4th chamber
Genius Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Choose the sword, and you will join me
Choose the ball, and you join your mother, in death
You don't understand my words, but you must choose

So, come boy, choose life or death

The only man I hold wake for
Is the sky-blue Bally kid, in eighty-three, rocked Taylor's
My Memorex performed tape decks, my own phone sex
Watch out for Haiti bitches, I heard they throw hex
Yo, Wu whole platoon is filled with rac-coons
Corner sittin wine niggaz sippin Apple Boone, this ain't no white cartoon
Cause I be duckin' crazy spades
The kid hold white shit, like blacks rock ashy legs
Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet?
Why did Judas rat to Romans while Jesus slept? Stand up
You're out of luck like two dogs stuck
Iron Man be sippin' rum, out of Stanley Cups, unflammable
Noriega, aimin' knives which stay windy in Chicago
Spine-tingle, mind boggles
Kangols in rainbow colors, promoters try to hold dough
Give me mine before Po, wrap you up in so-and-so
I ran the Dark Ages, Constantine and great Henry the Eighth
Built with Ghengis Khan, the wreck suede wiley Don

I judge wisely, as if nothin' ever surprise me
Loungin', between two pillars of ivory
I'm lively, my dome piece, is like buildin' stones in Greece
My poems are deep from ancient thrones I speak
I'm overwhelmed, as my mind, roams the realm
My eye's the vision, memory is the film
Others act sub-tile, but they fragile above clouds
They act wild and couldn't budge a crowd
No matter how loud they get, though they growl and spit
Clutch they fists, and throw up signs like a Crip
And throw all types of fits
I leave em split, like ass cheeks and ragged pussy lips

Aiyyo, camoflouge chameleon, ninjas scalin' your buildin'
No time to grab the gun they already got your wife and children
A hit was sent, from the President, to rage your residence
Because you had secret evidence, and documents
On how they raped the continents, and it's the prominent
Dominant Islamic, Asiatic black Hebrew
The year two thousand and two, the battle's filled with the Wu
Six million devils just died from the Bubonic Flu
Or the Ebola Virus, under the reign of King Cyrus
You can see the weakness of a man right through his iris
Un-loyal snakes get thrown in boilin' lakes
Of hot oil, it boils your skin, chicken heads gettin' slim
Like Olive Oyl, only plant the seed deep inside fertile soil
Fortified with essential, vitamin and mineral
Use the sky for a blanket, stuffin' clouds inside my pillow
Rollin with the Lands, the tribe's a hundred and forty four thousand chosen
Protons electrons always cause explosions

The banks of G, all CREAM downs a vet
Money feed good, opposites off the set
It ain't hard to see, my seeds need God-degree
I got mouths to feed, unnecessary beef is more cows to breed
I'm on some tax free shit by any means
Whether bound to hit scheme or some counterfeit CREAM
I learned much from such with cons who run scams
Veterans got the game spiced like hams
And from that, sons are born and guns are drawn
Clips are fully loaded, and then blood floods the lawn
Disciplinary action was a fraction of strength
That made me truncate the limp on temp
With the stump, treat his hips like air pumps
RZA shaped the track, niggaz caught razor bumps
Scarred tryin to figure who invented
This unprecented, opium-scented, dark-tinted




Now watch me blow him out his shoes without clues
Cause I won't hesitate to detonate, I'm short fuse

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "4th Chamber" by Genius/GZA are a testimony to the rapper's prowess in lyricism. The song starts with an invitation to choose between a sword and a ball- the sword being an invitation to a dangerous life while the ball is used to symbolize death. The lyrics of the song delve into a range of concepts, from religious references to historical figures, as well as race and identity issues. Some of these references include Ghengis Khan, Judas, Romans, and Jesus, making the song an amalgamation of cultural and historical moments.


