Downtown
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Melle-Mel Grandmaster Caz & Kool Moe Dee & Eric Nally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Salesman's like what up, what's your budget?
And I'm like honestly, I don't know nothing about Mopeds
He said I got the one for you, follow me
Ooh, it's too real
Chromed out mirror, I don't need a windshield
Banana seat, a canopy on two wheels
Eight hundred cash, that's a hell of a deal
I'm headed downtown, cruising through the alley
Tip-toeing in the street like Dally
Pulled up, moped to the valley
Whitewalls on the wheels like mayonnaise
Dope, my crew is ill, and all we need is two good wheels
Got gas in the tank, cash in the bank
And a bad little mama with her ass in my face
I'mma lick that, stick that, break her off, Kit-Kat
Snuck her in backstage, you don't need a wristband
Dope
Killing the game, 'bout to catch a body
Passed the Harley, Dukie on the Ducati
Timbaland, Khaled, Scott Storch, Birdman
God damn, man, everybody got Bugattis
But I'ma keep it hella nineteen eighty seven
Head into the dealership and drop a stack and cop a Kawasaki
I'm stunting on everybody, hella raw, pass the Wasabi
I'm so low that my scrotum's almost dragging up on the concrete
My seat is leather, alright, I'm lying, it's pleather
But girl, we could still ride together
You don't need a Uber, you don't need a cab
Fuck a bus pass, you got a Moped man
She got nineteen eighty eight Mariah Carey hair
Very rare, mom jeans on her derriere
Throwing up the West Side as we tear in the air
Stop by Pike Place, throwing fish to a player
Downtown, downtown (downtown)
Downtown, downtown (downtown)
She has her arms around your waist
With a balance that will keep her safe
(Downtown)
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
(Downtown)
Of the leather seat between your legs
(Hey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey)
(Hey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey)
Downtown
You don't want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
Downtown
What you see is what you get girl
Don't ever forget girl
Ain't seen nothing yet until you're
Downtown
Dope
Cut the bullshit
Get off my mullet
Stone washed, so raw
Moped like a bullet
You can't catch me
A po-po can't reprimand me
I'm in a B-Boy stance, I'm not dancing
I got your girl on the back going tandem
'Cause I'm too damn quick, I'm too damn slick
Whole downtown yelling out who that is?
It's me, the M, the A-C, the K
Sounding like a French pimp from back in the day
I take her to Pend Oreille and I watch her skate
I mean, water ski, ollie ollie oxen free
I'm perusing down fourth and they watching me
I do a handstand, the eagle lands on my seat
Well hello, but baby, the kickstand ain't free
Now do you or do you not wanna ride with me
I got one girl, I got two wheels
She a big girl, that ain't a big deal
I like a big girl, I like 'em sassy
Going down the backstreet listening to Blackstreet
Running around the whole town
Neighbors yelling at me like, you need to slow down
Going thirty-eight, Dan, chill the fuck out
Mow your damn lawn and sit the hell down
If I only had one helmet I would give it to you, give it to you
Cruising down Broadway, girl, what a wonderful view, wonderful view
There's layers to this shit player, tiramisu, tiramisu
Let my coat-tail drag but I ain't tearing my suit, tearing my suit
Downtown, downtown (downtown)
Downtown, downtown
She has her arms around your waist
With a balance that will keep her safe
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
Of the leather seat between your legs
Downtown
You don't want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
Downtown
What you see is what you get girl
Don't ever forget girl
Ain't seen nothing yet until you're
Downtown
You don't want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
Downtown
What you see is what you get girl
Don't ever forget girl
Ain't seen nothing yet until you're
Downtown
Macklemore / Ryan Lewis's song "Downtown" is a tribute to the moped culture. The song’s opening verse finds Macklemore attempting to purchase a moped, one of those short, low-powered motorcycles that people love to drive around surrounded by leather-clad friends. The verses include references to the features of the moped including the chromed-out mirror and banana seat. However, the song moves from being about cruising downtown in a moped to what essentially becomes an old school hip-hop-related catchphrase battle. Eventually, the song's chorus leads to a celebration of life and the joys of riding a moped.
Macklemore shares that this song was inspired by the moped gangs he first saw while living in California. A community of mods, rockers, and punks came together on their mopeds to enjoy their newfound culture. In the New York Times interview, he said, “I’ve been obsessed with mopeds since I discovered Mod culture as a kid, and I would spend all my paper route money fixing up old vintage mopeds. Mopeds are so accessible, and they’re fun for the sake of fun, no other agenda.”
Line by Line Meaning
I went to the Moped store, said fuck it
I decided to check out the Moped store, unconcerned about the cost
Salesman's like what up, what's your budget?
The salesperson asked me what my budget was
And I'm like honestly, I don't know nothing about Mopeds
I admitted that I knew nothing about Mopeds
He said I got the one for you, follow me
The salesperson claimed to have the perfect one for me and asked me to follow him
Ooh, it's too real
The experience was very intense and exciting
Chromed out mirror, I don't need a windshield
The Moped had a chromed out mirror and I didn't need a windshield
Banana seat, a canopy on two wheels
The Moped had a banana seat and a canopy with two wheels
Eight hundred cash, that's a hell of a deal
The salesperson offered the Moped at a great price of eight hundred dollars cash
I'm headed downtown, cruising through the alley
I was heading downtown and cruising through the alley
Tip-toeing in the street like Dally
I walked cautiously in the street like Dally from The Outsiders
Pulled up, moped to the valley
I arrived at my destination with the Moped to the valley
Whitewalls on the wheels like mayonnaise
The wheels had whitewalls that looked like mayonnaise
Dope, my crew is ill, and all we need is two good wheels
My crew is cool, and all we need is the Moped with two good wheels
Got gas in the tank, cash in the bank
I had gas in the tank and money in the bank
And a bad little mama with her ass in my face
And I had a good-looking woman with her posterior in my face
I'mma lick that, stick that, break her off, Kit-Kat
I planned to enjoy sexual intimacy with her, then break it off like a Kit-Kat bar
Snuck her in backstage, you don't need a wristband
I sneaked her into the backstage without needing a wristband
Dope, killing the game, 'bout to catch a body
I'm doing really well and about to dominate the scene
Passed the Harley, Dukie on the Ducati
I passed a Harley and a Dukie on the Ducati
Timbaland, Khaled, Scott Storch, Birdman
I saw Timbaland, Khaled, Scott Storch, and Birdman there
God damn, man, everybody got Bugattis
Everybody was driving Bugattis
But I'ma keep it hella nineteen eighty seven
But I prefer the style of the 80s
Head into the dealership and drop a stack and cop a Kawasaki
I'm going to the dealership to buy and ride a Kawasaki
I'm stunting on everybody, hella raw, pass the Wasabi
I'm impressing everybody by being myself and I want some Wasabi
I'm so low that my scrotum's almost dragging up on the concrete
I'm riding so low that my balls are almost touching the ground
My seat is leather, alright, I'm lying, it's pleather
I jokingly said the seat was made of leather, but it was actually pleather
But girl, we could still ride together
But that doesn't matter, we can still ride together
You don't need a Uber, you don't need a cab
You don't need to use Uber or a taxi
Fuck a bus pass, you got a Moped man
Who needs a bus pass when you have a Moped?
She got nineteen eighty eight Mariah Carey hair
The woman's hair looked like Mariah Carey's from 1988
Very rare, mom jeans on her derriere
She was wearing mom jeans that made her backside look good
Throwing up the West Side as we tear in the air
She put her hands up on the West Side (as a gang sign) as we rode through the air
Stop by Pike Place, throwing fish to a player
We stopped by Pike Place to watch someone throwing fish to someone else
She has her arms around your waist
The woman has her arms around my waist
With a balance that will keep her safe
She has balance and is safe riding with me
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
Have you ever felt the warm feeling
Of the leather seat between your legs
Of the leather seat between your legs while riding the Moped?
You don't want no beef, boy
You don't want to mess with me, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
I know everything about the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
You better follow me
What you see is what you get girl
I am what you see
Don't ever forget girl
Don't ever forget that
Ain't seen nothing yet until you're
You haven't seen anything yet until you are
Cut the bullshit
Stop lying and cut the nonsense
Get off my mullet
Stop interfering with what I'm doing
Stone washed, so raw
My clothes are stone washed and perfect
Moped like a bullet
The Moped is fast and speedy
You can't catch me
You can't catch up to me
A po-po can't reprimand me
A policeman can't stop me
I'm in a B-Boy stance, I'm not dancing
I'm in a B-Boy stance and I'm not dancing
I got your girl on the back going tandem
I have your girlfriend riding on the back tandem with me
'Cause I'm too damn quick, I'm too damn slick
I'm very fast and slick
Whole downtown yelling out who that is?
The whole downtown is asking who I am
It's me, the M, the A-C, the K
It's me, Macklemore, adding his initials
Sounding like a French pimp from back in the day
I sound like a French pimp from back in the day
I take her to Pend Oreille and I watch her skate
I take her to Pend Oreille and watch her skate (on water skis)
I mean, water ski, ollie ollie oxen free
I mean water skiing with the phrase 'ollie ollie oxen free'
I'm perusing down fourth and they watching me
I'm cruising down Fourth and people are watching me
I do a handstand, the eagle lands on my seat
I do a handstand and land with the eagle on my seat
Well hello, but baby, the kickstand ain't free
Hello, but the kickstand isn't free
Now do you or do you not wanna ride with me
Do you want to ride with me or not?
I got one girl, I got two wheels
I have one girl and two wheels
She a big girl, that ain't a big deal
The woman is a big girl, but that's not a big deal
I like a big girl, I like 'em sassy
I like big girls, I like them sassy
Going down the backstreet listening to Blackstreet
We were listening to Blackstreet while riding down the backstreet
Running around the whole town
Running around the entire town
Neighbors yelling at me like, you need to slow down
Neighbors were yelling at me to slow down while I was riding around
Going thirty-eight, Dan, chill the fuck out
I was going 38 mph and someone named Dan told me to chill out
Mow your damn lawn and sit the hell down
You should mow your lawn and sit down instead of telling me what to do
If I only had one helmet I would give it to you, give it to you
If I only had one helmet, I would give it to you
Cruising down Broadway, girl, what a wonderful view, wonderful view
Cruising down Broadway with a wonderful view, girl
There's layers to this shit player, tiramisu, tiramisu
There are many layers to the situation, player, like tiramisu
Let my coat-tail drag but I ain't tearing my suit, tearing my suit
My coat-tail is dragging, but I'm not tearing my suit
Downtown, downtown
We are in the downtown area
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JACOB DUTTON, BEN HAGGERTY, RYAN LEWIS, ERIC NALLY, JOSHUA KARP, JOSHUA RAWLINGS, DARIAN ASPLUND, EVAN FLORY-BARNES, TIM HAGGERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aae1977
because it helps me to have the songs not be too long at first. but then afterwards the directors cut can be hours and hours long. I hope they release additional footage from When the Levees Break or if God is willing and the creek is ready to be controlled through steady stewards I hope spike lee is still gathering footage to this day but in the meantime I only need 5 minutes for the take away. and the first 5 minutes of the second half of if god is willing and the creek don't rise available on prime I hope free for all time so people can see Obama go to downtown and go to wherever the heart of the city is and the heart of the city and the heart of this song is downtown and downtown is where it is safe for children to talk with presidents while the bad grownups stay at home and go to summer school.
