Roses
OutKast/Rosario Dawson Lyrics

Caroline (Caroline)
The singer draws attention to Caroline.

See Caroline
The singer tells listeners to pay attention to Caroline.

All the guys would say she's mighty fine (mighty fine)
Caroline is considered attractive by many men.

But mighty fine only got you somewhere half the time
Being attractive only gets you so far in life.

And the other half either got you cussed out, or coming up short
The other half of the time being attractive can lead to negative outcomes or not meeting expectations.

Yeah, now dig this, now, even though (even though)
The singer continues to make a point despite acknowledging an opposing idea.

You'd need a golden calculator to divide (to divide)
It takes a lot of effort to understand the true nature of things.

The time it took to look inside and realize that
It takes time and effort to understand one's inner self.

Real guys go for real down to Mars girls, ha yeah
Truly mature men prefer women who are grounded and authentic.

I know you'd like to think your shit don't stink
People often have an inflated sense of self-importance and try to deny their flaws.

But lean a little bit closer
The singer wants the listener to pay closer attention.

See roses really smell like poo-poo-ooh
The artist uses roses as a metaphor to say that not everything is as it appears.

Caroline (Caroline)
The singer repeats Caroline's name to emphasize her importance to the context.

See, she's the reason for the word "bitch" (bitch)
Caroline's actions or personality are seen as negative to the singer, leading to the use of the insult 'bitch'.

I hope she's speeding on the way to the club
The singer wishes negative consequences upon Caroline.

Trying to hurry up to get to a baller
Caroline's goal is to be with a wealthy man.

Or singer or somebody like that
Caroline is fickle and desires attention from successful people.

And try to put on her makeup in the mirror
Caroline tries to present herself in the best light possible.

And crash, crash, crash into a ditch (just playing)
The singer jokes about Caroline getting into an accident while driving recklessly.

She needs a golden calculator to divide (to divide)
Caroline lacks the necessary understanding to make good decisions.

The time it takes to look inside and realize
Caroline needs to look inside herself to understand her true desires.

That real guys go for real down to Mars girls, yeah
Truly mature men prefer women who are grounded and authentic.

Yeah, roses really smell like poo-poo-ooh, yeah I
The singer reiterates that not everything is as it appears.

Well she's got a hotty's body, but her attitude is potty
Caroline is physically attractive but has a bad attitude.

When I met her at a party she was hardly acting naughty
The singer first met Caroline in a restrained social setting.

I said, "Shawty, would you call me?"
The singer attempts to initiate a romantic relationship.

She said, "Pardon me, are you ballin'?"
Caroline asks about the singer's income and status.

I said, "Darling, you sound like a prostitute pausing"
The artist takes offense at Caroline's question and responds with a sarcastic reply.

Oh so you're one them freaks? Get geeked at the sight of an ATM receipt
The artist alludes to Caroline being materialistic and only attracted to wealthy men.

But game, been peeped, dropping names she's weak
The singer sees through Caroline's attempts at seduction and finds them unimpressive.

Trickin' off this bitch is lost
The singer sees any pursuit of Caroline as pointless and wasteful.

Must take me for a geek, ah, quick way to eat, ah
The artist sees Caroline's seduction methods as relying on the gullibility of the target.

Neat place sleep, ah, rent-a-car for a week, ah, trick for a treat, no
The artist sees Caroline's methods of seduction as shallow and lacking substance.

Go, on the raw sex, my AIDS test is flawless
The artist alludes to Caroline having a promiscuous lifestyle.

Regardless, we don't want to get involved without them lawyers
The singer is wary of being involved with someone like Caroline and wants legal protection.

And judges, just to hold grudges in the courtroom
The artist sees that legal protection is necessary due to the likelihood of conflict and disagreement with Caroline.

I want to see ya support bra not support you
The singer criticizes Caroline's personality and the choices she makes.

Yeah, roses really smell like poo-poo-ooh, I, I, yeah
The singer reiterates that not everything is as it appears.

I know you'd like to think, (I know) your shit don't stink (stink but)
The singer reminds the listener that people often have an inflated sense of self-importance and try to deny their flaws.

But lean a little bit closer (closer)
The artist wants the listener to pay closer attention.

See roses really smell like poo-poo-ooh (smell like poo-ooh)
The artist uses roses as a metaphor to say that not everything is as it appears.

Yeah, roses really smell like poo-poo-ooh (like, ohh)
The singer reiterates that not everything is as it appears.

I know you'd like to think your shit don't stink (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh)
The singer reminds the listener that people often have an inflated sense of self-importance and try to deny their flaws.

But lean a little bit closer (yeah, eh-yeah)
The artist wants the listener to pay closer attention.

Better come back down to Mars
The artist advises Caroline to become more grounded in reality.

Girl, quit chasin' cars
The artist advises Caroline to stop pursuing shallow goals.

What happens when the dough gets low?
The singer asks Caroline what will happen when her source of money gets depleted.

Bitch, you ain't that fine
The artist insults Caroline, saying that she is not as attractive as she thinks she is.

No way, no way, no way
The singer repeats the sentiment that Caroline is not as great as she thinks she is.

Crazy bitch, crazy bitch, crazy bitch
The singer insults Caroline's personality by repeatedly calling her a 'crazy bitch'.

Crazy bitch
The singer insults Caroline's personality by calling her a 'crazy bitch'.

Bitch (crazy bitch)
The artist uses the insult 'bitch' to emphasize Caroline's negative personality traits.

Stupid ass bitch (crazy bitch)
The artist insults Caroline's intelligence and personality.

Ol' punk ass bitch (crazy bitch)
The singer insults Caroline, saying she is weak and cowardly.

Ol' dumbass bitch (crazy bitch)
The singer insults Caroline's intelligence and personality.

A bitch's bitch (crazy (bitch)
The artist implies that Caroline is subservient to other people and has no value.

Just a bitch (crazy bitch)
The artist emphasizes that Caroline has negative personality traits.