The Grain
Ghostface Killah Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you want to see it?
Do you want to see it?
I'm gonna do it for ya, I'm gonna do it for ya
I'm gonna do it for ya, I'm gonna do it for ya (new Ghostface!)

Yo deep in the trenches
Wig, young black green beret
Chrome laser guns blazing at spades
Wallabies, cherry noose, cool-aid
Ten niggas call it Tai Chi
Black blades, one hundred dollar seats
Hold up, we at the opera
Queen Elizabeth rub on my leg
Had ketchup on her dress from a whopper
Chunky ass necklace
Must be her birthstone
John Paul cop the biggest stones outta Rome
Told ya eyes up on her prince
Fucking with Diana
Two rows across, Dirty giving hickeys to Vianna White
Fingering Pamela Lee
We on the balcony
Dare one of y'all to Malcolm X me
Somebody might catch a Kennedy
Yo let me adjust my lens
Through these binoculars
I paid five g's sliding off like Kid Vitamin
Viking
Patriot of Broad Street
Bet you think I'm laying like a hyphen

Tony Starks make the narc's dogs bark
With the Benz parked
Up against the boulevard
Starks had the bone sparked
One cop tapped the window glass
Like a cymbal crash
"What the fuck son! You trying to break glass?"
He flashed his badge
"License and registrations"
At that moment
His fat partner started chasing
Chicken heads they was racing wit' they hearts pacing
For snatching gold
Trying to dip into the god's basement
Our location
Lead steel shed spread
Cracked shorty head
Left sweetie there for dead
Ghetto poodles
Fingers sticky from cheese doodles
Starving for a 50 cent bag of Oodles and Noodles
Neighborhood sick wit' it
Clinton 'bout to cut WIC
Maybe one y'all rich rap niggas need to politic
Reach for the sky
They throw bleach in your eye
Don't teach you why
You be keeping 'em high
Dipped like an Oreo cookie
In cold milk, bold silk
Gold-filled cap, Wu-Wear hat
Low tilt
True Islamic
We speak verbal rhyme phonics
Why y'all trying to change this hip hop to technotronics?

Don't go against the grain, the grain
Don't go against the grain, the grain
Don't go against the grain, the grain

Girl! Because of you I'm hurting
Within my within my heart
I know it's not right to be flirting
But a relationship has to start
You're the one that I'm clocking
It's time for you to start jocking
Don't want you to see me cry
This is why this is why this is why

I met this girl named Rhonda from way down yonder

Hey yo god don't fuck with her!

I met this girl named Liz she was all in the biz

Hey yo lord don't fuck with her!

I rocked a hoe named Tina from the heart of Medina

Hey yo kid don't fuck with her!

Yea that girl Kit Kat she got the good poodle cat





Hey yo nigga you better fuck with her!

Overall Meaning

In Ghostface Killah's song The Grain, he begins with lines of intrigue and questions, asking the listener if they want to see something. The first verse, which is composed of several gritty rhymes, sings about being deep in the trenches, with black green berets, chrome laser guns aimed at spades, and Tai Chi being called among ten men. The second verse talks about a trip to the opera, where Queen Elizabeth rubs his leg, with chunks of ketchup on her dress, and jewelry that could only be her birthstone. Ghostface then talks about exuding an air of wealth and being able to watch a range of different people. The final part of the song is a repetitive chorus that emphasizes against the grain.


The lyrics in this song are open to interpretation, but there are a few things that become evident: Ghostface is not afraid to be unapologetically himself, and he often operates beyond the norm or what is expected of him. He also weaves in and out of reality and fantasy, throwing big names like Queen Elizabeth, Diana, and the Kennedys around, yet also talking about gritty areas of his neighborhood. Overall, there is a sense of danger and recklessness in the lyrics, underlined by the repetition of the phrase "against the grain."


Line by Line Meaning

Do you want to see it?
Are you ready for this? Get ready because I'm about to show you something.


