The track, which earned him a Grammy Award, has continued to be a success, with VH1's '100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop' including it in 2008. As trends in gangsta rap and other shifts of hip-hop culture took place, Mix-A-Lot kept on releasing tracks to a cult fanbase before going more into production and studio work. Other notable fan favorites include "Posse on Broadway" (rapping about a street in Seattle, discussing local landmarks, with success that proved his first hit with some MTV airplay), "Testerossa" (a comparison of his lyrical power to the cars' horsepower), and "Swap meet Louie" (a comical look at counterfeit goods such as Louis Vuitton items being sold at swap meets and night markets). His infamous food-based parody tune "Buttermilk Biscuits" (also known as "Buttermilk Biscuits (Keep on Square Dancin')") was performed by kids on the new 'Mickey Mouse Club' program and earned comparisons to "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Mix-A-lot created his own label and worked his songs from the ground up. He never achieved the same popularity as his heyday again, but his songs remain fun and bring his fans back to the late 80s and early 90s with beat-boxing and old-school scratching. See: http://sirmixalot.com/
Denial
Sir Mix-A-Lot Lyrics
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You look inside my other, he'll give you bad advice
I will tell you I'm OK, but deep inside I'm afraid
I don't drink holy water, I'm not a son of Christ
I ain't no black messiah, and I don't load my dice
You can tell me you're all right, but why you so afraid?
You're in denial, you never will believe it's you
Denial, you always hide behind the truth
I don't think I'm amazing, in fact I'm quite insane
To live inside my bucket, with all my plastic chains
People tell me every time, I look at the wrong all right
You're in denial, you never will believe it's you
Denial, you always hide behind the truth
You'll never believe it, you never believe it's you
You'll never believe it, you never believe it
Secrets told you, dreamland holds you, secrets told you
You wouldn't believe it, you couldn't conceive it
Secrets told you
You wanna receive it, you gotta believe it's you
You're on a trip already, I'm tripping out alright
I'll get there slow and steady, just sit and hold on tight
Denial, you never will believe it's you
Denial, you always hide behind the truth
Denial, you never will believe it's you
Denial, you always hide behind the truth, yeah, yeah
Behind the truth, yeah, yeah
It's true, yeah, yeah
Behind the truth, yeah, yeah
It's you, yeah, yeah
Behind the truth, yeah, yeah
It's gonna be alright, just hold on tight
It's gonna be alright, just hold on tight
The lyrics of Sir Mix-A-Lot's song Denial suggest that the singer is struggling with his own identity and struggling to convince himself that he is okay. In the first verse, he addresses his daughter and speaks of the struggle he's experiencing, suggesting that he's made mistakes and has allowed himself to be influenced by someone who gives him bad advice. He admits that he's afraid, but tries to convince himself that he's okay by saying that he's not a son of Christ or a black messiah. He questions why his daughter is also afraid.
In the second verse, the singer continues to express his own insecurities by saying he's not amazing and that he's quite insane. He talks about how people tell him he's looking at things incorrectly, which suggests that he may not fully understand his own struggles. He shifts the focus to the listener and suggests that they too are in denial and never believe that it could be them struggling with their identity.
The chorus of the song repeats the word "denial" and suggests that hiding behind the truth is not going to make things better. The bridge speaks of secrets and suggests that the singer knows things that the listener may not want to believe.
Overall, the lyrics of Denial suggest a struggle with identity and the tendency to avoid facing one's own problems. The singer seems to be trying to convince himself and the listener that it's okay to face those problems and that things will be okay.
Line by Line Meaning
You are my only daughter, I guess I made you twice
I have only one daughter, but it feels like I have two due to how similar we are
You look inside my other, he'll give you bad advice
If you look inside me, my inner voice may give you poor guidance
I will tell you I'm OK, but deep inside I'm afraid
I may say I'm fine, but in reality, I am scared
I don't drink holy water, I'm not a son of Christ
I am not a religious figure and do not partake in religious rituals
I ain't no black messiah, and I don't load my dice
I am not a savior figure and do not cheat to get ahead
You can tell me you're all right, but why you so afraid?
Even if you say you're okay, your fear shows otherwise
You're in denial, you never will believe it's you
You are stubborn and refuse to acknowledge that you are the problem
Denial, you always hide behind the truth
You often hide behind lies to avoid confronting the truth
I don't think I'm amazing, in fact I'm quite insane
I am not great or impressive, and in fact, I may be mentally unstable
To live inside my bucket, with all my plastic chains
I feel trapped and restricted in my own life, like I'm in a tiny bucket with fake restraints
People tell me every time, I look at the wrong all right
Others often point out that I am ignoring the real problems
Secrets told you, dreamland holds you, secrets told you
You keep secrets and allow yourself to be trapped in a fantasy world
You wouldn't believe it, you couldn't conceive it, secrets told you
You deny the truth and cannot accept reality due to your secrets and illusions
You wanna receive it, you gotta believe it's you
If you want to improve, you must acknowledge that you are the issue
You're on a trip already, I'm tripping out alright
You are oblivious to the problems, while I am losing my mind over them
I'll get there slow and steady, just sit and hold on tight
I will work on my issues gradually, and you should be patient and supportive
It's gonna be alright, just hold on tight
Things will improve, but you must have faith and persevere through the rough times
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEPHEN EMIL DUDAS, MARK JEFFREY HUDSON, OZZY OSBOURNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind