white walls
Hollis; Macklemore; Ryan Lewis; ScHoolboy Q Lyrics


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I wanna be free
I wanna just live
Inside my Cadillac, that is my shit
Now throw it up (I throw that up)
That's what it is (that's what it is)
In my C-A-D-I-L-L-A-C, bitch (biatch)

Can't see me through my tints (nah ah)
I'm riding real slow (slow motion)
And my paint wet, dripping, shining like my 24s (umbrella)
I don't got 24s (nuh-uh)
But I'm on those Vogues
That's those big white walls, round them hundred spokes
Old school like Olde English in that brown paper bag
I'm rolling in that same whip that my granddad had
Hello haters, damn y'all mad
30K on the Caddy, now how backpack rap is that?

I got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
Got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time
I'm rolling that roof off, letting in sky
I shine, the city never looked so bright

Man, I'm lounging
In some shit Bernie Mac would've been proud of
Looking down from heaven like damn that's stylish
Smilin', don't pay attention to the mileage
Can I hit the freeway? Illegally going a hundred and twenty
Easy weaving in and out of the traffic
They cannot catch me, I'm smashing
I'm ducking, bucking them out here
I'm looking fucking fantastic, I am up in a classic
Now I know what it's like under the city lights
Riding into the night, driving over the bridge
The same one we walked across as kids
Knew I'd have a whip, but never one like this
Old school, old school, candy paint, two seater
Yea, I'm from Seattle, there's hella Honda Civics
I couldn't tell you about paint either
But I really wanted a Caddy so I put in the hours
And rolled up over to the dealer
And I found the car I dreamed of, placed a bargain with this geezer
Got the keys in as I was leaving I started screaming

I got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
Got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time
I'm rolling that roof off, letting in sky
I shine, the city never looked so bright

Backwoods and dope
White hoes in the backseat snortin' coke
She doing line after line like she's writing rhymes
I had her inhalin' my love, tryna blow her mind
Cadillac pimpin', my uncle was on
14, I stole his keys, me and my niggas was gone
Stealing portions of his liquor, water in his Patron
Driving smiling like I won the fucking lottery homes
(Fuckin' lottery homes)
Tires with the spokes on it, and the Vogues too
Mustard and mayonnaise, keepin' the buns all on
My dogs hanging out the window
Young as whoosh, fucking like we ball
Tryna fuck 'em all
Never park the whip, see what's poppin' at the mall
Meet a bad bitch, slap her booty with my paw
You can smoke the pussy, I was tearing down the walls
I'm motherfuckin' awe some
Swear these sights tryna hypnotize
Grip the leather steering wheel way I grip the thighs
See the lust stuck up in her eyes
Maybe she like the ride or did she like the smoke?
Or does she want it low?
'Cause this shit a Coupe de Ville so you never know
So we cruise for minutes, my nigga fuck the limit
Got a window tinted, for sure a gangsta in it
Slide 'til the gas is finished, Q

Off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
Got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time
I'm rolling that roof off, letting in sky
I shine, the city never looked so bright

Got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
Got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time




I'm rolling that roof off, letting in sky
I shine, the city never looked so bright

Overall Meaning

The song "White Walls" is a celebration of hip-hop culture and the American dream. The lyrics describe the joys of driving a Cadillac, an iconic car that symbolizes wealth and success, and the freedom of cruising down the street with the wind in your hair. The opening lines of the song express this sentiment perfectly: "I wanna be free, I wanna just live, inside my Cadillac, that is my shit." Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are joined by fellow rapper ScHoolboy Q on this track, who reminisces about his own experiences driving his uncle's Cadillac when he was younger.


The song is infused with themes of rebellion and self-expression, as evident in the line "Can't see me through my tints, I'm riding real slow," which suggests a desire for privacy and anonymity. The verses convey a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era when life was simpler and the pleasures of the open road were readily accessible. The chorus, which repeats the lines "Got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive, got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time," reinforces this idea of indulging in the simple pleasures of life and appreciating the beauty of the world around us.


Overall, "White Walls" is a powerful ode to American culture that celebrates the joys of freedom, rebellion, and self-expression. Whether you're riding in a Cadillac or simply enjoying the simple things in life, this song reminds us to cherish each moment and appreciate the beauty of the world around us.


Line by Line Meaning

I wanna be free
I desire freedom


I wanna just live
I simply want to live my life


Inside my Cadillac, that is my shit
My Cadillac is my pride and joy


Now throw it up (I throw that up)
I celebrate and showcase my Cadillac


That's what it is (that's what it is)
That's the way it is


In my C-A-D-I-L-L-A-C, bitch (biatch)
I love my Cadillac and am proud of it


Can't see me through my tints (nah ah)
My tinted windows provide privacy


I'm riding real slow (slow motion)
I am cruising at a leisurely pace


And my paint wet, dripping, shining like my 24s (umbrella)
My wet, shining paint resembles my shiny rims


I don't got 24s (nuh-uh)
I don't actually have 24-inch rims


But I'm on those Vogues
I have white wall tires on my Cadillac


That's those big white walls, round them hundred spokes
I have classic, old school style white wall tires with many spokes