I'm gonna do it for ya, I'm gonna do it for ya
I'm going to do this for you. I got you covered.


Yo deep in the trenches
We're in a dangerous place, deep in enemy territory.


Wig, young black green beret
I'm wearing a black military beret and I'm ready for battle.


Chrome laser guns blazing at spades
We have high-tech guns and are ready to shoot anyone who comes at us.


Wallabies, cherry noose, cool-aid
We're wearing comfortable shoes and clothes, and drinking our favorite Kool-Aid.


Ten niggas call it Tai Chi
We're ten deep and in perfect harmony, like a group practicing Tai Chi.


Black blades, one hundred dollar seats
We have expensive, high-quality knives and are sitting in the best seats in the house.


Hold up, we at the opera
We're at a fancy, upscale event.


Queen Elizabeth rub on my leg
Even royalty is giving me attention and affection.


Had ketchup on her dress from a whopper
Even someone wealthy and powerful can make small mistakes, like spilling fast food on their clothes.


Chunky ass necklace
She's wearing a big, heavy necklace that's probably expensive.


Must be her birthstone
The necklace is probably a valuable family heirloom.


John Paul cop the biggest stones outta Rome
Even the Pope has some flashy jewelry.


Told ya eyes up on her prince
The attention is on royalty and wealth.


Fucking with Diana
Someone is getting involved with drama or danger, like when people were involved with Princess Diana before her death.


Two rows across, Dirty giving hickeys to Vianna White
There's unexpected behavior happening in the vicinity of famous people, like when Wu-Tang member Ol' Dirty Bastard was seen giving hickeys to game show host Vanna White.


Fingering Pamela Lee
There's more unexpected behavior happening in the vicinity of famous people, this time involving Pamela Anderson.


We on the balcony
We're watching all of this from a higher vantage point.


Dare one of y'all to Malcolm X me
Don't mess with me or try to silence me like they did to Malcolm X.


Somebody might catch a Kennedy
Things could turn violent and end in tragedy, like what happened to the Kennedy family.


Yo let me adjust my lens
Let me get a clearer view of what's happening.


Through these binoculars
I'm using binoculars to get an even closer look.


I paid five g's sliding off like Kid Vitamin
I spent a lot of money and I'm leaving the scene smoothly, like Kid Capri's rapper alter-ego Kid Vitamin.


Viking
I'm like a fierce, ancient Viking warrior.


Patriot of Broad Street
I'm a loyal, patriotic resident of Broad Street (an area in Philadelphia).


Bet you think I'm laying like a hyphen
I'm not lying, even if you think I am.


Tony Starks make the narc's dogs bark
My alter-ego Tony Starks makes the police and their dogs nervous.


With the Benz parked up against the boulevard
My luxury car is parked on the street.


Starks had the bone sparked
I'm smoking marijuana, and I'm feeling good.


One cop tapped the window glass, like a cymbal crash
A police officer hits my car window hard, like a loud musical cymbal.


"What the fuck son! You trying to break glass?"
The officer is angry and asking why I'm being so reckless.


He flashed his badge, "License and registrations"
The officer shows me his police badge, and asks for my license and registration.


At that moment his fat partner started chasing
Things are getting intense and chaotic.


Chicken heads they was racing wit' they hearts pacing
Some women, referred to as "chicken heads," are running with their hearts beating fast out of fear or excitement.


For snatching gold, trying to dip into the god's basement
Some people are trying to steal valuable possessions, but they'll have a hard time because our operations are undercover, like a secret basement.


Our location, lead steel shed spread
We're in a fortified location made of heavy, strong materials.


Cracked shorty head, left sweetie there for dead
Someone was hit on the head and is severely injured or possibly dead.


Ghetto poodles, fingers sticky from cheese doodles
We're living in poverty and eating cheap, unhealthy snacks all the time.


Starving for a 50 cent bag of Oodles and Noodles
We're so poor and hungry that we can only afford cheap, instant noodles.


