Barbershop
Ghostface Killah Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ah didn't I tell you don't touch the sides? I'm going bald on top
You lucky you cool, I'ma let it ride
Slide, you played me so you can't get paid
How you goin' fuck up a don and cold dog his fade?
I look like UTFO one of them dudes from back in the days
The Educator Clapper is housing your coke and the spray
Barbershop niggas, always wind up fucking around
One minute you hot, next minute you not
Remind me of the New York Knicks with they jumpshots
Ox, wack as hell, my ratchet spell
Fuck up again you'll have a funny smell
All Reneece is doing straight nails
Putting in bangs for bitches
Hundred dollar weaves, some different strains of horsehair

Yo Tone put the gun away, the cops is here
(I want everybody down! I wanna see ID, and I don't wanna nobody saying nothing)
(I put one of you moolies back, I'm telling you right now)




(I will shoot any one of you guys, I'm telling you)
(Don't hit the exit)

Overall Meaning

The song "Barbershop" by Ghostface Killah tells a story about a guy who goes to get a haircut and ends up getting screwed over by his barber. The opening lines are a conversation between two guys at the barbershop, one of whom has just had a bad experience with his haircut. The guy is upset because the barber messed up his hair and made him look bad. He complains that the barber "zeked" him, which means he messed up his hair. The other guy sympathizes and suggests that the first guy should keep an eye on the barber while he's getting his hair cut.


The story switches to Ghostface Killah, who is also at the barbershop getting his hair cut. He's talking to the barber and warning him not to mess up his hair. He tells the barber to cut his hair the way he normally does it and not to "fuck [him] up this time neither." Ghostface is clearly cautious and doesn't want to end up like the first guy. The song ends with a bit of chaos when the police show up and everyone in the barbershop gets scared.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey yo man, what's the deal fam (yo yo)
Opening line of conversation to greet somebody, conveying a sense of familiarity.


Yo stay on top of that nigga when you getting your cut G
Advising someone to keep a close watch on the barber while he's getting his haircut, to ensure that the barber does not mess up his hair.


That nigga just fucking zeked me (damn son)
Complaining about how the barber messed up his hair, using the slang term 'zeked' which implies a botched haircut.


Look what he did to my motherfucking shit (check this shit out)
Pointing out the poor quality of the haircut to somebody else, using vulgar language to express frustration.


Got me looking all out of order (damn!)
Expressing the dissatisfaction of the artist's appearance, post getting a bad haircut.


(Yo cut my shit right nigga)
Requesting the barber to fix the haircut as it has not met the expectations of the singer.


Hey yo son what up man what's good what's good
Casually enquiring with somebody about their well being, using slang language to convey informality.


What's popping with y'all niggas though and shit
Asking the group about what's new and exciting, using slang language with an informal tone.


How the fuck this nigga skimp me and shit like
Expressing annoyance about how the barber did not do a proper haircut or cheated the artist in some way, using vulgar language to express anger.


The fuck like I don't spend no bread in here and shit
Asserting that the artist has been a regular customer and has paid money, suggesting that he should receive good service.


(Got that money, I got that money nigga)
Confirming the fact that the singer has the financial ability to pay for a good haircut.


I give that nigga fucking Swiss Rolls, Jags, minks
The artist expresses that he has gifted the barber with different objects to establish trust and improve the quality of service provided by the barber.


I give that nigga shit for his fucking grill man (true, true indeed)
Speaker affirms that he has given generous amounts of food, gifts or rewards to the barber to ensure that he gets the best haircut service.


The fuck man? Like I don't fucking spend money in this bitch
Expressing frustration that money is not working as a bargaining chip in getting a good haircut, implying that standards should be maintained regardless of how much the singer pays.


(for real for real)
Adding emphasis to the singer's previous statement to indicate how upset the singer is.


Yo what up man, how you want it cut? {Shit what up Starks?}
Barber asking the customer the preferred style in which they would like their hair cut while addressing Stark, a person in the barbershop.


(Just give it to me how you been doing it) {Yeah yeah yo}
The artist is requesting the barber to cut his hair in the style he is accustomed to and the other person confirms that he has heard and will comply with the request.


{Yo I just got that brand new 40 Cal son}
Reference to a gun that somebody at the barbershop purchase, which the singer is notified about.


(Know mean? Do no bullshit, and don't fuck me up this time neither)
Requesting the barber to do a good job and not mess up like the last time, using slang and vulgar language to convey a sense of urgency.


{I gotta open it right now son}
Alternate subject changes conversation from the haircut to examining a newly purchased gun which somebody wishes to take a closer look at.


(Hey yo fam keep it cool, you know we got them thing things up in here man)
Asking the people present in the room to keep quiet and not cause any disturbance, in preparation for any eventuality due to the guns present.


Yeah my nigga, buy you a Foreman Grill
Suggesting to buy a grill to grill things to a person in the room, as a joke, and refer to the fellow person as 'my nigga'.


