Ice Cube originally recorded a demo of the track in his home studio and went on to record the album version in Los Angeles at Echo Sound Studios during 1992, and it was one of the first ideas for the album sessions.
Ice Cube commented on the concept behind the song stating, "The inspiration was my life at the time ... I was at the top of the rap game. It was the summer of ’92 and I was in a hotel room, really in a state of euphoria. I had all the money I had dreamed of. I was in a good frame of mind. And I remember thinking, ‘Okay, there’s been the riots, people know I will deal with that. That’s a given. But I rap all this gangsta stuff — what about all the good days I had?"
The song samples The Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps in the Dark ", and DJ Pooh enhanced the production with bass and vocals. The song has been re-released multiple times, including on Ice Cube's Greatest Hits album. A remixed version, sampling "Let's Do It Again" by The Staple Singers, appeared on his Bootlegs & B-Sides as well as The N.W.A. Legacy, Vol. 1: 1988-1999.
In the song, Ice Cube reflects on the events of January 20, 1992 and how these events affected his life at the time.
It Was A Good Day
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shit, uh, yo
Yeah
Uh
Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God
I don't know but today seems kinda odd
No barking from the dog, no smog
I got my grub on, but didn't pig out
Finally got a call from a girl I want to dig out (wassup?)
Hooked it up for later as I hit the do'
Thinking, "Will I live another twenty fo'?"
I gotta go 'cause I got me a drop top
And if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop
Had to stop at a red light
Looking in my mirror, not a jacker in sight
And everything is alright
I got a beep from Kim and she can fuck all night
Called up the homies and I'm askin' y'all
"Which park, are y'all playin' basketball?"
Get me on the court and I'm trouble
Last week, fucked around and got a triple double
Freakin' niggas every way like M.J.
I can't believe, today was a good day (shit)
Drove to the pad and hit the showers
Didn't even get no static from the cowards
'Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me
Saw the police and they rolled right past me
No flexin', didn't even look in a nigga's direction
As I ran the intersection
Went to Short Dog's house, they was watchin' Yo! Mtv Raps
What's the haps on the craps?
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em
Roll 'em in a circle of niggas and watch me break 'em
With the 7, 7-11, 7-11
7, even back do' Little Joe
I picked up the cash flow
Then we played bones, and I'm yellin', "Domino"
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central L.A.
Today was a good day (shit)
Left my nigga's house paid (what)
Picked up a girl been tryna fuck since the twelfth grade
It's ironic, I had the brew, she had the chronic
The Lakers beat the Supersonics
I felt on the big fat fanny
Pulled out the jammy, and killed the punanny
And my dick runs deep, so deep, so deep put her ass to sleep
Woke her up around one
She didn't hesitate, to call Ice Cube the top gun (yeah)
Drove her to the pad and I'm coasting
Took another sip of the potion, hit the three-wheel motion
I was glad everything had worked out
Dropped her ass off and then chirped out
Today was like one of those fly dreams
Didn't even see a berry flashing those high beams
No helicopter looking for a murder
Two in the morning got the Fatburger
Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
And it read "Ice Cube's a pimp" (yeah)
Drunk as hell but no throwing up
Halfway home and my pager still blowing up
Today I didn't even have to use my AK
I gotta say it was a good day (shit)
Ay, wait, wait a minute Pooh, stop this shit
What the fuck I'm thinking about?
Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" is a song that tells the story of an exceptionally good day in the life of the rapper. He starts the song recounting his morning and how he wakes up feeling odd and unsure about how the day will turn out, but it ends up becoming a great day. He raps about how he receives a call from a girl he has been wanting to pursue and finally hooks up with her later. On his way to meet up with his friends, he drives through the city but doesn't see any violence, which is unusual for South Central L.A. At his friend Short Dog's house, they watch Yo! MTV Raps and play craps, and he makes some money. He also mentions "7-11," a popular dice game, and how he won some cash. He ends up spending time with the girl he hooked up with earlier, drinking beer and smoking weed, feeling good that nothing can go wrong. He returns home without any incidents and realizes that he did not even have to use his gun, something that he usually has to do in his neighborhood.