Old school like Olde English in that brown paper bag
My style is reminiscent of Olde English malt liquor in a brown paper bag


I'm rolling in that same whip that my granddad had
I am driving the same type of car that my grandfather once owned


Hello haters, damn y'all mad
I acknowledge my haters and their jealousy towards my lifestyle


30K on the Caddy, now how backpack rap is that?
I spent 30K on my Cadillac, which goes against the traditional, alternative hip-hop style


I got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
I have an off-black Cadillac and I like to take late night drives


Got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time
I drive leisurely, taking my time with the gas pedal


I'm rolling that roof off, letting in sky
I'm enjoying the open air while rolling down the convertible top of my car


I shine, the city never looked so bright
I feel great and the city looks illuminated


Man, I'm lounging
I am relaxing


In some shit Bernie Mac would've been proud of
I have a car that the late Bernie Mac would have admired


Looking down from heaven like damn that's stylish
Bernie Mac would be admiring my style from heaven


Smilin', don't pay attention to the mileage
I don't care about the distance I drove


Can I hit the freeway? Illegally going a hundred and twenty
I want to break the law by going 120 mph on the freeway


Easy weaving in and out of the traffic
I efficiently navigate through the cars on the road


They cannot catch me, I'm smashing
The police cannot catch me, I am speeding away


I'm ducking, bucking them out here
I am avoiding getting caught


I'm looking fucking fantastic, I am up in a classic
I look great while driving a classic car


Now I know what it's like under the city lights
I am experiencing the city nightlife in a new way


Riding into the night, driving over the bridge
I am driving into the darkness over a bridge


The same one we walked across as kids
I am driving on the same bridge where I walked as a child


Knew I'd have a whip, but never one like this
I always knew I would have a car, but never an impressive one like my Cadillac


Old school, old school, candy paint, two seater
My car is a classic, candy painted two-seater vehicle


Yea, I'm from Seattle, there's hella Honda Civics
I'm from Seattle where Honda Civics are popular


I couldn't tell you about paint either
I don't know much about automotive paint


But I really wanted a Caddy so I put in the hours
I worked hard to afford my Cadillac


And rolled up over to the dealer
I went to the dealership to buy my Cadillac


And I found the car I dreamed of, placed a bargain with this geezer
I found the exact car I wanted and negotiated the price with the dealership salesman


Got the keys in as I was leaving I started screaming
I was excited and couldn't contain my joy as I drove away with the keys


Backwoods and dope
I am smoking marijuana cigars and using drugs


White hoes in the backseat snortin' coke
White women are snorting cocaine in my car's backseat


She doing line after line like she's writing rhymes
The woman is doing a lot of cocaine quickly, like writing fast


I had her inhalin' my love, tryna blow her mind
I gave her a lot of drugs to try and impress her


Cadillac pimpin', my uncle was on
My uncle owned a pimped out Cadillac


14, I stole his keys, me and my niggas was gone
At 14 years old, I stole my uncle's car keys with my friends


Stealing portions of his liquor, water in his Patron
We also stole some of my uncle's liquor, mixing water in his expensive Patron


Driving smiling like I won the fucking lottery homes
I am extremely happy and excited while driving my uncle's stolen car


(Fuckin' lottery homes)
I feel like I won the lottery


Tires with the spokes on it, and the Vogues too
My car has classic spoke tires with white wall Vogues as well


Mustard and mayonnaise, keepin' the buns all on
I have condiments in my car, possibly for food I eat while driving


My dogs hanging out the window
My friends are hanging out of the car's windows


Young as whoosh, fucking like we ball
We feel young, happy and carefree while driving the car


Tryna fuck 'em all
We are trying to seduce women with our car


Never park the whip, see what's poppin' at the mall
We keep the car moving, checking out the scene at the mall


Meet a bad bitch, slap her booty with my paw
We attempt to get a woman's attention by slapping her butt


You can smoke the pussy, I was tearing down the walls
A sexual reference towards how good one of the women is, sex is permeating between the lyrics but it could be arguably about power.


I'm motherfuckin' awe some
I am really awesome


Swear these sights tryna hypnotize
The city nightlife is mesmerizing me


Grip the leather steering wheel way I grip the thighs
I handle the steering wheel the same way I handle women's thighs


See the lust stuck up in her eyes
The woman's eyes show that she is attracted to me


Maybe she like the ride or did she like the smoke?
She may be attracted to the car or to my drug use


Or does she want it low?
She may want to have sex in the low, dark backseat of the car


'Cause this shit a Coupe de Ville so you never know
Because the car is a Coupe de Ville, anything can happen in it


So we cruise for minutes, my nigga fuck the limit
We ride around disregarding speed limits


Got a window tinted, for sure a gangsta in it
My car's tinted windows make it appear as if a gangster is driving it


Slide 'til the gas is finished, Q
I'll keep driving until I run out of gas


Off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
My off-black Cadillac is great for late night drives


Got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
I'm enjoying my off-black Cadillac on a late night drive




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ben Haggerty, Quincey Hanley, Ryan Lewis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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