"ATLiens" is widely considered one of Outkast's best songs. In 2020, The Ringer ranked the song number three on their list of the 50 greatest Outkast songs, and in 2021, The Guardian ranked the song number eight on their list of the 20 greatest Outkast songs.
ATLiens
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
College Park in the house
Decatur
Uh, Old National got the skanks
Everybody, uh, know what I'm sayin'
Check it
Well it's the M-I, crooked letter, ain't no one better
'Cause I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails
Oh hell, there he go again talkin' that shit
Bend, corner's like I was a curve, I struck a nerve
And now you 'bout to see this Southern player serve
I heard it's not where you're from but where you pay rent
Then I heard it's not what you make but how much you spent
You got me bent like elbows, amongst other things, but I'm not worried
'Cause when we step up in the party, like a mouse-you-scurry
So go get your fuckin' shine box, and your sack of nickels
It tickles to see you try to be like Mr. Pickles
Daddy fat sacks, B-I-G B-O-I
It's that same motherfucker that took them knuckles to your eye
And I try, to warn you not to test but you don't listen
Givin' the shout out to my Uncle Donnel locked up in prison (yeah)
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
Now, my oral illustration be like clitoral stimulation
To the female gender, ain't nothin better
Let me know when it's wet enough to enter
If not I'll wait, because the future of the world depends on
If or if not the child we raise gon' have that nigga syndrome
Or will it know to beat the odds regardless of the skin tone
I really feel that if we tune it, it just might get picked on
Or will it give a fuck about what others say and get gone
The alienate-us 'cause we different keep your hands to the sky
Like Sounds of Blackness when I practice what I preach, it don't lie
I'll be the baker and the maker of the piece of my pie
Now breaker, breaker 10-4 can I get some reply?
Now everybody say
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
Everyday I sit while my nigga be in school
Thinkin' about the second album at the Dungeon shootin' pool
Like E-S to the P-N, 'cause we adjust to the beat in the zone (zone)
Honey, I'm home but I'm not married
Carried a lot of problems around bein' frustrated
And now I'm sittin' at the end of the month, I just made it
Like you made the B team
And like the daddy's wife you makin' the coffee
You heard the ATLiens
So back the hell up off me (shh, shh)
Softly as if I played piano in the dark
Found a way to channel my anger not to embark
The world's a stage and everybody gots to play their part
God works in mysterious ways so when he starts
The job of speakin' through us we be so sincere with this here
No drugs or alcohol so I can get the signal clear as day
Put my Glock away I got a stronger weapon
That never runs out of ammunition so I'm ready for war, okay
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
The lyrics to Outkast's song "ATLiens" are reflective of the duo's status as outsiders in the music industry, representing a different kind of rap that wasn't common at the time. The song name-checks several areas around Atlanta, Georgia, where the duo are from, such as East Point, College Park, and Decatur. The use of the term "ATLiens" refers to their status as aliens in their own city, as they don't fit into the typical mold of what rappers from Atlanta are supposed to sound or look like.
The first verse establishes Big Boi's rap skills and his confidence that he's better than anyone else, followed by Andre 3000's verse which aims to show how the duo are making their own path and not following the traditional route. The chorus encourages listeners to let go and have fun.
The second verse talks about the duo's upbringing and their determination to succeed despite any obstacles they might face. Andre's verse touches on themes such as racial identity and the importance of staying true to oneself despite societal pressures. The bridge speaks on God's influence and how the duo must channel their anger in order to spread their positive message of hope and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, uh, East Point, smokes some dank
We're smoking weed in East Point
College Park in the house
College Park is also here
Decatur
And Decatur too
Uh, Old National got the skanks
We're saying that Old National has a bad reputation
Everybody, uh, know what I'm sayin'
Everybody understands what we're trying to say
Check it
Listen up
Well it's the M-I, crooked letter, ain't no one better
This is Outkast and nobody is better
And when I'm on the microphone you best to wear your sweater
My rhymes are so cold that you need a sweater
'Cause I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails
I'm super cool
Oh hell, there he go again talkin' that shit
Here we go again, talking our talk
Bend, corner's like I was a curve, I struck a nerve
Our unique style stands out and gets attention
And now you 'bout to see this Southern player serve
Get ready for our southern style of rap
I heard it's not where you're from but where you pay rent
It's not about where you're from, it's about where you live
Then I heard it's not what you make but how much you spent
It's not about how much you make, it's about how much you spend
You got me bent like elbows, amongst other things, but I'm not worried
You're messing with me, but I'm not concerned
'Cause when we step up in the party, like a mouse-you-scurry
When we show up at a party, people move out of our way
So go get your fuckin' shine box, and your sack of nickels
Get out of here with your small-time stuff
It tickles to see you try to be like Mr. Pickles
It's funny to see you try to be something you're not
Daddy fat sacks, B-I-G B-O-I
He's a big rapper with big rhymes
It's that same motherfucker that took them knuckles to your eye
I'm the same guy who gave you a black eye
And I try, to warn you not to test but you don't listen
I tried to warn you not to mess with me, but you didn't listen
Givin' the shout out to my Uncle Donnel locked up in prison (yeah)
Giving a shout out to my uncle in prison
Now my oral illustration be like clitoral stimulation
My rhymes are like sexual pleasure for women
To the female gender, ain't nothin better
There's nothing better than pleasing women with my rhymes
Let me know when it's wet enough to enter
Let me know when you're ready
If not I'll wait, because the future of the world depends on
I'll wait because the future depends on getting it right
If or if not the child we raise gon' have that nigga syndrome
The way we raise our kids will affect their future
Or will it know to beat the odds regardless of the skin tone
Will our kids be successful no matter what they look like?
I really feel that if we tune it, it just might get picked on
If we do it right, people might notice and criticize us
Or will it give a fuck about what others say and get gone
Will our kids ignore the criticism and succeed anyway?
The alienate-us 'cause we different keep your hands to the sky
People might treat us differently because we're different
Like Sounds of Blackness when I practice what I preach, it don't lie
When I do what I say, it's true and honest
I'll be the baker and the maker of the piece of my pie
I'll be the one who creates and earns my own success
Now breaker, breaker 10-4 can I get some reply?
Can I get some acknowledgement?
Everyday I sit while my nigga be in school
I have free time while my friend is in school
Thinkin' about the second album at the Dungeon shootin' pool
Thinking about our future album and hanging out at the recording studio
Like E-S to the P-N, 'cause we adjust to the beat in the zone (zone)
We're like ESP because we connect to the music
Honey, I'm home but I'm not married
I'm here but I don't have a wife
Carried a lot of problems around bein' frustrated
I've had a lot of problems and been frustrated
And now I'm sittin' at the end of the month, I just made it
I made it through the month with what I have
Like you made the B team
You just made it to the second string
And like the daddy's wife you makin' the coffee
You're doing the housework
You heard the ATLiens
You're hearing the sounds of the Atlanta aliens
So back the hell up off me (shh, shh)
Leave me alone
Softly as if I played piano in the dark
My rhymes flow gently like playing piano in the dark
Found a way to channel my anger not to embark
I found a way to control my anger and not act on it
The world's a stage and everybody gots to play their part
Life is a performance and we all have a role to play
God works in mysterious ways so when he starts
God's ways are not always clear
The job of speakin' through us we be so sincere with this here
When he speaks through us, it's real and honest
No drugs or alcohol so I can get the signal clear as day
I'm not using any substances, so my messages are clear
Put my Glock away I got a stronger weapon
I don't need a gun, my words are my weapon
That never runs out of ammunition so I'm ready for war, okay
My words are powerful and I'm ready to use them
Now throw your hands in the air
Put your hands up
And wave 'em like you just don't care
Wave them wildly
And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp shit
If you like southern food and culture
Everybody let me hear you say, "Oh-yeah-yer"
Say "Oh yeah"
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@4thepeoplebythepeople425
Shh Shh
Softly as if I played piano in the dark
Found a way to channel my anger not to embark
The world's a stage and everybody's got to play their part
God works in mysterious ways so when he starts
The job of speaking through us we, be so sincere with this here
No drugs or alcohol so I can get the signal clear as day
Put my Glock away I got a stronger weapon
That never runs out of ammunition so I'm ready for war okay
Now throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care <3
@kyngdavid3648
WHO ELSE IS SOOOO THANKFUL TO GOD THAT THEY GREW UP IN THIS ERA WHEN HIP-HOP MUSIC ACTUALLY FELT GOOD??????
@joshmiranda9730
truuu
@theungreatkahli
Me
@theungreatkahli
Me
@MrTonioclassof09
Me!!!!!
@kennethwill246
OMG really so my era don't have good music
@nicholasablue
ATLiens is the most slept on album of all time. And Big Boi needs his flowers, people always hype up Andre but let's not forget Sir Lucious Left Foot
@neonthunder3261
Big Boi's solo albums go hard
@keithprice1950
The 6 million views on this one video from the album tell me that it's not really slept on.
@mookdayam5520
Andre300 is a beast though