Born in Detroit in the late 80’s, Lizzo spent much of her formative years in the church, where she was raised on the gospel sounds of The Winans, The Clark Sisters, and Fred Hammond, along with mainstay secular artists such as Stevie Wonder and Elton John. At the age of 10 her family moved to Houston, TX, and Lizzo was exposed to a wide array of emerging Southern musical styles, from the trademark chopped and screwed rap tracks of the underground, to the progressive and polished R&B sounds of groups like Destiny’s Child that were raising the city’s national profile to new heights. In fact, it was after she stumbled across a Destiny’s Child performance at Wal-Mart that Lizzo—then a 5th grader-- was inspired to start writing music on her own. Over the next decade that decision would take her through the trenches of some of the most varied musical genres: R&B girl groups (I.N.I.T.I.A.L.S., Cornrow Clique), progressive rock bands (Elypseas), solo rap ventures, and electro-pop duos (Lizzo & The Larva Ink).
In 2011 she made the move to Minneapolis with Larva Ink in order to be a part of that city’s blossoming and collaborative musical community. Lizzo & The Larva Ink was well received there, and the group earned a few encouraging nods from the press. Lizzo was soon introduced to Sophia Eris and Claire de Lune, with whom she would form The Chalice, the three-piece all-female rap/R&B group that would elevate Lizzo’s profile and reputation. In 2012 The Chalice released We Are The Chalice, an album that would gain them instant local success amongst fans and critics alike, garnering City Pages’ prestigious Best New Band and Picked To Click accolades in the same year.
The success brought setbacks, though, and a falling out soon led to the demise of Lizzo & The Larva Ink. Feeling discontent with the loss of one group and the hurried blur of success of another, Lizzo was creatively drained from writing We Are The Chalice in two short months. She found herself in the throes of her first full-blown case of writer’s block. Unable to create music for herself, she began listening to several different local albums in hopes of finding inspiration. It was LAVA BANGERS, a 20-track instrumental mixtape from Doomtree producer and Minneapolis music vet Lazerbeak, that ultimately caught her ear. Beaks’ beats proved the fix for Lizzo’s problem. “I sat at home and listened to LAVA BANGERS, and when “Lift Every Voice” came on, my writer’s block was cured,” says Lizzo. “I think it revived my gospel roots. I wrote pages and pages of songs, and finally reached out to Lazerbeak, not thinking anything would come of it.”
Her timing could not have been better. Beak, impressed with Lizzo’s output with The Chalice, as well as her guest appearances on several other local releases, was looking for a change of pace from his daily Doomtree production and business responsibilities. He immediately signed on to work on some demos. Beat tapes were exchanged, songs were written, and mutual friend and musical collaborator Ryan Olson (Totally Gross National Product founder, Gayngs/Marijuana Deathsquads mastermind) was brought on board to creatively oversee the project. Olson recorded and edited all 15 tracks in his bedroom studio, bringing in laid back hype-man Cliff Rhymes along the way to add even more layers to Lizzo’s dynamic vocals.
LIZZOBANGERS is the culmination of that four-way collaboration, an album that manages to capture all of the varied musical influences of Lizzo’s upbringing and combine them with the forward-thinking experimental production style of Beak and Olson. The end result is a brave new project that encapsulates the best parts of both the familiar and the future.
W.E.R.K. Part II
Lizzo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Work, work, work (work), work (work)
Work (work), work (work), work (work), work (work)
Work (get it, get it, get it)
Ayy, haha
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work it like a boss
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk
That's what everybody and they mama wan' do
Whomp whomp whomp, remote please, mute
You can have your pennies and your two cent 'tude
(Oh my God that's so messed up, how dare she say that in a song)
(Anti-fem, she's so wrong, I'm gonna post this on my blog)
Take a hike, matter fact, jog
I've been running, what took so long?
