Boys
M.I.A Ft. Jay-Z Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And the winner is Hov
My man
Speech

First of all, I wanna thank my connect
The most important person, with all due respect
Thanks to the duffel bag, the brown paper bag
The Nike shoe box for holding all this cash (okay)

Boys in blue who put greed before the badge (okay)
The first pusher whoever made the stash (okay)
The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Oh, what a feeling, I'm feeling life (hey)
Thanks to the lames, niggas with bad aim
Thanks to a little change, I tore you out the game
Bullet wounds will stop your buffoonery
Thanks to the pastor rapping at your eulogy
To Lil' Kim and them, you know the women friend
Who carry the work cross state for a gentlemen
Yeah, thanks to all the hustlers
And most importantly you, the customer

The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Oh, what a feeling, I'm feeling life (hey)
You don't even gotta bring your paper out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Look at how I'm chilling, I'm killing this ice (hey)
You don't even gotta bring ya purses out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
(We in the house, hou', hou', hey)

Let your hair down, baby, I just hit a score
Pick any place on the planet, pick a shore
Take what the Forbes figured, then figure more
'Cause they forgot to account what I did with the raw
Pick a time, let's pick apart some stores
Pick a weekend for freaking for figure fours
I figure frauds never hit a lick before
So they don't know the feeling when them things get across
Put your hand out the window, feel the force
Feel the Porsche, hit defrost
Ice cold, jewels got no flaws
Drop got no top, you on the top floor
Pink Rosé, think OJ
I get away with murder when I sling yay
Heroin got less steps than Britney
That means it ain't stepped on, dig me?

The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Oh, what a feeling, I'm feeling life (hey)
You don't even gotta bring your paper out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Look at how I'm chilling, I'm killing this ice (hey)
You don't even gotta bring ya purses out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house)

Red Porsche's, rare portraits (we in the house)
Rare guns if you dare come near the fortress (we in the house)
This apple sauce is from the apple orchid
This kinda talk is only reserved for the bosses
Which means I get it from the ground
Which means you get it when I'm around
Rich niggas, black Bar Mitzvahs
Mazel tov, it's a celebration bitches, l'chaim
I wish for you a hundred years of success but it's my time
Cheers, toast to crime
Number one D-boy, shame he could rhyme

The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Oh, what a feeling, I'm feeling life (hey)
You don't even gotta bring your paper out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
The Roc Boys in the building tonight (hey)
Look at how I'm chilling, I'm killing this ice (hey)
You don't even gotta bring ya purses out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
(We in the house, hou', hou', hey)

The Roc Boys in the building tonight
Oh, what a feeling, I'm feeling life
You don't even gotta bring your paper out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
The Roc Boys in the building tonight
Look at how I'm chilling, I'm killing this ice
You don't even gotta bring ya purses out
We the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house (we in the house, hou', hou')
(We in the house, hou', hou', hey)

Sweet
Let that ride out
Bring them horns back, yeah
This is black superhero music right here, baby
American Gangster
Taking flight, coming to a town near you
Soon as I touch down, just want y'all to start playing the horns like
Hovi's home

Lukey, baby
Ow

Overall Meaning

The song "Boys" by M.I.A ft. Jay-Z is a reflection on the pressure to conform to societal expectations of masculinity. The lyrics describe the struggle of trying to fit into a specific gender role and the conflict that arises when one's true self doesn't align with those expectations. The repetition of the line "When I wake up in the morning and I'm feeling alright, when I stumble into bed another Saturday night" emphasizes the cyclical nature of this struggle. The voices in the singer's head and the people they meet all try to "make a man" out of them, but there is always a "little boy" and "little girl" inside that resist that transformation.

The song is a commentary on the rigid gender roles that society imposes and the pressure to conform to those roles. It speaks to the struggle of individuals who do not fit neatly into those boxes and the inner conflict that arises from trying to reconcile their true selves with societal expectations.

One interesting fact about the song is that it features a sample from the track "Boys" by Italian DJ and producer Crookers, which was released in 2008. The sample appears in the chorus of the M.I.A song and is a key component of the track's catchy hook.

Another fascinating fact is that the song's music video was directed by Spike Jonze, who is known for his work on films like "Being John Malkovich" and "Her." The video features M.I.A and a group of young boys dressed in identical outfits performing a choreographed dance routine in a parking lot.

The song also features a verse from Jay-Z in which he references his own experiences with societal pressure to conform to masculine ideals. This verse serves to reinforce the song's message about the ubiquity of these expectations and the difficulty of resisting them.

It's worth noting that "Boys" was released on M.I.A's 2010 album "Maya" and received critical acclaim for its catchy beat and thought-provoking lyrics. The track stands out as one of the album's most popular songs and remains a fan favorite to this day.

In terms of chord structure, the song features a simple but effective chord progression that centers around the use of power chords. The precise chords used in the song are not readily available online, but the track features a driving guitar riff and heavy bassline that contribute to its anthemic quality.

Line by Line Meaning

When I wake up in the morning and I'm feeling alright
Despite the pressures of society, I am content with who I am when I wake up each day.

When I stumble into bed another Saturday night
I often find myself tired and worn out after a long week of trying to fit in with societal expectations.

All the voices in my head and all the people I meet
Both my internal monologue and the people I encounter on a daily basis are constantly pushing me to conform to gender stereotypes and societal norms.

They're all trying so hard to make a man out of me
Everyone around me is trying to mold me into a traditional, masculine figure, even if it's not who I truly am.

But there's always gonna be this little boy inside of me
Despite societal pressure, there will always be a part of me that resists conforming to traditional masculinity and instead embraces my youthful, innocent side.

And there's always gonna be this little girl inside of me
Similarly, I will never fully conform to traditional femininity, and will always maintain a part of my identity that embraces some level of femininity regardless of societal expectations.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Guy, Delano Matthews, Gabriel Roth, Homer Steinweiss, Leon Michels, Levar Coppin, Michael Deller, Sean Combs, Shawn Carter, Thomas Brenneck

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS