not to hurt us?
Stop your fighting stop all your fuss
Find you conscious you must an' up
Rise up rise up one nation rise up-a
XRP312
after many yrs i have a new respect for this song.
Edward Wright
Same here brah .....all the way woke now.
Tobius Brown
Ummm the message of this song is incredible. I laughed at it when I was a kid but now my opinion is different. Eddie and Shabba
Tobius Brown
@Marvin Allen man Shabba killed it lol.
Tobius Brown
@THEO NEMESIS ummmm if you don’t know then you won’t know!!!! The message of this song is deep as the scars on my ancestors flesh from the whip of their slave master. I am a King!!!!! Wise up Wise up!!!!
Saiyan King85
@THEO NEMESIS the only nonsense I see is your bullshit
THEO NEMESIS
Oh? And what was the message dude?! That was you blacks were the first born on this earth?! (Here's where we lough!)....or that you were forced, to believe "Our" God, when at the same time however, Eddie has the photo of Haile Selassie behind him?! (....A well known, and rather devoted Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo believer....an otherwise Christian sect, deriving from the GREEK Orthodox religion, that our ancestors created, who were...WHITE! And mind you, that no Greek ever forced the great emperor to believe in this religion! He did so, on his free will, and as a matter of fact, the emperor loved our country so much, that his personal doctor, was a Greek guy, and actually he was the one who helped him, escape from the hands of the Italians, during the invasion of '36)! Nelso Mandela also had one of our guys, fighting for his rights, when he was in jail! That's right...his lawyer, and best friend, was a Greek guy! In the otherwise evil southern states of America, the Greeks were the only ones, who allowed free passage to every black person, into their shops, even in the fear of retaliations, on behalf, of those stupid fuckheads, the Anglo - Saxons! All these were white people, and they always had good relations, with Africa! And what Africa did, in order to "repay" this kindness, nowadays? It puts various assholes, to tell cockamammy stories about the so called "Black Athena" and other crap like that, in order to distort, the proper history! No mention of course, about the so called "Cave man of PETRALONA" (An area located in northern Greece) which is already proven to be THE MOST ANCIENT HUMAN to date! Of course...we forgot! According to you, only the black man, is the most ancient! Listen pal....by the moment, none of us, takes a step back, but instead of that, we keep bulling each other, and can't make the distinction between real friends or foes (REGARDLESS OF THE SKIN COLOUR) then all this injustice will keep going on, and on, the whole time! Therefore, you black people also come back to your senses, and start realizing which white people are your friends, and which ones are not! You can't place all the eggs at the same bascet"! That's not fair, and won't do any good to anybody! Yes! White people have done you lot's of injustice, but that doesn't mean, that you must hate the entire world! Pipe down for once! We must learn how to co - exist with each other, and not trying to take each other's eyes out! Enough with that, nonsense already, for God's sake!
Ispeakthetruthify
Back when I was a kid, I thought it was just the funniest guy on the planet...and the ugliest guy on the planet making a song. But the song definitely is a good one, and has some meaning when listening when older.
alan anderson
one of my favorite songs even though people laughed and trashed it originally. now you see the song was on point
DJ B-1 Planet Funksville
after 15 years i decided to look up the lyrics and i was like damn i had this record all wrong