Bo… Read Full Bio ↴Is an American music producer, musician, and DJ based in Seattle.
Born on March 25, 1988 in Spokane, Washington.
Downtown
Ryan Lewis 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
The lyrics to Ryan Lewis's "Downtown" are about cruising through the city on a moped, feeling free and alive. The main character goes to a moped dealership and follows the salesman's recommendation to purchase a particular model. He then takes it through the city streets, where he meets up with friends and chases the thrill of the ride. The lyrics are full of cultural references, from the gang reference to The Outsiders' character Dally, to the city land marks of Pike Place and Broadway. The chorus sings, "Downtown, downtown, you don't want no beef, boy, know I run the streets, boy, better follow me towards Downtown". The song is a celebration of youth and freedom, the joy of cruising around with friends.
The verses are full of playful, witty lyrics like "Very rare, mom jeans on her derriere" and "I mean, water ski, ollie ollie oxen free". Some of the language is explicitly sexual, particularly in the third verse, where the main character takes a woman backstage at a concert. The lyrics also touch on themes of wealth and materialism, with references to Bugattis and Kawasaki motorcycles. However, the song ultimately celebrates the freedom and joy of cruising on a moped, and the bonds that form between friends who share that experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to the Moped store, said fuck it
I impulsively entered a Moped store, not caring about the consequences.
Salesman's like what up, what's your budget?
The salesperson approaches me and asks for my budget.
And I'm like honestly, I don't know nothing about Mopeds
I confess that I am ignorant when it comes to Mopeds.
He said I got the one for you, follow me
The salesman claims that they have the perfect Moped for me and beckons me to follow them.
Ooh, it's too real
I am amazed by the spectacular Mirrors, Velvety seats, and chrome on the Moped.
Chromed out mirror, I don't need a windshield
The mirror on my Moped is so shiny that it serves as a substitute for a windshield.
Banana seat, a canopy on two wheels
My Moped's seat has an unusual shape like that of a banana and a cover shape like a dome.
Eight hundred cash, that's a hell of a deal
The Moped costs $800, which is an insanely good deal.
I'm headed downtown, cruising through the alley
I take my Moped towards the city center and ride through the narrow alleys.
Tip-toeing in the street like Dally
I am careful riding my Moped in the street like Dally, a character in the novel 'The Outsiders.'
Pulled up, moped to the valley
I arrived at Valley with my Moped.
Whitewalls on the wheels like mayonnaise
The wheels on my Moped are white, as if they are coated in mayonnaise.
Dope, my crew is ill, and all we need is two good wheels
My friends are amazing, and we just need our Mopeds to have a good time.
Got gas in the tank, cash in the bank
My Moped has more than enough gas, and I have plenty of money in my account.
And a bad little mama with her ass in my face
I have a female companion on my Moped who is quite attractive.
I'mma lick that, stick that, break her off, Kit-Kat
I have sexual intentions towards my female companion on my Moped, and I plan on fulfilling them.
Snuck her in backstage, you don't need a wristband
I brought my companion backstage illegally, avoiding the need for a wristband.
Killing the game, 'bout to catch a body
I am dominating the game and poised to do something remarkable.
Passed the Harley, Dukie on the Ducati
I passed two bikers, one on a Harley and one on a Ducati.
Timbaland, Khaled, Scott Storch, Birdman
Four successful music producers are mentioned, possibly as a display of wealth.
God damn, man, everybody got Bugattis
Everyone seems to have a Bugatti, which is an expensive car.
But I'ma keep it hella nineteen eighty seven
I prefer to keep my style and look as they did in the late 1980s.
Head into the dealership and drop a stack and cop a Kawasaki
I go to the store to buy a Kawasaki Motorcycle with a stack of cash.
I'm stunting on everybody, hella raw, pass the Wasabi
I'm doing an impressive job of riding my bike and showing off to others.
I'm so low that my scrotum's almost dragging up on the concrete
I (or potentially my bike) am so low to the ground that my genitals are almost scraping against the road.
My seat is leather, alright, I'm lying, it's pleather
I claim that my seat is leather, but it may just be fabricated leather.
But girl, we could still ride together
I assure my companion that even though the seat is small, we could ride together on my Kawasaki.
You don't need a Uber, you don't need a cab
I imply that my companion does not need to use Uber or a cab when I am around.
Fuck a bus pass, you got a Moped man
With a Moped, there is no need for a bus pass.
She got nineteen eighty eight Mariah Carey hair
My companion has hair similar to Mariah Carey's look from 1988.
Very rare, mom jeans on her derriere
My companion wears rare Mom jeans, which enhances her backside.
Throwing up the West Side as we tear in the air
As we ride our bikes, we throw up a West Side (hand sign) and enjoy the fresh air.
Stop by Pike Place, throwing fish to a player
We stopped by Pike Place Market, where we saw people throwing fish around.
She has her arms around your waist
My companion is hugging me from behind, wrapping her arms around my waist.
With a balance that will keep her safe
She maintains her balance on the bike, which ensures her safety.
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
I ask if one has ever experienced a warm embrace such as the one I am currently experiencing.
Of the leather seat between your legs
I talk about the comfortable seat in between my legs, which adds to the experience of riding my bike.
Hey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey
This is an interlude in the song.
You don't want no beef, boy
I advise someone not to start any conflicts with me.
Know I run the streets, boy
I inform someone that I have control over the streets.
Better follow me towards
I encourage someone to come with me.
What you see is what you get girl
I tell a girl to embrace me since there's nothing more than what she sees.
Don't ever forget girl
I remind a girl not to forget me.
Ain't seen nothing yet until you're
I assure someone that they have not yet seen anything, but they will.
Cut the bullshit, get off my mullet
I ask someone to stop lying and to get off my hairstyle.
Stone washed, so raw, Moped like a bullet
My style is stone-washed and authentic, and my Moped is speedy and efficient.
You can't catch me, a po-po can't reprimand me
The police cannot catch me or scold me.
I'm in a B-Boy stance, I'm not dancing
I strike a B-Boy pose but mention that I'm not dancing at the moment.
I got your girl on the back going tandem
I have someone's companion on the back of my bike, enjoying a tandem ride.
'Cause I'm too damn quick, I'm too damn slick
I am quick and slick and cannot be caught.
Whole downtown yelling out who that is?
The entire downtown area is wondering who I am.
It's me, the M, the A-C, the K
I introduce myself and spell out my name: Mack, with the letters M, A, C, K.
Sounding like a French pimp from back in the day
I sound like a pimp from France of yesteryear.
I take her to Pend Oreille and I watch her skate
I bring my companion to Pend Oreille and watch her skate.
I mean, water ski, ollie ollie oxen free
I correct myself, I meant to say that she is actually waterskiing while also playing hide-and-seek.
I'm perusing down fourth and they watching me
I am cruising down Fourth Avenue, and people are watching me.
I do a handstand, the eagle lands on my seat
I perform a handstand and manage to land back on my bike's seat like an eagle.
Well hello, but baby, the kickstand ain't free
I flirt with someone, but as a joke, remind them that my bike's kickstand is not free.
Now, do you or do you not wanna ride with me
I ask someone if they want to ride with me or not.
I got one girl, I got two wheels
I have one companion and two wheels on my bike.
She a big girl, that ain't a big deal
My companion is on the heavier side, which doesn't bother me.
I like a big girl, I like 'em sassy
I like confident and sassy women, especially those who don't conform to society's mainstream standards.
Going down the backstreet listening to Blackstreet
We listen to Blackstreet's music while cruising down a smaller street.
Running around the whole town
We almost travel through the whole town on our bike.
Neighbors yelling at me like, you need to slow down
Neighbors reprimand me, telling me to slow down while on my bike.
Going thirty-eight, Dan, chill the fuck out
I am going at a speed of 38 mph, and someone tells me to relax and slow down.
Mow your damn lawn and sit the hell down
I respond sarcastically by telling them to mow their lawn and mind their own business.
If I only had one helmet I would give it to you, give it to you
If I had only one helmet, I would offer it to my companion.
Cruising down Broadway, girl, what a wonderful view, wonderful view
We are cruising down Broadway and admiring the scenic view. It is a wonderful sight.
There's layers to this shit player, tiramisu, tiramisu
I say that there are many layers of complexity in this world with a metaphor in tiramisu.
Let my coat-tail drag but I ain't tearing my suit, tearing my suit
I do not mind dragging my coat-tail, but I am careful not to tear my suit.
Downtown, downtown
This concludes the song, which is focused on the downtown area.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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!!!