Cherchez La Ghost
El Michels Affair Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tommy Mottola, lives on the road
He lost his lady, two months ago
Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't
Oh wonder that love

Brothers try to pass me, but none could match me
No girl can freak me, I'm just too nasty
Lost on the dance floors, I attack y'all
Snuck through the back door, guess who they saw?
Goldie and Ghost, black African Rose
Star-studded low lenses, plus the mural was dope
Airbrush W-B's, STOP! (Shake your body, body)
And cop a couple of these (She's a hottie, hottie)

Scottfree and Chauncey, very upset
They're sick and tired of living in debt
Tired of roaches and tired of
Rats
I know they are over

One in the head, I'm fed, this is how we doin
Put a Ruff Rider on my dick, bust right through 'em
Come out your shirt, insert the party rhyme
Fine Dr. Buzzard, Bacardi Lime
We passin it, takes the shake your Calvin Klein
Before the floor gets moist, taste and follow mine
Swallow nine, model dimes from Bahamas
Slim doo-doo makers stuffed inside pajamas

They'll take all your rhymes with a Colgate smile, hey baby
They'll love you one second, then hate you the next
Oh ain't it crazy baby, yeah
Tony's his name, the undefeated champion, whoa, yeah (Blow 'em down God)




Now he's alone, he's just the king of his throne (Yeah, aha)
Always will be my friend, Ghostface Killah (Truly yours, peace boo)

Overall Meaning

The song "Cherchez La Ghost" by El Michels Affair is a cover of a track originally performed by Ghostface Killah, one of the Wu-Tang Clan's most enigmatic members. The song is a celebration of life on the streets of New York City, with lyrics that conjure up images of large and diverse crowds moving from place to place.


The opening lines of the song speak to the pain of loss, as the singer is searching for his lost love, "Tommy Mottola, lives on the road, He lost his lady, two months ago, Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't, Oh wonder that love." Later, the song delves into themes of competition and street life, with braggadocious verses about the singer's ability to outdo his rivals on the dance floor and in the world of hip hop. The chorus, "Cherchez La Ghost" means "Look For The Ghost" in French, and invites the listener to search for and follow the singer's path.


Overall, "Cherchez La Ghost" is a powerful and gritty hip hop track that captures the energy and diversity of life in New York City. The lyrics are both profound and playful, with Ghostface Killah's signature style shining through in every verse.


Line by Line Meaning

Tommy Mottola, lives on the road
Tommy Mottola lives a movie star's life, hopping from one location to another.


He lost his lady, two months ago
A woman he loved left him two months ago, and he's been on the road looking for her ever since.


Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't
His quest to locate his lost love is uncertain, and he is unsure of the outcome of his search.


Oh wonder that love
Love is an enigma and full of surprises.


Brothers try to pass me, but none could match me
Some men may try to emulate or surpass him, but they will fail.


No girl can freak me, I'm just too nasty
No woman can satisfy him in the way he desires as he has idiosyncratic demands for pleasure.


Lost on the dance floors, I attack y'all
When dancing, he goes all-out and aggressively to stand out.


Snuck through the back door, guess who they saw?
He entered the venue from the rear, catching someone's attention.


Goldie and Ghost, black African Rose
Goldie and Ghost are musicians that he saw, and a black African rose was in the venue.


Star-studded low lenses, plus the mural was dope
The low lenses were popular among the crowd, and the artwork was excellent.


Airbrush W-B's, STOP! (Shake your body, body)
An airbrushed T-shirt caught his attention, and the music prompted him to dance.


And cop a couple of these (She's a hottie, hottie)
He planned to buy the T-shirts, and there was a beautiful woman nearby.


Scottfree and Chauncey, very upset
Scottfree and Chauncey are unhappy and find their situation terrible.


They're sick and tired of living in debt
They are sick and tired of being in debt.


Tired of roaches and tired of rats
Their credit crunch had become so bad that they could not pay for essential services like pest control.


I know they are over
Their situation may lead them to feel that they are done and cannot continue.


One in the head, I'm fed, this is how we doin
He is charged, and they operate like this all the time.


Put a Ruff Rider on my dick, bust right through 'em
Their Ruff Ryder lifestyle means they are aggressive and conquer anything that impedes their progress.


Come out your shirt, insert the party rhyme
He urges someone to loosen up and come out their shell in a party mood.


Fine Dr. Buzzard, Bacardi Lime
The party becomes more interesting with a great vibe, good music and drinks.


We passin it, takes the shake your Calvin Klein
The microphone being passed around sparks competitive responses and gets more people to join the party.


Before the floor gets moist, taste and follow mine
Before the floor becomes too slippery, follow his dance moves.


Swallow nine, model dimes from Bahamas
He enjoys the company of beautiful, stunning women from the Bahamas.


Slim doo-doo makers stuffed inside pajamas
Very skinny women dressed in pajamas that expose their curves fill his vision.


They'll take all your rhymes with a Colgate smile, hey baby
These people will smile and act friendly but can turn on and take advantage of you


They'll love you one second, then hate you the next
They are fickle and can change their minds about someone at any moment.


Oh ain't it crazy baby, yeah
This vaciliation between love and hate is strange and absurd.


Tony's his name, the undefeated champion, whoa, yeah (Blow 'em down God)
Tony is the king of the area and a champion whom God is with.


Now he's alone, he's just the king of his throne (Yeah, aha)
Now that Tony is solitary, he remains the kingpin in his territory.


Always will be my friend, Ghostface Killah (Truly yours, peace boo)
He is friendly with the musician Ghostface Killah and will always remain so.




Writer(s): A Darnell, S Browder, D Coles

Contributed by Allison M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Jesse Clark

Ohh mann I can’t protect my neck at 1:12 when that beat switch that shit got me noddin gettin neck breakin!! I’ll have to go hospital get neck braces on afterwards 😂 this shit is 🔥🔥🔥

Josh Porter

This really sounds like something from a Metroid game!

Wakeelah Muhammad

LOVE THIS SHIT..DAMNIT MAN!!!

beertron7

Incredible

Brenda Sanchez

genial!

joe mcafro

Hypnotic

oliverecords

Beloved reverb.

diase oner

Niiiiiiiice !

Vincnet Drallam

Just a language tip: Cherchez "LE" Ghost...I could make this a job for living correcting little French mistakes all around the world when people misspell my native language lol :) NO OFFENSE here, French is really hard even for natives.

HIGHBURYESTATE

tooo sick

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