Vice
Melle Mel & the Furious 5 Lyrics

Vice (4X)
The start of an ominous verse

You have the right to remain silent
As per the law, you have the right to not speak if you don't want to.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law
If you do choose to speak, your words will be used as evidence, either for or against you.

You have the right for an attorney
You also have the right to an attorney representing you in the court.

If you do not, or cannot afford an attorney
If, for some reason, you do not already have an attorney or cannot hire one yourself

an attorney will be appointed to you - you are now under arrest
then the court will provide you with an attorney. At this point, you are under arrest.

Crime, it pays real nice
Committing a crime may seem profitable at first

But what you really didn't know that crime pays twice
However, what you may not realize is that you will end up paying twice the cost of the crime.

It pays once in money, twice in years
You might earn a lot of money committing the crime, but eventually, you will pay with two times the amount of your lifetime that you get in return

in the jail cell, tryin to hide your tears
You will pay the other cost in jail, where you will be isolated, scared and try to mask your emotions and hide your tears.

And the trip bad, cause you tried to get rich
The journey will be horrible considering that you tried to get wealthy by performing illegal activities.

in the graveyards or in the shallow ditch
You may even end up in a grave or a ditch and lose your life if you aren't careful or you aren't lucky.

It's money or time so make up your mind
The choice is between short term or long term gain, so it's crucial to make the right decision.

Fraud, the girl he adored
Talking about a fraud case

Turned out to be another dirty old broad
The woman he thought he loved was nothing but a liar who cheated him.

Took all the money, told all the lies
She drained him dry of his finances and deceived him the entire time.

I heard she even, slept with other guys
She probably even cheated on with many other people, the extent of her betrayal is shocking.

Nothing she wouldn't do for a dollar or two
She had no shame and would do absolutely anything for only a small amount of money.

But every lie she told he knew to be true
Despite her lies, he knew the truth of her shady character.

He loves his honey, but she loved money
He was in love with her, but all she cared about was money.

Vice (6X) [Miami!] Vice, Vice
The chorus is repeating

Talk about ya-yo, uhh, it's everywhere you go
The drug ya-yo (cocaine) is everywhere, unfortunately.

They said in Miami it'll never snow
It used to be thought that Miami was too warm for snow, but now, the drug deals are well underway with a lot of white powder in circulation.

Now it's snow in the palm trees, snow on the sand
Cocaine powder is so abundant that it can now be found even on palm leaves and sand particles.

It snows all day, for sixty dollars a gram
People snort cocaine heavily all day long, at a price of $60 per gram.

Now they're strung out and high, hung out to dry
Everyone is on such a high that they have become addicted, defined by the phrase “strung out.”

The air that they breathe the food that they buy
The contamination goes beyond just drugs: even the air they are breathing and the products they consume are unhealthful.

They think that they can fly, but that's a white lie
People are so delusional that they imagine they can fly when in fact it is only another form of deception;

The mob, a full time job
Refers to involvement with the Mafia, which is a full time occupation.

Known to extort and steal or rob
They have a reputation for exploiting and stealing money and possessions from others.

Started as a hitman, lookin for wealth
It all began as an executioner hired for money

And now he's the boss workin for his self
Now, the role of the hitman has transitioned to a managerial position where he is his boss.

For all the blood money that he did earn
Despite making money off of dangerous actions, he made a lot doing so.

It made him take lives with no concern
Having no care for human life, He would not hesitate to take it for his supposed benefit.

But soon he would learn that next is his turn
It all comes to an end, and it's almost time for him too to face the consequences.

Prostitution, it's a low down shame
Prostitution is one of the most disreputable professions.

How any girl, would want to play that game
The listener is questioning the willingness of girls to enter into the trade, doubting they could have genuine reasons to do so.

From pillow, to post, a sidewalk host
Women transition from one client to another wherever they can find one and end up soliciting themselves on the streets.

But the lady's got a condo out on the coast
They earn decent money doing so and hence can afford a luxurious lifestyle of owning a house by the sea.

She thought that the hole, was better than gold
They thought that earning money in that way is a fast track to success, and their desire for luxurious living overtook the sense of right and wrong.

Now she worked on her back til she got too old
They continue to be prostitutes until they are no longer physically capable of it.

Layin down on the job, has made her a slob, uhh
The job of prostitution has degraded their morals and caused their health to decline.

It's a stickup, so throw your hands in the air
A stick-up is a robbery where a weapon is used to intimidate the victim, and the criminal instructs them to raise their hands in submission.

And don't, ah put em down, keep em way up there
The criminal emphasizes to the victim to not put their hands down but to keep them up throughout the robbery.

Just let me your wallet, empty all your pockets
The criminal demands that the victim give up their wallet and turn out their pockets.

Got a itchy trigger finger, and I'm gonna cock it
The robber threatens to use violence, and the slightest provocation could cause him to shoot right away.

My eyes got wide as they pulled away
The singer realizes that they have just been robbed, and the difference in their reactions to the situation is noticeable.

I said, 'Who are you the cops?' He began to say
The artist asks if the robber is an undercover cop, but the robber makes it known that he wasn't.

'No I'm Clint Eastwood, make my day... get in the car!'
The robber references a famous quote from Clint Eastwood in the movie Dirty Harry as a final intimidation tactic.

Homicide is on the rise, and it's no surprise
The number of murder cases is increasing, and this comes as no surprise to anyone.

The bums are in the alleyways tryin to take lives
Many people are left homeless, and are forced to find shelter in remote and dangerous areas where they are more likely to perpetrate crimes.

People burglarize then suicidal criminals are never idle
Burglary is on the rise too, and those who steal from others often self destruct

Court procedures at your leisures eight finger Visas circle seizures
The legal system is slow and unproductive, there is a significant amount of corruption in the judiciary as well.

Con man fencer, arson is a trip
Fraudulent fencing (selling of stolen items), and arson are fantasies that many find attractive.

Take all the fingerprints, and give him the book
They take fingerprints and other forms of evidence before capturing suspects and presenting a case against them in court.

And then hope that the judge don't let him off the hook, uh!
There is always a chance of an offender getting away scot-free, despite being caught and brought to court.

(more variations on the word 'Vice' to the end)
The song concludes with more repetitions of the Chorus 'Vice.'