Two days before the track was released, Lizzo teased the track through her TikTok account.
"benny blanco and I had never worked together before this album. We’d eaten together, but we’d never worked together. Then one day I heard he wanted to get in the studio and I was like, ‘Oh shit, okay, let’s make it happen.’ He came with one track and it was this. So I sat with it for a while. Eventually I was like, ‘Listen, this is either going to be the greatest song ever or the biggest waste of our time.’ Because Beastie Boys were one of the greatest copyrights of all time. No one, and I mean no one, has done this. Until now. Dude, Beastie Boys cleared “Girls” for yours truly. It’s an honour."
—via Apple Music
Grrrls
Lizzo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bitches, hm, uh-um
Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag
Do you see this shit? Hold me back
I'm about to knock somebody out, yo, where my best friend?
She the only one I know to talk me off the deep end (ow)
If she with it, then I'm with it
Yeah, we tussle, mind your business, su-su-su-su, su-su-loo
That's my girl, we CEOs and dancing like a C-E-Ho
We about to throw them 'bows, let's fuck it up
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh-ooh-ooh
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh-ooh-ooh
Yeah, this the type of fight I'm lookin' for
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh-ooh-ooh (ayy, let's go)
Let me take these earrings off
And hit the Boosie Ratchet with my friends
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh (whoop that ho, sorry ass)
I'ma go Lorena Bobbitt on him so he never fuck again
No-oh, oh-oh
No, you can't fuck again, bro
That's my girl, we codependent (woo)
If she with it (yeah), then I'm with it (that's hot)
Yeah, we tussle, mind your business, su-su-su-su, su-su-loo
That's my girl, we CEOs and dancing like a C-E-Ho
We about to throw them 'bows, let's fuck it up
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh, ooh-ooh (let's go, show 'em)
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh, ooh-ooh (hey)
Yeah, this the type of fight I'm lookin' for
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh, ooh-ooh (Lizzo)
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh, ooh-ooh
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, this the type of fight I'm lookin' for
Where my girls, where my girls at? Ooh, ooh-ooh (hey, hey)
Ah-ha, okay, where my ladies at?
(Ah-ha, okay, where my ladies at?)
Uh, hold me down (down)
Uh, hold me back (back)
Ah-ha, okay, where my ladies at?
In "gRrRlS," Lizzo celebrates the unbreakable bond between women and the power that comes from female friendship. She starts with the repetition of the word "bitches" which is a gendered insult that has been historically used to shame women. However, Lizzo reclaims the word, turning it into a term of endearment between her and her best friend. The first verse finds Lizzo hyping herself up with the line “Do you see this shit? Hold me back, I’m about to knock somebody out,” anticipating a fight alongside her girlfriends. She expresses her trust and support for her friend in the line, “she’s the only one I know to talk me off the deep end,” solidifying their relationship as a space for emotional support.
Lizzo also highlights the idea of codependency which is often stigmatized, but she's turned it into a positive term by articulating its strength when two strong women come together. In the chorus, she asks a rallying cry "Where my girls at?" that sets the tone for the song's central theme. She then creates a metaphoric relationship between female friendship and business with “That's my girl, we CEOs and dancing like a C-E-Ho.” Lizzo and her friend have each other's backs in every area, whether it's work or play. Finally, Lizzo lets her listeners know that this is the kind of support and the type of friendships they need in their lives, insisting, "Yeah, this the type of fight I'm looking for."
Line by Line Meaning
(Girls) bitches, um
Girls, sometimes referred to as bitches
Bitches, hm, uh-um
Another acknowledgement of the word "bitch" and its dual meaning
Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag
Hold my bag for me, female friend
Do you see this shit? Hold me back
I am very upset and may do something I regret, please physically restrain me
I'm about to knock somebody out, yo, where my best friend?
I am so angry that I may physically attack someone, where is my best friend to help me calm down?
She the only one I know to talk me off the deep end (ow)
She is the only person I trust to calm me down from my intense emotions
'Cause that's my girl, we codependent
Me and my best friend rely on each other heavily and are often seen together
If she with it, then I'm with it
I will do anything my best friend wants to do
Yeah, we tussle, mind your business, su-su-su-su, su-su-loo
We may argue or fight with each other, but it's none of your business and we always make up in the end
That's my girl, we CEOs and dancing like a C-E-Ho
Me and my best friend are powerful, successful women who also know how to have fun
We about to throw them 'bows, let's fuck it up
We are ready to physically fight or dance aggressively together
Let me take these earrings off
I am preparing to fight or dance so hard that my earrings may get in the way
And hit the Boosie Ratchet with my friends
We are going to dance, probably in a wild and crazy way
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh (whoop that ho, sorry ass)
Sound effects of the dance or fight we are engaging in, possibly involving hitting someone
I'ma go Lorena Bobbitt on him so he never fuck again
I am threatening to use extreme violence to prevent this person from having sex for the rest of their life
No-oh, oh-oh
No, you can't fuck again, bro
Reiteration of the threat to prevent this person from ever having sex again
Ah-ha, okay, where my ladies at?
Asking where all the women are
(Ah-ha, okay, where my ladies at?)
Repetition of the question
Uh, hold me down (down)
Please physically restrain me so I don't do anything reckless
Uh, hold me back (back)
Another request to be physically restrained
Ah-ha, okay, where my ladies at?
Reiteration of the question from earlier
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benny Blanco, Adam Keefe Horovitz, Andrew Wansel, Blake Slatkin, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Martin Karl Sandberg, Melissa Viviane Jefferson, Rick Rubin, Theron Makiel Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MayMay-ub9nm
I’m glad she has a new album, was needing more music from her, love her voice
@anthem4333
Lmao, imaging loving music which idolizes theft, selfishness, felony assault, genital mutilation, and which has every other word as “bitch” “shit” and “fuck.”
@MayMay-ub9nm
@Anthem you just described a banger soundtrack, forgot “pussy” though, that’s my favorite
@seamustheshameful9498
@Anthem has never listened to music before
@anthem4333
@Seamus the Shamefuland you listen to nonsense which advocates for sexual assault, genital mutilation, theft, and selfishness, so who’s worse off?
@water9909
@Anthem bruh calm down, you see, ppl are allowed to like things😮😮😮😮😮
@jaelowo8940
Tus canciones siempre deleitan mis oídos, gracias Lizzo por hacer esta música tan buena❤
@planetkhalid
This song has a nice summer vibe to it excited to hear the rest of the album!!
@veryrealhidden
A nice summer vibe... I didn't get that vibe. I did get the vibe of sexual violence though. I wonder what world you are in right now that makes you think this is a nice summer vibe.
@planetkhalid
@Real hidden Shutup omg