I've been gunning for the top, boy stop
I've been reviving this thing, Ben Taub
If you took it upon yourself to take your self so literal
You missing on the minerals to liberate your inner liberal
Generally I don't give a rat's patootie, but you pursued me
So here's my battle cry against those who slew me, who never knew me
B-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-big girl
S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-small world
Okay, aha
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
I work it like a boss
Do I need to re-remind you
That you sipping from the C-H-A-L-I-C-E
And I'm doing all this for the W-E? Go
Pushing dirt for the turf like a workaholic
But your worth cop a shirt 'cause your work is na-na
Niggas can't pay rent, putting hustle in their mou-mou
Hood rats for the racks, put a stack when they can do
Slack and I have to attack and offend you
Smashing these tracks, and that's what I'm into
Lookin like a girl 'cause I'm keeping it youthful
Such a freakin lady, classy and beautiful
Thinking like a man, for those who don't understand
Is having two grips to gain the upper hand
If you had the courage to give me reprimand to my face
Instead of slight of hand, you the man
Yeah
(My employees no-I-me)
Leggo
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work, work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
I work it like a boss
Yep, yep
Laserbeams
Work ain't a holiday
Ha, motherfucky
The lyrics of Lizzo’s “W.E.R.K. Part II” focus on the themes of hard work, perseverance, and confidence. In the song, Lizzo portrays herself as a boss who is constantly working to reach the top. She acknowledges those who criticize her and try to bring her down, but she remains focused on her goals and continues working hard. Lizzo addresses the societal expectations that tell women to keep quiet about their achievements and play small. She encourages women to work hard, take risks, and assert themselves like a boss.
The lyrics also touch on issues of gender disparity, economic inequality, and discrimination faced by marginalized communities. Lizzo challenges the notion that success is only accessible to a privileged few and criticizes those who rely on bogus claims of meritocracy to deny opportunities to others. The song ends on a note of empowerment, with Lizzo celebrating her hard work and inspiring listeners to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Work, work, work, work
Putting in effort and dedicating oneself to a task or job
Work, work, work (work), work (work)
Continuing to put in effort despite distractions or obstacles
Work (work), work (work), work (work), work (work)
Emphasizing the importance of hard work in achieving success
Work (get it, get it, get it)
Encouraging the listener to keep working and pushing themselves
Work like a boss, work, work like boss
Working with confidence and authority
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk
People who criticize or talk too much without taking action
Whomp whomp whomp, remote please, mute
Ignoring negative people and their comments
You can have your pennies and your two cent 'tude
Dismissing the opinions of those who don't support or understand the hard work being done
Take a hike, matter fact, jog
Telling those who don't believe in the work being done to leave and not interfere
I've been running, what took so long?
Questioning why others haven't worked as hard or achieved as much
I've been gunning for the top, boy stop
Aiming for success and not letting anyone get in the way
B-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-big girl
Being confident in one's self, even if others criticize or judge
S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-small world
Realizing that everyone has their own struggles and challenges
Do I need to re-remind you
Asking if the listener needs to be reminded of the importance of the work being done
That you sipping from the C-H-A-L-I-C-E
Reminding the listener that success comes with hard work and sacrifice
And I'm doing all this for the W-E? Go
Putting in work in order to achieve personal goals and success
Pushing dirt for the turf like a workaholic
Working very hard and dedicating oneself to a task, sometimes at the expense of other things
But your worth cop a shirt 'cause your work is na-na
Someone who is not successful or hardworking is not worth much
Niggas can't pay rent, putting hustle in their mou-mou
People who are struggling financially often have to work extra hard to make ends meet
Hood rats for the racks, put a stack when they can do
People who come from disadvantaged backgrounds often have to work extra hard to succeed
Slack and I have to attack and offend you
Not being afraid to criticize or call out those who don't work hard and don't understand the struggle
Thinking like a man, for those who don't understand
Having a strong, assertive mindset and working hard to succeed
Is having two grips to gain the upper hand
Being strategic and working hard in order to have an advantage over others
Work ain't a holiday
Emphasizing the importance of hard work and dedication
Ha, motherfucky
An exclamation of confidence and assertiveness
Lyrics © SECRETLY PUBLISHING, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Aaron Matthew Mader, Melissa Viviane Jefferson, Ryan Olson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doja Cat
on Pink
Whoa that’s a lot of work to do and my restless