The song, as a whole, is a commentary on reality, danger, and living on the edge. The rapper's complex and metaphorical lyrics create an impression of a bright mind filled with insight and knowledge. For example, the line "I judge wisely, as if nothing ever surprises me" suggests that the rapper has seen enough to be able to make wise decisions without being surprised by anything. The song is further embellished with complex rhyming patterns, making it one of the most intricate and impressive rhyming schemes in rap music.


Line by Line Meaning

Choose the sword, and you will join me
You have a choice to make, pick the sword and join me.


Choose the ball, and you join your mother, in death
Or you can choose the ball and you will end up dying along with your mother.


You don't understand my words, but you must choose
Even if you don't understand the gravity of the situation, you have to make a choice.


So, come boy, choose life or death
It's time to decide between life and death.


The only man I hold wake for
The only person I pay respect to when they have passed away is the Bally kid who wore blue in '83.


Is the sky-blue Bally kid, in eighty-three, rocked Taylor's
The person who I pay my respects to is a guy who wore blue Bally shoes and Taylor clothing in 1983.


My Memorex performed tape decks, my own phone sex
I own a Memorex tape deck and use it to have private conversations on the phone.


Watch out for Haiti bitches, I heard they throw hex
Be careful of the women from Haiti because they are known to cast spells on people.


Yo, Wu whole platoon is filled with rac-coons
The entire Wu-Tang Clan is like a group of raccoons.


Corner sittin wine niggaz sippin Apple Boone, this ain't no white cartoon
People sit in the corner and drink cheap wine, this is not like a cartoon where everything is perfect.


Cause I be duckin' crazy spades
I am avoiding people who are dangerous and unpredictable.


The kid hold white shit, like blacks rock ashy legs
The boy has white stuff, like ash on a black person's legs.


Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet?
There are things in the world that we don't fully understand.


Why did Judas rat to Romans while Jesus slept? Stand up
Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas while he was asleep, it's time to take a stand.


You're out of luck like two dogs stuck
You are as unlucky as two dogs who are stuck together.


Iron Man be sippin' rum, out of Stanley Cups, unflammable
Iron Man is immune to flames, he drinks rum out of Stanley Cups.


Noriega, aimin' knives which stay windy in Chicago
Noriega is aiming knives that are so sharp it feels like they are cutting through the wind in Chicago.


Spine-tingle, mind boggles
My spine is tingling and my mind is blown.


Kangols in rainbow colors, promoters try to hold dough
Promoters try to make a lot of money by selling different colored Kangols.


Give me mine before Po, wrap you up in so-and-so
Give me what's mine before the police come and arrest you.


I ran the Dark Ages, Constantine and great Henry the Eighth
I behaved like a leader during the Dark Ages and even during the times of Constantine and Henry VIII.


Built with Ghengis Khan, the wreck suede wiley Don
I built my skills over time, learning from great people like Ghengis Khan and being astute like Don.


I judge wisely, as if nothin' ever surprise me
I judge things with great wisdom, nothing comes as a surprise to me anymore.


Loungin', between two pillars of ivory
I am relaxing in between two huge and valuable objects, like ivory pillars.


I'm lively, my dome piece, is like buildin' stones in Greece
My head is full of life and energy, like the building stones they used in Greece.


My poems are deep from ancient thrones I speak
My poetry is rooted in ancient history and kingship.


I'm overwhelmed, as my mind, roams the realm
I am feeling inundated as my mind wanders through different places and thoughts.


My eye's the vision, memory is the film
My eyes capture everything I see, and they project it like a movie in my memory.


Others act sub-tile, but they fragile above clouds
Some people may seem subtle, but they are actually quite weak.


They act wild and couldn't budge a crowd
Even though they may seem tough, they would never be able to move a large group of people.


No matter how loud they get, though they growl and spit
No matter how aggressive they may become in their speech.


Clutch they fists, and throw up signs like a Crip
They clench their fists and make gang signs like Crips do.


And throw all types of fits
They throw tantrums and act out in various ways.


