In the early part of the decade, several American politicians attacked rappers, including the Geto Boys (though most famously Ice-T and 2 Live Crew). A high-profile incident in which Bushwick Bill (actually a dwarf) lost an eye in a shooting incident with his girlfriend helped sales for their third album, We Can't Be Stopped, which showed Bushwick on the cover being carted through a hospital by Scarface and Willie D. They responded to being dropped by Geffen on the title track ("We Can't Be Stopped"), and "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" became a hit in the rap community.
My Mind Playin' Tricks on Me
Geto Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Cool out man, we in the Radio dukes"
We're in the Radio dukes
"yeah"
Ooh, alright, check this here
At night I can't sleep, I toss and turn
Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies bein' burned
I'm paranoid, sleepin' with my finger on the trigger
My mother's always stressin' I ain't livin' right
But I ain't going out without a fight
See, everytime my eyes close
I start sweatin' and blood starts comin' out my nose
There's somebody watchin' the Ack'
But I don't know who it is, so I'm watchin' my back
I can see him when I'm deep in the covers
When I awake I hear a call burnin' rubber
He owns a black hat like I own
A black suit and a cane like my own
Some might say, "Take a chill, B"
But I can't G, cause there's somebody trying to kill me
I'm poppin' in the clip when the wind blows
Every twenty seconds got me peepin' out my window
Investigatin' the joint for traps
Checkin' my telephone for taps
I'm starin' at the woman on the corner
It's messed up, when your mind is playin' tricks on you
I make big money, I drive big cars
Everybody know me, it's like I'm a movie star
But late at night, somethin' ain't right
I feel I'm being tailed by the same sucker's head lights
Is it that fool that I ran off the block?
Or is it that clown last week that I shot?
Or is it the one I beat for five thousand dollars
Thought he had caine but it was Gold Medal Flour
Reach under my seat, grabbed my popper for the suckers
Ain't no use to me lyin, I was scareder than a motherfucker
Hooked a left into Pop eye's and bailed out quick
If it's goin' down, let's get this shit over with
Here they come, just like I figured
I got my hand on the chrome play the trigger
What I saw'll make your ass start gigglin'
Three black crippled and crazy senior citizens
I live by the sword
I take my boys everywhere I go, because I'm paranoid
I keep lookin' over my shoulder and peepin' around corners
My mind is playin' tricks on me
Day by day it's more impossible to cope
I feel like I'm the one that's doing dope
Can't keep a steady hand because I'm nervous
Every Sunday mornin' I'm in service
Prayin' for forgiveness
And tryin' to find an exit out the business
I know the Lord is lookin' at me
But yet and still it's hard for me to feel happy
I often drift while I drive
Havin' fatal thoughts of suicide
BANG and get it over with
And then I'm worry-free, but that's nonsense
I got a little boy to look after
And if I died then my child would be a bastard
I had a woman down with me
But to me it seems like she was down to get me
She helped me out in this
But to me she was just another chick
Now she's back with her mother
Now I'm realizing that I love her
Now I'm feelin' lonely
My mind is playin' tricks on me
This year Halloween fell on a weekend
Me and Geto Boys are trick-or-treatin'
Robbin' little kids for bags
Till an old man got behind our rags
So we speeded up the pace
Took a look back, and he was right before our face
He'd be in for a squabble no doubt
So I swung and and tried to take him out
He was goin' down, we planned
But this wasn't no ordinary man
He stood about six or seven feet
Now, that's the creep I'd be seein' in my sleep
So we triple-teamed on him
Droppin' them 5th ward B's on him
The more I swung the more blood flew
Then he disappeared and my boys disappeared too
Then I felt just like a fiend
It wasn't even close to Halloween
It was dark as death on the streets
My hands were all bloody from punchings on the concrete
God damn, homie
My mind is playin' tricks on me
"My Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" by Geto Boys is a song that touches on the feeling of paranoia and extreme distrust that can be brought on by a life of crime and violence. The song is essentially three verse-stories, with each member of the Geto Boys delivering one about their own brush with the dark side of their lives. The song demonstrates the crushing paranoia that can come from constantly watching your back, the internal conflict of wanting to live your life but also knowing that your lifestyle will eventually catch up to you, and the feeling of being trapped within the cycles of violence and crime.
In the first verse, a member of the Geto Boys describes his daily struggle with insomnia and paranoia. He's constantly surrounded by danger and violence, even in his dreams. His mother knows he's not living right, but he can't help it. He has to stay alert or risk getting caught. The second verse is about another member of the Geto Boys who feels like he's being constantly followed and harassed. He has no idea who is after him or why, but he's always on guard. Despite his success, he can't shake off the feeling that danger is always looming. Finally, the third verse is about a member of the Geto Boys who is struggling with addiction and the pressures of living a life of crime. He feels like he's stuck in a never-ending cycle of violence and hopelessness.
