No Country For Young Men
Ice Cube Lyrics

Many motherfuckers criticize Pros and how they play
There are many people who criticize professional athletes and their actions

And many motherfuckers criticize Rappers and what they say
Similarly, there are a lot of people who criticize rap artists and their lyrics

Even though they criticize Secretly they fantasize But they know they'll never paid be to play
Despite the criticism, these people secretly admire these professionals and dream of being in their shoes, even though they know they'll never achieve that level of success

I'ma kill one of you young punks With a old school flow Flow flow
The artist warns that he will destroy one of the young up-and-coming rappers with his old-school music style

Though I walk through the shadow of death I gotta make sure that my shoes and my outfit fresh
The artist feels he is at risk, but still takes the time to ensure he looks good

Y'all bitches get jealous when you see me coming Y'all would too if you seen my woman
The artist is so intimidating and successful that even other men's girlfriends get jealous of his presence

This shit here bout as sick as the flu Drunk motherfuckers wanna vomit on my shoe
The artist is describing his surroundings as disgusting as the flu, and that even drunk people behave crudely around him

Rappers go to jail like Oprah go to Yale Stedman policy don't ask don't tell
The artist is commenting on the high number of rap artists who end up in jail, with an analogy to Oprah Winfrey attending Yale University. The mention of Stedman's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy is allusive to this comparison.

Where my waterbees as I go get the mail Half black is the new black can't you tell?
The artist is looking for his friends, and then makes a comment on the trend of people with mixed race heritage being considered the 'new black'

It was blue black like Wesley Snipes in new jack Now you got to have a white mama just to do that
The artist is noting how the appearance of Black people in film and media has evolved over the years. Previously, having the same skin color as Wesley Snipes was acceptable, but now you need a white mother to play the same roles.

Tiger woods used to be a safe nigga Go ahead let your daughter have a date with him He'll mate wit 'em prolly in a wifebeater Tiger 'bout to change his name to cheater
The artist is commenting on Tiger Woods, previously a respected athlete, who had multiple affairs that tarnished his reputation. The mention of a daughter is meant to display the outrage parents might feel. The artist suggests that he has stopped caring about any social expectations and could wear a wifebeater to prove that he is not scared of offending anyone.

I don't like it when you call me big poppa From south central and I hate helicopters
The artist dislikes how people refer to him with a nickname, and displays his distaste for police helicopters

If we at school I'll break in your locker See me with a water bottle its probably vodka
The artist claims to be a troublemaker and carries a water bottle around which he may convincingly pass off as containing alcohol.

Drink responsibly or drink constantly Be who you wanna be in this economy
The artist gives the option of drinking responsibly or continuously. Also, the feeling of 'if you don't like it, don't buy it' echoes the sentiment of 'you can be whoever you want to be'

Drunk as Sean Connery at the Bonavie Can't throw me out motherfucker I'm the honery
The artist is comparing his drunken state with that of actor Sean Connery's, and proclaims that he is practically untouchable at this moment.

Trust me I'll never be the nominee I don't kiss enough ass I'm too honery
The artist does not feel he will ever win an award as he does not pander to people, and intends to stick to his own behaviour.

Ice cube be where the piranha be Swim upstream eatin' all kind of meat West coast treat it like hyenas Take what you want from these lying ass cheaters Eat the fuck out these beavers That's how we act when you don't wanna feed us
The artist is making an analogy between himself and a piranha, claiming to be a hungry creature that eats everything in its path. He compares himself and his fellow West Coast rappers with hyenas, taking what they need to survive from those who have lied and cheated them. Finally, he compares those 'feeding' him with how beavers chewed on tree barks for survival. This is all to say that he must do what he can to succeed.

Crazy motherfucker ever since I was a fetus Might as well join us you ain't gonna beat us Please believe us you can ask Jesus I'ma be here bout as long as Regis
The artist claims to be wild since the time he is in his mother's womb, and is sure that no one can outdo him, and that he will outlive even famous entertainment personality Regis Philbin. He even claims Jesus can attest to his untamed lifestyle.

Understand I never pledge of alligience To this balla confusion might cause a contusion boy I see you're cruising for a bruising Fucking with a principal that don't like students
The artist has not sworn any allegiance to anyone or anything, and does not want to get into a conflict that might harm him. He warns the listener to not mess with him, as he will do what needs to be done. The wordplay is around further school-related references, indicating that he won't tolerate negative actions.

Don't you know that detention is a lynching And if I fail to mention I'm spending out my pension
The artist claims some punishment like detention is like lynching, implying that the punishment is disproportionate. And in the latter half of this line, it's mentioned that he is at the end of his financial resources or has overspent it.

The reason I hung in Cause this right here ain't no country for young men Sunny you done fucked up the churches money I'm red fox and you that big dummy
The artist notes the harshness of success, especially for young people. He attributes his own success to remaining persistent in the face of these harsh realities. Here, he is alluding to the 1970s sitcom, Sanford and Son, stating that someone else has lost all of their money/funding, with himself being the one to clean up the mess.

This junkyard was a empire Y'all let it get over ran by vampires Most M.C's is god damn liars Like them fucking supervisors working up Kaiser?
The artist points out the deterioration of the music industry, which he compares to a broken-up automobile yard, now taken over by scandalous people. He is saying that most rappers are not honest, and he compares them to supervisors at the infamous Kaiser company (a company known for unfair work practices).

Bitch I'm not a dodger I'm a laker punk Yous a fucking clipper you can call me jack the ripper Cut you up by your gizzard then down by your liver Rooter by the tooter gut you like flipper Dipper y'all better treat me like the skipper
The artist is saying that he doesn't belong to the pro baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers but he could be associated with the basketball team Los Angeles Lakers. He then initiates a rap battle with a rapper he/she dislikes (probably a Clippers player) with each line leading up to vicious threats. In the final line, he/she asks to be treated with respect.

Head trigga the heir nigga Air honkey and air critter I come through and kill every litter Like that like that like that
The artist claims to be in charge of the motives and dominant attitude. He then makes derogatory remarks towards Caucasians and other people of non-color persuasion. The last line is intended to show that he intends to pursue his agenda doing what needs to be done.

No country for young men It's like balla' confusion Your world is just an illusion
The refrain at the end of the song reiterates the theme of the song that the world is difficult and unfair for young people striving for success, and words like 'balla' confusion' add to this confusion that people might experience.