Basketball
Lincoln Lyrics


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They're over on the corner
A quarter past three o'clock
Plaid skirts and knee socks

One sucking on a Newport
One eyeing up the half-court
One twirling her hair with her fingers
Hey, what's up, you know
They're so good to go
Cool as Mister Freeze

The white girls
Are watching
The black boys
Playing basketball

Heads banging off the backboard
High-tops nobody can afford
Look sharp for the muchachitas

Three points and a foul shot
Somebody scores a bag of pot
Hang out for the disco fever

One-on-one, they jump the gun
Everybody shoots the breeze

Hey, what's up, you know
They're so good to go
Cool as Mister Freeze

The white girls
Are watching
The black boys
Playing basketball

The white girls
Are watching




The black boys
Playing basketball

Overall Meaning

In Lincoln's song "Basketball", the lyrics describe a group of girls who are watching black boys play basketball. The song paints a vivid picture of the scene, with lyrics describing the girls' clothing, actions, and the game itself. The first verse sets the scene as "a quarter past three o'clock" with the girls wearing "plaid skirts and knee socks". One of the girls is smoking a cigarette, another is "twirling her hair with her fingers", and another is "eyeing up the half-court".


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "The white girls / Are watching / The black boys / Playing basketball", emphasizing the racial divide between the two groups. The second verse adds more detail to the scene, with lyrics describing the players' high-top sneakers and how the group looks sharp for the "muchachitas" (girls). The lyrics also mention the score of the game, with "somebody scores a bag of pot" and the players hanging out for the "disco fever" after the game.


The lyrics of "Basketball" paint a vivid picture of a scene in which racial tension is palpable. The girls' attention is focused on the black players, and the repeated refrain of the chorus emphasizes the division between the two groups. However, the lyrics also capture a sense of youthful rebellion and excitement, with mentions of smoking, scoring drugs, and hanging out after the game.


Line by Line Meaning

They're over on the corner
A group of people is standing on a street corner


A quarter past three o'clock
The current time is 3:15 pm


Plaid skirts and knee socks
Some of the people in the group are wearing plaid skirts and knee socks


One sucking on a Newport
One person in the group is smoking a Newport cigarette


One eyeing up the half-court
One person is looking at the half of the basketball court on their side


One twirling her hair with her fingers
One person is twirling their hair around their finger


Hey, what's up, you know
Someone greets the others in the group casually


They're so good to go
The group is ready to enjoy themselves


Cool as Mister Freeze
The group is acting calm and collected


The white girls
A group of white girls


Are watching
They are looking at something


The black boys
A group of black boys


Playing basketball
They are playing a game of basketball


Heads banging off the backboard
The boys are jumping high enough to hit their heads on the backboard of the basketball hoop


High-tops nobody can afford
The boys are wearing high-top basketball shoes that are expensive


Look sharp for the muchachitas
The boys are trying to impress the girls watching with their appearance


Three points and a foul shot
The boys are scoring points by making baskets and free throws


Somebody scores a bag of pot
A person on the court has won a bag of marijuana as a prize


Hang out for the disco fever
The group plans to go out later and dance to disco music


One-on-one, they jump the gun
The boys are starting to play the game before everyone is ready


Everybody shoots the breeze
Everyone talks casually and enjoys themselves




Contributed by Dominic G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Ahah


on Banks

This honestly reminds me of a ‘straight’ (closeted queer) boy trying to deny his feelings for his queer friend. Lmao.

lime


on Banks

i want to build you a protest out of sticks and rocks i find in the backyard behind the house you grew up in. "in loving memory of all our nonconformity."

The singer is telling the recipient that they're going to build their friend a protest, almost an effigy of the non-conformist, punk life they used to lead back when they were young and the recipient lived in their old house. Its sort of like they're building a grave (In loving memory) for the views and ideals they're both having to leave behind

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