Neighborhood sick wit' it
The local area is struggling with poverty and other issues.


Clinton 'bout to cut WIC
The government is about to cut funding for a program assisting women with infants and children (WIC).


Maybe one y'all rich rap niggas need to politic
Maybe we need more rich, successful rappers to get involved in politics and fight for change.


Reach for the sky
Raise your arms high.


They throw bleach in your eye
Someone will try to blind you or hurt you in a bad way.


Don't teach you why
They won't bother explaining why they're hurting you.


You be keeping 'em high
You're keeping people happy and entertained through your music.


Dipped like an Oreo cookie
I snuck out or disappeared quickly, like a cookie dipped in milk.


In cold milk, bold silk
I'm comfortable and luxurious, like a cookie dipped in cold milk and a luxurious silk outfit.


Gold-filled cap, Wu-Wear hat
I have wealthy, stylish accessories such as a gold-tooth cap and a Wu-Tang Clan branded hat.


Low tilt
My hat is tilted down low on my head for a cool look.


True Islamic
I have strong religious beliefs in Islam.


We speak verbal rhyme phonics
Our rap music is rhythmic and poetic, with clever wordplay and rhymes.


Why y'all trying to change this hip hop to technotronics?
I don't like how some artists are trying to change the sound of hip-hop to incorporate modern electronic music.


Don't go against the grain, the grain
Don't resist the natural flow or path of things.


Girl! Because of you I'm hurting
I'm in pain because of this girl and her actions.


Within my within my heart
I'm hurting deep down inside, in my heart and soul.


I know it's not right to be flirting
I feel guilty for flirting with this girl even though I'm in pain.


But a relationship has to start
I'm willing to try and build a relationship with this girl despite the pain.


You're the one that I'm clocking
I'm focusing on and interested in this particular girl.


It's time for you to start jocking
It's time for her to start paying attention to me and return my feelings.


Don't want you to see me cry
I don't want her to see how much she's affecting me emotionally.


This is why this is why this is why
This is the reason behind my feelings and actions.


I met this girl named Rhonda from way down yonder
I met a girl named Rhonda who's from a faraway place.


Hey yo god don't fuck with her!
She's not a good person, and I warn others to stay away from her.


I met this girl named Liz she was all in the biz
I met a girl named Liz who was heavily involved in the music industry.


Hey yo lord don't fuck with her!
She's not someone to be trusted or associated with.


I rocked a hoe named Tina from the heart of Medina
I had a sexual encounter with a woman named Tina from a city in Saudi Arabia called Medina.


Hey yo kid don't fuck with her!
I wouldn't recommend getting involved with her.


Yea that girl Kit Kat she got the good poodle cat
There's a woman named Kit Kat who has great sexual appeal and skills.


Hey yo nigga you better fuck with her!
I recommend pursuing sexual or romantic involvement with her.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Dennis David Coles, Eddie Floyd, Jo Bridges, Mack Rice, Robert F. Diggs, Rufus Thomas, Tom Nixon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@johnwang80

Had to come back to this one....after watching the hulu shit, even back when this album first came out....I always knew that this was a very special album, not only for Rza & Ghost, but for the people who love Wu Tang!!!!

@honeynutcheerios3699

Hell yeah

@MrSilverfoxx

Never purchased this album yet this song is banging... time to recycle!

@Daybreakhasme

Song just popped in my head outta nowhere!! Thank you for uploading and Youtube!!

@jakehahn3770

Notice there are no thumbs down on this (as of 3/3/17). For good reason. This whole album is stupid good.

@xolanimkhize9014

and now in (25 .11.2017)there is still no thumbs down bro

@davidgeer430

As of 2-14-19 no thumbs down

@Hamster99ful

There’s 2 dislikes :(

@TrixieTheShark

@JIFFK8 they went against the grain smh

@ncmariofan3605

I'm a ghost man! I can't get broke!

More Comments

More Versions