Children's Story
Slick Rick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you read us a bedtime story?
Please, huh? Please?
Alright, you kids get to bed
I'll get the story book
Y'all tucked in? (yeah)
Here we go
When people wore pajamas and lived life slow
When laws were stern and justice stood
And people were behavin' like they ought ta good
There lived a lil' boy who was misled
By anotha lil' boy and this is what he said
"Me and Ty, we gonna make sum cash
Robbin' old folks and makin' the dash"
They did the job, money came with ease
But one couldn't stop, it's like he had a disease
He robbed another and another and a sister and her brother (stick 'em up, stick 'em up)
Tried to rob a man who was a D.T. undercover
The cop grabbed his arm, he started acting erratic
He said "Keep still, boy, no need for static"
Punched him in his belly and he gave him a slap
But little did he know the lil' boy was strapped
The kid pulled out a gun, he said, "Why did ya hit me?"
The barrel was set straight for the cop's kidney
The cop got scared, the kid, he starts to figure
"I'll do years if I pull this trigger"
So he cold dashed and ran around the block
Cop radios in to another lady cop
He ran by a tree, there he saw the sister
Shot for the head, he shot back but he missed her
Looked around good and from expectations
He decided he'd head for the subway stations
But she was coming and he made a left
He was runnin' top speed 'til he was outta breath
Knocked an old man down and swore he killed him (sorry)
Then he made his move to an abandoned building
Ran up the stairs up to the top floor
Opened up the door there, guess who he saw? (who?)
Dave the dope fiend shootin' dope
Who don't know the meaning of water nor soap
He said "I need bullets, hurry up, run!"
The dope fiend brought back a spanking shotgun
He went outside but there was cops all over
Then he dipped into a car, a stolen Nova
Raced up the block doing 83
Crashed into a tree near university
Escaped alive though the car was battered
Rat-a-tat-tatted and all the cops scattered
Ran out of bullets and he still had static
Grabbed a pregnant lady and out the automatic
Pointed at her head and he said the gun was full o' lead
He told the cops, "Back off or honey here's dead"
Deep in his heart he knew he was wrong
So he let the lady go and he starts to run on
Sirens sounded, he seemed astounded
Before long the lil' boy got surrounded
He dropped the gun, so went the glory
And this is the way I have end this story
He was only seventeen, in a madman's dream
The cops shot the kid, I still hear him scream
This ain't funny so don't ya dare laugh
Just another case 'bout the wrong path
Straight 'n narrow or yo' soul gets cast
Good night, knock 'em out the box Rick, knock 'em out Rick
Oh boy, that Uncle Ricky he's really weird (knock 'em out the box Rick, knock 'em out Rick)
I know right, what did he mean "Straight and narrow or yo' soul gets cast"?
(knock 'em out the box Rick, knock 'em out Rick)
I don't know, I think he be crackin' it up or something (knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em)
Well, good night (knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em out Rick)
Good night
knock 'em out the box Rick, knock 'em out Rick
knock 'em out the box Rick, knock 'em out Rick
(knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em out Rick)
(knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em out Rick)
(knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em out Rick)
(knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em, knock 'em out Rick)
(knock 'em out Rick, knock 'em out Rick, knock 'em out Rick, knock 'em out Rick)
(knock 'em out Rick, knock 'em out Rick, knock 'em out Rick, knock 'em out the box Rick)
Another Vance Wright, Rick the Ruler presentation
Crumbs!
The song “Children’s Story” by Slick Rick is a cautionary tale for the youth. Uncle Ricky tells a story of a young boy who falls into the hands of a bad influence and starts robbing people. The boy continues to do it until he finds himself in a situation where an undercover cop catches him. The boy is armed, and the cop is forced to defend himself. The boy dies, and the song ends with the singer saying it's not funny, and one should stick to the straight and narrow path.
The lyrics of the song talk about a young person's choices and their consequences for their life. The story shows how a youthful error in judgment can lead to tragic consequences. Slick Rick’s message is clear; young people should make wise decisions and avoid negative influences that can ruin their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time not long ago
This story happened a while ago
When people wore pajamas and lived life slow
In the past, people were less rushed and took their time
When laws were stern and justice stood
In the past, laws were strict and punishments were enforced
And people were behavin' like they ought ta good
Back then, people generally behaved well
There lived a lil' boy who was misled
A young boy was manipulated into making bad decisions
By anotha lil' boy and this is what he said
Another young boy influenced him with these words
"Me and Ty, we gonna make sum cash
The two boys planned to rob people
Robbin' old folks and makin' the dash"
They planned to rob elderly people and quickly escape
They did the job, money came with ease
Their plan worked and they successfully robbed someone
But one couldn't stop, it's like he had a disease
One of the boys became addicted and could not stop robbing people
He robbed another and another and a sister and her brother (stick 'em up, stick 'em up)
He continued to rob people and even robbed a sibling pair
Tried to rob a man who was a D.T. undercover
He attempted to rob a police officer who was undercover as a civilian
The cop grabbed his arm, he started acting erratic
The police officer caught him and he panicked
He said "Keep still, boy, no need for static"
The officer told him to calm down and cooperate
Punched him in his belly and he gave him a slap
The officer used force to try to subdue him
But little did he know the lil' boy was strapped
The boy had a gun on him
The kid pulled out a gun, he said, "Why did ya hit me?"
