Ghetto Bird
Ice Cube (wapos.ru) Lyrics


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Why oh why must you swoop through the hood
like everybody from the hood is up to no good.
You think all the girls around here are trickin'
up there lookin' like Super chicken
At night I see your light through my bedroom window
But I ain't got shit but the pad and pencil
I can't wait till I hear you say
"I'm going down mayday mayday." I'm gonna clown
Cause everytime that the pigs have got me
y'all rub it in with the flying Nazi
military force, but we don't want ya
Standin' on my roof with the rocket launcher
"So fly like an eagle."
But don't follow us wherever we go
The shit that I'm saying, make it's heard
Motherfuck you and your punk-ass ghetto bird

"Run, run, run, from the ghetto bird"
"Run, run, run, from the ghetto bird"

Now
My homey's here to lick on a trick for a Rolex
And let me try the four next
Now the four I was driving was hotter than july
looked up and didn't see it whippin' in the sky
Saw a chopper with numbers on the bottom
"Calling all cars, I think we've got em."
I hit the gas and I mashed past Inglewood
I think I drove through every single hood
South Central, Compton and Watts
Long Beach, bust a you, here come the cops
Wish I had a genie with about three wishes
Metal flake green on D's I look suspicious
You know that I'm running
Shit, I hear it humming
Fuck, I see it coming
Is it a bird? Yup
Is it a plane? No
I hit me a right on El Segundo
Wanted to holla, had to ditch the Impala
Let's see if they would folla
Me, hit a fence, hit a fence, and another
met me a baby pitbull and his mother
Ran up in some peoples house and looked out of the window
I wish it was my ten-four
had to pull a strap on a fool named Louis the Third
'cause I'm getting chased by the ghetto bird

"Just put his hat, ehrrr,
he combed his hair and then put his hat back on.
he's acting nonchalant up there in that cockpit, going 115
miles an hour, with the police chasing him.
they're not gonna be
real happy when they catch up with him, no matter what, the eh
They hate, they hate a bigmouth even worse."

Officer Bird's on his way, and I don't want to see him
could you please give me the keys to the B.M.?
See, I didn't want to gank you
but don't make me bank you, thank you
Tried to get yo the hood, and you might guess
that a fool like me woulda shot Cyrus
Incognito, Ghetto Eagle
Saying, "Fuck, where did he go?"
I bust me a left from Rubellon. Park
The 735 and I'm bailin'
Went to my homegirl's house and got a hug man,
She helped me run like Harriet Tubman
Looked out the window by the black bed
I saw the pigs and the four on a flatbed
Then the light from the bird hit me in the face
I close the blinds cause I didn't want to catch a case
All that night, I heard the bird circle
while I was eating fish and watching Urkel
She said I could sleep on the couch
By two A.M. I was digging her out
Fuck the ghetto bird

"Which way is he going now?"
"Ok, now, now he's, he's actually southbound, on a service street
and, uh, Gee whiz, uh, I'm gonna get my maps out here and figure
out which service street he suddenly turned off on. Uh, the sheriffs
are, are, well I know that, Sheriffs ground units got thrown off"





Motherfuck you and your punk-ass ghetto bird

Overall Meaning

Ice Cube's song "Ghetto Bird" describes the experience of being under constant police watch in the inner-city neighbourhoods of Los Angeles, particularly through the presence of a police helicopter (or "ghetto bird") that routinely sweeps over the community. The song expresses frustration and anger at the way that the police helicopter surveils the community, treating all residents as criminals. The lyrics describe the singer's desire to evade the helicopter's sight and escape from its constant surveillance, while also expressing resentment towards law enforcement and its use of military-style tactics.


Ice Cube's lyrics have been interpreted as a criticism of police brutality and racial profiling, as well as a commentary on the way that communities of colour are routinely criminalized and surveilled. The use of imagery, such as the ghetto bird and references to military force, evokes feelings of war and conflict between law enforcement and residents of inner-city neighbourhoods. The song also makes use of humour and sarcasm in its lyrics, with the singer mocking the helicopter and its pilots.