The song's dark themes and brutally honest portrayal of life on the streets are what has made it such an enduring classic. It speaks to the human condition of paranoia and the crushing feeling of being trapped in a never-ending cycle of violence, and it does so in a haunting and unforgettable way.
Line by Line Meaning
I sit alone in my four-cornered room staring at candles
I'm in a state of mind where I'm hostile towards my surroundings and deeply introspective
At night I can't sleep, I toss and turn
Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies bein' burned
I'm plagued by nightmares and hallucinations; I feel like I'm under attack
Four walls closin' in gettin' bigger
I'm paranoid, sleepin' with my finger on the trigger
I feel trapped and convinced that someone is out to get me, to the point where I'm always ready for a fight
My mother's always stressin' I ain't livin' right
But I ain't going out without a fight
My mother thinks I'm making bad decisions, but I'm too afraid to back down from any threats
Everytime my eyes close
I start sweatin' and blood starts comin' out my nose
I'm so anxious that my body reacts with physical symptoms
There's somebody watchin' the Ack'
But I don't know who it is, so I'm watchin' my back
I feel like I'm under surveillance and can't trust anyone
He owns a black hat like I own
A black suit and a cane like my own
The figure I'm seeing in my hallucinations looks like me, which makes me feel like I'm seeing myself
I'm poppin' in the clip when the wind blows
Every twenty seconds got me peepin' out my window
I'm so paranoid that I'm ready for a fight at any moment, and constantly looking out for threats
I feel I'm being tailed by the same sucker's headlights
Is it that fool that I ran off the block?
Or is it that clown last week that I shot?
I feel like everyone is out to get me and I'm second-guessing my past actions and their potential consequences
I live by the sword
I take my boys everywhere I go, because I'm paranoid
I keep lookin' over my shoulder and peepin' around corners
I'm in constant survival mode and only trust a select few to have my back
Day by day it's more impossible to cope
I feel like I'm the one that's doing dope
Can't keep a steady hand because I'm nervous
My anxiety is taking over and making me feel unstable
Every Sunday mornin' I'm in service
Prayin' for forgiveness
And tryin' to find an exit out the business
I know the Lord is lookin' at me
I'm conflicted about my lifestyle and feel guilty, but it's hard to find a way out
I got a little boy to look after
And if I died then my child would be a bastard
I have a child to protect and care for, which adds an extra layer of pressure to my situation
This year Halloween fell on a weekend
Me and Geto Boys are trick-or-treatin'
Robbin' little kids for bags
I'm engaging in dangerous behavior with my friends, including stealing from children
He stood about six or seven feet
Now, that's the creep I'd be seein' in my sleep
So we triple-teamed on him
Droppin' them 5th ward B's on him
The person we attacked seemed like a supernatural creature that I had been hallucinating about, and we violently overreacted
My hands were all bloody from punchings on the concrete
God damn, homie
My mind is playin' tricks on me
I'm left with physical evidence of my paranoia and feel overwhelmed by my own mind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ISAAC HAYES, BRAD JORDAN, WILLIE DENNIS, DOUG KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrissyjo420
@@chiefkeef6405 hey man, I really don't mean to diss you but you got it all wrong. If you count out modern rap you're missing out on some amazing storytelling and poetry. Here are some of my favorite songs in that respect, please check some out you'll love it man
Story 2 - clipping. (or any of their shit, they have an entire fucking album about a runaway slave on a slave spaceship, and the ship falling in love with him. one of their latest singles actually samples Mind Playing Tricks on Me)
Up My Sleeves- Death Grips
Wesley's Theory- Kendrick
God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It- Backxwash
Shattered Dreams- Earl Sweatshirt
When it Rain- Danny Brown
Thursday in the Danger Room- Run the Jewels
Reborn- Kanye West & Kid Cudi
Queer- Brockhampton
Casket Pretry- noname
@BDeity
1st verse: Delusion
2nd verse: Paranoia
3rd verse: Regret
4th verse: Blackout
The true stages of grief.
@raleighwashington601
True
@optimaprime8970
Facts
@hassancruz3513
You sums it all 👌🏾
@ToneSupreme
Bro Grief is Denial,Anger,Bargaining,Depression, Acceptance 😂😂😂😂
@optimaprime8970
@@ToneSupreme everyone interprets the process differently. Especially through song. Not everything fits clinical description. Obviously 250 plus people agree so he can't be that far off the mark.
@isaacpeachey8609
This song is really ahead of it’s time lyrically. When most rappers would laugh at the flaws and weaknesses of others, these guys were talking about real mental health problems.
@Super000x000
It is also because is one of the first songs about something that rappers started to talked about way later.
@jy5254
This a classic tweaker song
@russellgordon6716
Fuu