The boy pointed the gun at the officer in retaliation
The barrel was set straight for the cop's kidney
The boy was aiming to shoot the cop in the kidney
The cop got scared, the kid, he starts to figure
The officer was afraid and the boy began to think
"I'll do years if I pull this trigger"
The boy realized he would go to jail for a long time if he shot the cop
So he cold dashed and ran around the block
He quickly ran away
Cop radios in to another lady cop
The officer called for backup
He ran by a tree, there he saw the sister
He saw a girl while running
Shot for the head, he shot back but he missed her
He missed his shot at the girl and she shot back at him
Looked around good and from expectations
He surveyed his surroundings and assessed his situation
He decided he'd head for the subway stations
He chose to run towards the subway
But she was coming and he made a left
The girl was chasing him, so he turned left
He was runnin' top speed 'til he was outta breath
He ran as fast as he could until he was tired
Knocked an old man down and swore he killed him (sorry)
He accidentally ran into an old man and thought he hurt him
Then he made his move to an abandoned building
He went to hide in an abandoned building
Ran up the stairs up to the top floor
He ran up the stairs to the highest level
Opened up the door there, guess who he saw? (who?)
He opened the door and saw someone, and it was revealed to be Dave the Dope Fiend
Dave the dope fiend shootin' dope
He saw Dave using drugs
Who don't know the meaning of water nor soap
Dave was dirty and addicted to drugs
He said "I need bullets, hurry up, run!"
He asked Dave for bullets and told him to hurry
The dope fiend brought back a spanking shotgun
Dave brought him a new shotgun
He went outside but there was cops all over
There were police officers all around the area
Then he dipped into a car, a stolen Nova
He stole a car and drove away
Raced up the block doing 83
He drove very fast
Crashed into a tree near university
He crashed the car near a university
Escaped alive though the car was battered
He survived the crash but the car was damaged
Rat-a-tat-tatted and all the cops scattered
He fired at the cops and they ran away
Ran out of bullets and he still had static
He ran out of bullets but was still in trouble
Grabbed a pregnant lady and out the automatic
He took a pregnant woman hostage and pointed his gun at her
Pointed at her head and he said the gun was full o' lead
He threatened to shoot the woman
He told the cops, "Back off or honey here's dead"
He warned the police to let him go or he would kill the woman
Deep in his heart he knew he was wrong
He knew that what he was doing was not right
So he let the lady go and he starts to run on
He released the woman and continued to run away
Sirens sounded, he seemed astounded
He was surprised when he heard the sound of the sirens
Before long the lil' boy got surrounded
He was quickly surrounded by the police
He dropped the gun, so went the glory
He put down his gun and lost his status
And this is the way I have end this story
And that's the end of the story
He was only seventeen, in a madman's dream
The boy was only seventeen years old and was in a delusional state
The cops shot the kid, I still hear him scream
The police killed the boy, and the singer still hears his screams
This ain't funny so don't ya dare laugh
This story is serious and should not be laughed at
Just another case 'bout the wrong path
This is another example of someone who made bad decisions
Straight 'n narrow or yo' soul gets cast
Stay on the right path or suffer the consequences
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ricky M. L. Walters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@goat9283
If you're watching this video because you actually searched it, you're a real OG.
@dearjuliet1301
Thank you
@vegasso2941
Thx
@p.atrickclarke
😊
@queencee6343
My brother is dead but he was the real og that put me on this
@lowest1187
first heard this on gta san andreas, playback fm or radio los santos i think.
@zanedietlin7645
Slick rick is one of hip hop's greatest storytellers.
@phillybuswanker242
+Zane Dietlin the best.
@interracialsuspect5300
I'd disagree and say biggie.
@zanedietlin7645
Interracial Suspect I said one of, not THE greatest. I'm curious though, could you name a couple songs that demonstrate Biggie's storytelling ability? I love Biggie but I don't remember any real storytelling