I hope that helps. I believe the song was longer at first but was shortened. sometimes when I dream too high I get seven dimensional and I recognize I gotta come down from mount sinai sometimes and certainly a lot can go wrong in 5 minutes. but a lot can go write. and in any case. the song is a perfect length for me.
7 minutes would have lost too many of the short-attention-spanned so perhaps the directors landed on a happy medium of five minutes for this version but once they get on the mother ship and all the flat earth 2 dimensional grownups are safely left behind. all the boys and all the girls because all boys and girls go to heaven as children to be free and full and filled and fulfilled by loving protection from harm everyone 6 6 6 feet away at a distance and everyone feels safe becaseueveryone has everyone 6.
my uncle Aaron is a soldier in the Space Force and he told me that "if a friend has your six o clock it means your facing 12 o clock and you are the center of a perfectly egineered clock and you can choose the position of your six and we the adults and soldiers will always protect your six o clock always. you count on uncle Aaron to always stand between you and the enemies gate. and the enemies gate is always down so whenever you are down you are with me and when you and I are one and with your other loved ones than you are always protected like in a veil of loved ones and you are the one standing on the fire escape looking down on the street below. you are ken Griffey junior and this song is for that child and for his uncle Aaron and his Aunt Kima).
basically, I am mixing my metaphors but Downtown is a film like the book the Color Purple. it shows how deeply painful it is to love and how pefectly symmetry we love our way to the end which is when all enemies sit on a porch together and somehow have all been all along the closest dearest and most elemental and eternal group of friends that expands and somehow expands and expands. and never ends.
Downtown is the film and book and book film the Princess Bride, just with the names changed and the genders removed to protect the innocent and then giving to hip hop to remind us that HIPS hop don't lie. so there. that's that in 5 minutes.
-thankful to be
delete the following
d will sit at the children's table with all their friends and family and uncles and aunts and gods and dogs because they all go to heaven. and here's the thing:
heaven is downtown.
the enemies gate is always down. but that is just basic physics we humans have to throw something behind in order to ascend. but only gods comprehend how to do that humanely and in order for all to enjoy the full blessings of a land and a city and its downtown where
MLB MVP KG JR can witness street fights that are safe and kind and kinda fun and Kima can read OK moon goodnight moon and there is no night in Zion so every fight in heaven downtown on the blocks were all the little children who ever were scared of the big city or the bigger country would know there was grownups in the room and adults surrounding them and protecting them like Kima in the Wire and like so many elements in this song that got filmed and only people who upvote good things and compassionately and carefully and considerably considerately consider that we are all in this together so judge wise. fools mock. and then they have to sit through an entire presidency reflecting on how not to treat the loudest most obnoxious man in the room. we all drop the mic. lets be sure next time not to drop it into the wrong hands.
we Shakespeares and shaka Zulus and African bambatas gotta not provoke ire or wrath. we can deescalate and please never offend the least of these any child in heaven or earth or anywhere in the universe. downtown is safe and must be for all eternity and thus it is.
thank you for making this movie. and keeping it within my limited attention span of theater.
love
falling profit
@laggy3099
"Goin' 38 Dan, CHILL THE FUCK OUT! Mow your damn lawn and SIT THE HELL DOWN!"
Macklemore is back.
Fuck yeah.
@davidmoreno6358
best part in song
@MG-zt8nq
FUCK YEAH!
@savannuhcourtney1665
I love it!!
@laggy3099
+Roxas The Key of Destiny™ Well, to be fair, it's only January, so it's only been out a few months.
@OneTrueBelmont
+Fat6amer I think that's the best line in the song.
@laurynh.603
Oh um ok..I thought that was a woman singing..my life has been a lie
@jimisawesome123
+Lauryn H. Me too!
@lukedodson3855
+Lauryn H. IKR!
@ying7784
yeah I thought it was one of the HAIM girls!!!