Straght up, you like to eat right?
Asking if the singer likes to eat so they can use the grill which was suggested earlier, to prepare food.


Fuckin with niggas heads and all that shit
Suggesting that the barber may be purposely messing up people's haircuts, hence causing inconvenience and agitation among the patrons.


Y'knahmean you got niggas going to different barbers 'n shit
Implying that due to the poor service, people may be forced to look for another barber to get their haircut, thus causing inconvenience.


Nigga be throwin you forty beans, fifty beans and
Suggesting that people have been paying money to the barber even though his services are not up to the mark, hence saying 'forty beans, fifty beans' to represent the money paid to him.


And then can't get not one free cut out your lil' monkey ass right?
Speaking in a comical tone, the singer implies that even though patrons have paid the barber, they won't receive a free haircut or a good service. He uses the word 'monkey ass' as an insult to the barbershop's services.


Alright
Concluding his remark with an affirmative, implying that he has made his point.


Didn't I tell you don't touch the sides? I'm going bald on top!
The artist is upset as haircut still hasn't met his expectations, asking the barber to not clip the sides and claims to have a bald head on top.


You lucky you cool, I'ma let it ride
The singer is exasperated with the bad haircut but decides to not argue further with the barber and lets it slide, using a slang term 'let it ride' implying letting go of the problem.


Slide, you played me so you can't get paid
Speaker is accusing the barber of purposefully messing up his hair, telling him he won't receive payment for his services.


How you goin' fuck up a don and cold dog his fade?
Speaker is using a rhetorical question to suggest that the barber has created a bad haircut, which is fundamentally wrong, especially when done to a respected member of the community.


I look like UTFO one of them dudes from back in the days
UTFO was a music band in the 80s with a very specific hairstyle, calling the barber's attention to how the artist now resembles somebody from the 1980s.


The Educator Clapper is housing your coke and the spray
Calling out the fact that the barber's hairbrush is now being used to store drugs and other such items, instead of exclusively for hair products.


Barbershop niggaz, always wind up fucking around
Speaker is making a general statement about barbershops in general, implying that incidences of poor haircuts are common in barbershops.


One minute you hot, next minute you not
Making a statement about the dynamic nature of hot barbershops, sometimes they are sought after, sometimes they are not.


Remind me of the New York Knicks with they jumpshots
Comparing the inconsistency of barber shops with the inconsistent performance of the New York Knicks Basketball team, pointer to how it has seen ups and downs over the years.


Ox, whack as hell, my ratchet spell
Speaker is complaining about the bad haircut received from a specific barber named Ox, ironically calling the barber's services 'whack' and refers to a ratchet which seems to be out of place in the barbershop setting.


Fuck up again you'll have a funny smell
Addressing the barber directly, the singer suggests that if the barber messes up again, it will lead to him gaining a bad reputation in the community.


All Reneece is doing straight nails
Speaker is observing another person named Reneece, who is busy doing women's nails and not paying attention to the poor service being provided by Ox.


Putting in bangs for bitches
The person named Reneece is adding bangs to a woman's hairstyle, indicating that his attention is not on helping improve the poor quality of service at the barbershop.


Hundred dollar weaves, some different strains of horsehair
Making an observation about women, mentioning the types of different hairstyles they are getting, which require a lot more care and time than men's haircuts.


Yo Tone put the gun away, the cops is here
Speaker is informing somebody named Tone that cops have arrived and it would be a smart idea to put away his gun.


(I want everybody down! I wanna see ID, and I don't wanna nobody saying nothing)
The cop is creating a ruckus and ordering everyone to get down and shut up, demanding to see their identities.


(I put one of you moolies back, I'm telling you right now)
Using disparaging Italian-American slang term -moolies-, the cop is threatening to return one of the group back to jail.


(I will shoot any one of you guys, I'm telling you)
The cop is threatening violence, suggesting he is prepared to shoot any one of the group if they do not comply with his instructions.


(Don't hit the exit) [man running and breathing hard]
The cop orders that the man running does not reach the exit, creating an air of drama and danger in the barbershop.




Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Dennis Coles, John L. Fowlkes, Roger Genger, S. Wallace

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

dashuntas .M

Bless up for this!

Ge'mmy De'sir

Finally!!!!!!๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Ribs Touching

"The educated clapper is housing your coconut spray"

Jason Spotts

Fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ da sample ๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐Ÿ‘Œ ๐Ÿ™Œ

Noble T.E. Francis

Anyone know the sample?

Reef Mordente

cant believe this has less than 1k views

CuzinBilly

The second verse was better than the first why did they remove it.

Ge'mmy De'sir

???

CuzinBilly

@Ge'mmy De'sir the original song only has the first verse

Ge'mmy De'sir

It was edited and I guess removed ?!!Thatโ€™s why I was like OMG, becuz they finally played the original version; and yessss, the 2nd verse is ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

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