Ups and Downs
Esther Phillips Lyrics


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Every dog has his day
Another thirty nine inch thick classic (yeah,yeah,yeah,yeah)
Girl, as I sit here thinking to myself
There is no one for you but me, and I mean that
And I think about all the things we've been through
Like arguing and fighting for example
You know the love we have for each other
It tends to out weigh what do to another
Ya know my granddaddy use to always say
Ya know he used to say it like this

There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe

What up motherfuckers? This is snoop dogg
I'm trying to figure out how the fuck I'm gonna do y'all
Hanging with my homie from the turf, that's young q-ball
Giving me the word from the street, here's the scoop y'all
The niggas from the eastsidaz split up (split up)
And one of 'em tried to fuck yo' shit up (what?)
No cause, don't believe that, that's my nigga for life
I'm out with the bullshit, I'm in with the real shit
I'm at the church doing work, spitting game from the pulpit
Now that's the bidness, and god is my witness
L-B-C-2-1-3 hell yeah, we in this
Its so relentless, and all my dogs up against the life sentence
I love y'all, like I love no bitch, and that's real shit
Or some crip shit, homie dig this

There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe

I used to have a lot broads that I don't fool with
I used to have a lot of homeboys I ain't cool with
A lot people that a nigga used to go to school with
Happy as hell to see the big dog doing it
But what none of them would believe though (what?)
That I would be bigger the Kurtis blow
I guess he was right, these are the breaks
Despite my mistakes and aches, I'm gettin' cake
To realize your fate through faith, (through faith)
Cause we all gonna get that day (for what)
To see if our lives was straight
And to see if we gonna walk through those pearly gates (yeah?)
To see the man upstairs, on some real talk homie
I'm tires of being stuck here
If I could I would fly to the moon (zoom)
Y'all probably think I'm tripping off these mushrooms (i know)

There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
There will be, ups and downs,
Smiles and frowns
Share with me, fairy tales or make believe

Now as I think back to the words my granddaddy used to say
I never seen him in church, but he always had the word




He would always tell me! sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad
You gotta do bad in order to do good

Overall Meaning

The Esther Phillips song "Ups and Downs" is all about the highs and lows of relationships. She sings about the struggles she and her partner have faced - arguing, fighting, and whatnot - but ultimately the love they share outweighs all of that. Phillips' grandfather's wise words are also featured prominently throughout the song. He used to say "there will be ups and downs, smiles and frowns" and that you have to take the good with the bad. The song is a reflection of the many difficulties encountered in relationships but also the resilience and strength that love can provide.


The song is also notable for the inclusion of a verse by rapper Snoop Dogg. His rap verses discuss his own experiences with difficult relationships, both romantically and in terms of friendship. Snoop also echoes some of the themes Phillips sings about, particularly the idea that there will be "ups and downs" in life no matter what. Overall, "Ups and Downs" is a strength-affirming, life-affirming anthem that encourages listeners to keep pushing through the hard times.


Line by Line Meaning

Every dog has his day
Everyone will have a successful moment in their life.


Another thirty nine inch thick classic (yeah,yeah,yeah,yeah)
This song is yet another hit song.


Girl, as I sit here thinking to myself
As the singer reflects alone, she thinks of her lover.


There is no one for you but me, and I mean that
I am the only one for you and I am sincere.


And I think about all the things we've been through
When I reminisce on our experiences together...


Like arguing and fighting for example
...such as our disagreements and conflicts.


You know the love we have for each other
The strong feeling of affection we share


It tends to out weigh what do to another
What we feel for each other is greater than any harm done by others.


Ya know my granddaddy use to always say
My grandfather would often tell me...


Ya know he used to say it like this
The way he would say it is...


There will be, ups and downs, smiles and frowns
Life has its high and low moments and happy and sad ones.


Share with me, fairy tales or make believe
Tell me imaginative stories or fantasy tales.


What up motherfuckers? This is snoop dogg
Snoop Dogg opens his part of the song with a greeting.


I'm trying to figure out how the fuck I'm gonna do y'all
Snoop Dogg is trying to work out how to entertain his audience.


Hanging with my homie from the turf, that's young q-ball
I'm chilling with my friend from the streets, young q-ball.


Giving me the word from the street, here's the scoop y'all
He's telling me the latest information and gossip from the streets.


The niggas from the eastsidaz split up (split up)
The Eastsidaz group disbanded.


And one of 'em tried to fuck yo' shit up (what?)
One of them attempted to ruin my career.


No cause, don't believe that, that's my nigga for life
Don't believe the rumors and gossip, he is still my friend for life.


I'm out with the bullshit, I'm in with the real shit
I'm done with the lies and nonsense, I'm moving on to reality.


I'm at the church doing work, spitting game from the pulpit
I'm in the church preaching and teaching with great fervor.


Now that's the bidness, and god is my witness
That's my mission, and God is my witness.


L-B-C-2-1-3 hell yeah, we in this
I'm from Long Beach, California, and we are here representing.


Its so relentless, and all my dogs up against the life sentence
The struggle is never-ending, and all of my friends are facing imprisonment.


I love y'all, like I love no bitch, and that's real shit
I cherish my friends, like no other person, and that's the truth.


Or some crip shit, homie dig this
This is some gangsta business, my friend, so listen up.


I used to have a lot broads that I don't fool with
I had many women, who I am no longer associated with.


I used to have a lot of homeboys I ain't cool with
I had many friends, who I no longer get along with anymore.


A lot people that a nigga used to go to school with
Many of the people I went to school with, I no longer associate with.


Happy as hell to see the big dog doing it
They are very happy to see my success.


But what none of them would believe though (what?)
What they wouldn't expect is...


That I would be bigger the Kurtis blow
Kurtis Blow is a rapper from the 80s, but I succeeded more than him.


I guess he was right, these are the breaks
Kurtis was right, life has its setbacks.


Despite my mistakes and aches, I'm gettin' cake
Despite my errors and sorrows, I'm earning money.


To realize your fate through faith, (through faith)
To comprehend your destiny through belief.


Cause we all gonna get that day (for what)
We will all have that fateful day (death).


To see if our lives was straight
To see if we lived a respectable life.


And to see if we gonna walk through those pearly gates (yeah?)
And to see if we will enter heaven.


To see the man upstairs, on some real talk homie
To meet God, in all honesty, my friend.


I'm tires of being stuck here
I'm tired of being trapped in this life.


If I could I would fly to the moon (zoom)
If possible, I'd rather escape to the moon quickly.


Y'all probably think I'm tripping off these mushrooms (i know)
You might believe I'm hallucinating from intake of mushrooms, but I'm not.


Now as I think back to the words my granddaddy used to say
As I recollect what my grandfather would say...


I never seen him in church, but he always had the word
I never witnessed him attending church, but he always had words of wisdom.


He would always tell me! sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad
He would frequently remind me that we must accept both positive and negative experiences.


You gotta do bad in order to do good
One must experience difficulties to learn to better oneself.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: MAURICE ERNEST GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB, BARRY ALAN GIBB, CORDOZAR BROADUS, WARRYN S. CAMPBELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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