I leave em split, like ass cheeks and ragged pussy lips
I defeat them so thoroughly that they are left in a state of shock.


Aiyyo, camoflouge chameleon, ninjas scalin' your buildin'
Like a chameleon who changes its color, ninjas are sneaking up on your building.


No time to grab the gun they already got your wife and children
You don't have time to reach for your gun because they have already taken your wife and children.


A hit was sent, from the President, to rage your residence
The President has ordered a hit on your home.


Because you had secret evidence, and documents
They believe you possess private information and documents.


On how they raped the continents, and it's the prominent
The information you have concerns their actions in committing atrocities across multiple continents.


Dominant Islamic, Asiatic black Hebrew
The people involved in this situation are Islamic, Asiatic, Black, and Hebrew.


The year two thousand and two, the battle's filled with the Wu
This is the year 2002, and the battle is being fought by the Wu-Tang Clan.


Six million devils just died from the Bubonic Flu
Many evil people have died from the Bubonic Flu.


Or the Ebola Virus, under the reign of King Cyrus
People have also been killed by the Ebola virus under King Cyrus's rule.


You can see the weakness of a man right through his iris
You can tell if a man is weak just by looking into his eyes.


Un-loyal snakes get thrown in boilin' lakes
People who are disloyal get thrown into boiling lakes.


Of hot oil, it boils your skin, chicken heads gettin' slim
The oil is so hot it burns off people's skin, it's as if chicken heads are being cooked.


Like Olive Oyl, only plant the seed deep inside fertile soil
The only way to be successful is to plant a seed deep in fertile soil.


Fortified with essential, vitamin and mineral
Make sure to fortify yourself with the necessary vitamins and minerals.


Use the sky for a blanket, stuffin' clouds inside my pillow
I use the sky as a blanket and clouds as a pillow.


Rollin with the Lands, the tribe's a hundred and forty four thousand chosen
I am riding with the Land people, who were chosen from a tribe of 144,000.


Protons electrons always cause explosions
Protons and electrons are always colliding and causing explosions.


The banks of G, all CREAM downs a vet
The banks of G hold all the cash, which is taking down an old veteran.


Money feed good, opposites off the set
Money makes people feel good, even if it goes against what is considered normal or standard.


It ain't hard to see, my seeds need God-degree
It's clear to me that my children need to be taught about God.


I got mouths to feed, unnecessary beef is more cows to breed
I have a lot of people to feed, so getting into conflicts just leads to more problems.


I'm on some tax free shit by any means
I am not paying taxes, and will do anything to avoid doing so.


Whether bound to hit scheme or some counterfeit CREAM
I don't care whether it is a legitimate or illegitimate method, I am going to make money.


I learned much from such with cons who run scams
I have learned a lot from those who commit scams.


Veterans got the game spiced like hams
Veterans know the game so well that they can make it interesting, like spiced ham.


And from that, sons are born and guns are drawn
That legacy gets passed down, leading to future conflicts.


Clips are fully loaded, and then blood floods the lawn
Guns are loaded and used, leading to a lot of bloodshed.


Disciplinary action was a fraction of strength
The punishment wasn't even a small part of the strength of the offense.


That made me truncate the limp on temp
The punishment was significant enough to make me stop a bad habit.


With the stump, treat his hips like air pumps
Using a stump, I will inflate and deflate his hips as if they were air pumps.


RZA shaped the track, niggaz caught razor bumps
RZA produced the track so perfectly that the beats are razor-sharp.


Scarred tryin to figure who invented
People are scarred or intimidated when they try to figure out who created such a perfect sound.


This unprecented, opium-scented, dark-tinted
The sound is unprecedented, smelling of opium, and with a dark hue.


Now watch me blow him out his shoes without clues
Now watch me defeat him so thoroughly that he is stunned and clueless.


Cause I won't hesitate to detonate, I'm short fuse
I won't hesitate to take drastic action if I get upset, I get angry easily.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gary E. Grice, Robert F. Diggs

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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