The song is a classic gangsta rap song, but it also has a positive and uplifting message. Ice Cube is celebrating life and joy in the midst of violence and poverty. Through the lyrics, he is saying that even though life in South Central L.A is hard, life can still have its good moments. The song also shows the reality of the African American community during the '90s. The song resonated with young black men and women who grew up experiencing the tough lifestyle that Ice Cube described, and it became an anthem for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God
I feel grateful for waking up this morning and I thank God for it.
I don't know but today seems kinda odd
Something seems unusual or weird about today, and I can't put a finger on it.
No barking from the dog, no smog
There is no sound of my dog barking outside and no smog or pollution in the air.
And momma cooked a breakfast with no hog (yeah)
My mother cooked breakfast without using pork, which is a rarity.
I got my grub on, but didn't pig out
I ate a lot of food, but I didn't eat too much or overindulge.
Finally got a call from a girl I want to dig out (wassup?)
Someone I am interested in called me back, and I am excited to see her later.
Hooked it up for later as I hit the do'
I made plans with the girl for later in the day as I left the house.
Thinking, "Will I live another twenty fo'?"
I am unsure if I will live to see my 24th birthday.
I gotta go 'cause I got me a drop top
I have to leave now because I want to drive my convertible car today.
And if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop
If I press a button in my car, I can make the back lower down.
Had to stop at a red light
I had to come to a stop at a red traffic light.
Looking in my mirror, not a jacker in sight
I checked my rearview mirror and didn't see any potential carjackers.
And everything is alright
Everything seems to be going well and there are no problems at the moment.
I got a beep from Kim and she can fuck all night
A woman named Kim sent me a message, saying that she wants to have sex with me all night.
Called up the homies and I'm askin' y'all
I called my friends and asked them where they are playing basketball today.
"Which park, are y'all playin' basketball?"
I asked my friends which park they are playing basketball at today.
Get me on the court and I'm trouble
If I join the basketball game, I am confident I will cause trouble for the other team.
Last week, fucked around and got a triple double
Last week, I accidentally scored double digits in three major basketball statistics (points, rebounds, and assists).
Freakin' niggas every way like M.J.
I am outmaneuvering my opponents like the great basketball player Michael Jordan.
I can't believe, today was a good day (shit)
I am amazed that today has been a great day for me.
Drove to the pad and hit the showers
I drove back home and took a shower.
Didn't even get no static from the cowards
I did not receive any trouble or hostility from anyone who is usually a coward.
'Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me
I narrowly escaped a shooting attempt from someone yesterday.
Saw the police and they rolled right past me
I saw the police officers drive by me without stopping or bothering me.
No flexin', didn't even look in a nigga's direction
I was not showing off or acting tough, and nobody paid me any attention.
As I ran the intersection
I drove through an intersection while running a red light.
Went to Short Dog's house, they was watchin' Yo! Mtv Raps
I went to my friend's house and they were watching Yo! MTV Raps on TV.
What's the haps on the craps?
I asked my friends if there was any news or updates about the dice game known as "craps."
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em
We shook the dice and prepared to play a round of the game called craps.
Roll 'em in a circle of niggas and watch me break 'em
I rolled the dice among a group of my friends and felt confident that I would win the game.
With the 7, 7-11, 7-11
I rolled two 7s in a row during the game of craps.
7, even back do' Little Joe
I rolled another 7 and Little Joe, which are both good outcomes in craps.
I picked up the cash flow
I won a lot of money during the game of craps.
Then we played bones, and I'm yellin', "Domino"
After playing craps, we played the game called dominoes and I was excited about it.
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central L.A.
I am happy that none of my friends or family members got killed in the violent neighborhood of South Central L.A. today.
Today was a good day (shit)
Overall, today was a great day for me.
Left my nigga's house paid (what)
I left my friend's house after paying them back for something.
Picked up a girl been tryna fuck since the twelfth grade
I finally got a girl I have been trying to hook up with since high school to have sex with me.
It's ironic, I had the brew, she had the chronic
It's funny how I was drinking beer, and she had marijuana to smoke.
The Lakers beat the Supersonics
The Los Angeles Lakers won a basketball game against the Seattle Supersonics.