Line by Line Meaning

Why oh why must you swoop through the hood like everybody from the hood is up to no good.
Police helicopters patrol our neighborhoods as if we are all criminals.


You think all the girls around here are trickin' up there lookin' like Super chicken
Police pilots disrespect the Black women in our community by assuming they are prostitutes.


At night I see your light through my bedroom window But I ain't got shit but the pad and pencil
Police helicopters are a constant presence and distraction in our lives, but we have nothing to hide.


I can't wait till I hear you say "I'm going down mayday mayday." I'm gonna clown
If the police helicopter crashes, it would provide a moment of relief and satisfaction for us.


Cause everytime that the pigs have got me y'all rub it in with the flying Nazi military force, but we don't want ya
The police helicopters only add to the oppression and brutality we already face from law enforcement.


Standin' on my roof with the rocket launcher
We fantasize about taking down the police helicopter with a rocket launcher.


"So fly like an eagle." But don't follow us wherever we go
We resent the intrusive and intimidating presence of the police helicopter wherever we go.


The shit that I'm saying, make it's heard Motherfuck you and your punk-ass ghetto bird
We will not be silenced in our anger and frustration with the oppressive policing tactics, including the use of helicopters.


"Run, run, run, from the ghetto bird"
We fear the police helicopter and its association with the oppressive policing in our communities.


My homey's here to lick on a trick for a Rolex And let me try the four next
We are involved in criminal activity in our community and are constantly targeted by the police because of it.


Now the four I was driving was hotter than july looked up and didn't see it whippin' in the sky
Our stolen car is being tracked by the police helicopter.


Let's see if they would folla Me, hit a fence, hit a fence, and another met me a baby pitbull and his mother
We try to evade the police by jumping fences and hiding in people's backyards, even encountering a pitbull.


Saw a chopper with numbers on the bottom "Calling all cars, I think we've got em."
We are under constant surveillance and pursuit by the police helicopter.


Fuck, I see it coming Is it a bird? Yup Is it a plane? No
The sight of the police helicopter strikes fear in us and we debate its identity.


All that night, I heard the bird circle while I was eating fish and watching Urkel
We are constantly aware of the presence of the police helicopter, even in our own homes.


Motherfuck you and your punk-ass ghetto bird
We continue to express our frustration and anger towards the oppressive policing tactics in our communities, including the police helicopter.




Lyrics Β© Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management
Written by: WILLIAM EARL COLLINS, GEORGE CLINTON, O'SHEA JACKSON, QUINCY DELIGHT JONES III, GARRY MARSHALL SHIDER, DAVID SPRADLEY, BERNIE WORRELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Dennis Duran

Ice Cube is an absolutely genius writer. His lyrics are super memorable, impactful, meaningful, and just sound great. Few people have written rap as well.

Bertha Delone

Yeah, As Memorable As The Song he did Titled Cave B!#Ch. I always used to wonder how I would feel if I was one of his white fans and I heard that song, ( would I still remain a fan. I Love Cube But honestly I think marketably that had to be one of the dumbest things he ever did.

Terry Hampton

ICE CUBE SCARFACE AND TUPAC ARE THE BEST AT IT NOW IT'S OTHERS BUT THESE 3 ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST

joe ghosn

@Bertha Delone mm i see your point but this kind of music should be listened with an objective ear .just put yourself in his place and when pain and art collide fuck the market thats gangsta rap it was created to be raw and offensive to bad shit happening never take it personal he is a genius

Boss Dogg

@Terry Hampton I knew others felt this but Never would I have thought I would have found this comment. I couldn't agree more!!!

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Tin Man

Seriously one of the best albums EVER! It's difficult to find an entire album that is good anymore.

Send It

Coming off the Predator album so 2 fully great albums then Westside Connections 2 albums were fully dope as well

TREAL406

Twenty nine years later and this song is still great.

Isael Corona

Holy cow this song is 29 years old, 20 more and it’ll be 50πŸ₯΄ time needs to chillll

TREAL406

@Isael Corona Lol.

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