I felt on the big fat fanny
I touched a large, attractive woman's buttocks.
Pulled out the jammy, and killed the punanny
I used a gun to intimidate the woman into having sex with me.
And my dick runs deep, so deep, so deep put her ass to sleep
My penis is large and satisfying enough to make the woman who just had sex with me fall asleep.
Woke her up around one
I woke the woman up at around 1 o'clock in the morning.
She didn't hesitate, to call Ice Cube the top gun (yeah)
The woman had a great time having sex with me and referred to me as the top gun.
Drove her to the pad and I'm coasting
I drove her back home gently and relaxed.
Took another sip of the potion, hit the three-wheel motion
I took another sip of my alcoholic drink and showed off by tilting my car onto three wheels.
I was glad everything had worked out
I was relieved that everything turned out well and as planned.
Dropped her ass off and then chirped out
After dropping off the woman at her house, I honked my car horn and made a "chirping" sound.
Today was like one of those fly dreams
Today felt like one of those pleasant and surreal dreams that feel too good to be true.
Didn't even see a berry flashing those high beams
I did not encounter any police officers driving with their sirens and flashing lights on.
No helicopter looking for a murder
I did not witness any helicopters or other law enforcement agents searching for a murder suspect.
Two in the morning got the Fatburger
I went to a popular fast-food restaurant called Fatburger at 2 o'clock in the morning.
Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
I even saw the Goodyear Blimp flying in the sky, which was a rare sight to see.
And it read "Ice Cube's a pimp" (yeah)
The blimp had a message that read 'Ice Cube is a pimp,' which I found amusing.
Drunk as hell but no throwing up
Although I was extremely drunk, I did not vomit or feel nauseous.
Halfway home and my pager still blowing up
Halfway to my home, my pager (a device used to send messages) kept buzzing with notifications.
Today I didn't even have to use my AK
Today was so peaceful and uneventful that I didn't feel the need to use my firearm.
I gotta say it was a good day (shit)
Overall, it was a great and peaceful day for me.
Ay, wait, wait a minute Pooh, stop this shit
Towards the end of the song, Ice Cube realizes how ridiculous and exaggerated his storytelling has become and tells his friend Pooh to stop the music.
What the fuck I'm thinking about?
Ice Cube is questioning the sanity of his own story and wondering why he is depicting violence and sex in such a positive light.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: O'shea Jackson, Arthur Lee Goodman, O'kelly Jr. Isley, S. Robinson, Ernest Isley, Marvin Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Bernard Isley, Chris Jasper, H. Ray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kaseyhussle
Well sorry bro, thats just how we are raised.
Happy:😠
Sad:😠
Angry:😠
Joy:😠
Sex:😠
Fight:😠
Birthday party:😠
What non-street people won't understand is, these skills taught us who to survive difficult situations, how to survive life, how handle life's never ending problems. We learn early on, never show a person you just meet too much love or respect, because the more you do, the more likely they are of moving on you, taking what you have, plotting against you.That's why we always cold, never very friendly or social, because we came from nothing, from harsh environment, we are used to people screwing us over, thats why we can show you love, but we will never trust you. Why? Because we will do what ever it takes to make sure we don't go back there, we wanna move forward so are families and kids can have a better life. Thats why are always working hard, very cold, and never trusting people. Sometimes we forget to spread love -I apologize.
@mikekoksmol6667
"Radio Los Santos"
The good old days😏
@csparisfoss7231
D1 aguante la santos perro
@LK-ui9rx
West Coast Classics u mean
@maurithethird
You make me cry
@rapidgamezxboxone5150
@@LK-ui9rx nah it was radio los santos, your thinking of gta v
@LK-ui9rx
yea
@pardontheleft2692
i love how mans just had a good ass day and decided to write a fire song about it
@irenekay7934
but it wasnt a good day at the end? did i missunderstood the video?
@zxth
@@irenekay7934 "it was just one of those fry dreams" well it was probably all a dream cause at the end of the non music video version it sounded like he woke up
@irenekay7934
@@zxthoh yes it could be a dream. I didn't think about it like that