Mona Lisa
Slick Rock Lyrics


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[Ricky Walters]
Ladies and gentlemen... and lowlifes
It is with outstanding pleasure
that we are here to present tonight...
Slick Rick the Ruler! And MC Ricky D!
Doing their smash hit "Mona Lisa "
you know like the picture?
Anyway I'd like to take this time out
to bow before his divine majesty

[Ricky] Oh your majesty...
[Slick] Hmm?
[Ricky] Can I kiss your hand?
[Slick] Mm hmm
[Ricky] (kisses his hand loudly)
[Slick] Enough!
[Ricky] Come your highness. they await you.

[Slick Rick]
Well, it was one of those days -- not much to do
I was chillin downtown, with my old school crew
I went into a store -- to buy a slice of pizza
And bumped into a girl, her name was Mona -- what?
Mona Lisa (what?) *singing* Mona Lisa, so men made you.
YouknowhatI'msayin? So I said, "Excuse me, dear
my gosh, you look nice!
Put away your money
I'll buy that slice!"
She said, "Thanks - I'd rather a slice of you
I'm just kidding, but that's awfully nice of you"
The compliment showed she had a mind in her
And when I smiled (PING!) I almost blinded her
She said, "Great Scott! Are you a thief?
Seems like you have a mouth full of gold teeth"
Ha-ha, hah! Had to find that funny
So I said, "No child, I work hard for the money
And calling me a thief? Please! Don't even try it (Right!)
Sit down eat your slice of pizza, and be quiet"
She almost got cut short -- you know, scissors
She tried to disrespect WHO?! The Grand Wizard
Me! "Well what's your name, son?"
"MC Ricky D," but not to be so harsh I said to Mona Li-hee
"I'm. sorry and I know that's low class (uhh, yeah)
Please sit, and tell me a little about your past"
She said, "Well I got courage, and I don't like porridge (uh-huh)
I've never been to college, but I've got crazy knowledge (uh-huh)
Over eighteen and my eyes are green (uh-huh)
I wear more gold than that man on A-Team (uh-huh, uh-huh)
Trim, slim, (yeah) and I'm also light skinned
Best believe Mona's a virgin"
A virgin?! Honey needed a slap
She tried to tell me she's a virgin -- with her yea wide gap
I said, "It don't matter, see, I'm not picky (word)
Let me spell my name out for you, it's Ricky:
R -- Ravishing
I -- Impress
C -- Courageous; so careless
K -- for the Kangols which I've got
that I wear everyday and
Y -- why not?
To fight's not right that I recite and I'm.
quite polite like Walter Cronkite"
Well, just about then, Trevor my friend came in
He said, "Hey Rick, don't you know playin with these snakes is a sin?!?"
He grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me right out the store
He said, "I don't want to see you playin with these lowlifes no more!
Now come along, we have a party to attend
With some real mature women and some more of her friends"
He hailed down a cab and he waited for a minute
And as the cab came, he thrusted me in it!
And as we were leavin and drivin along
I could hear a melody as Mona sang a song

(excerpt from "Walk On By" [D. Warwick])
"If you see me walking down the street
And I start to cry. each time we meet.
Walk on by. walk on by.
Foolish pride
That's all that I have left, so, let me hide
The pain and the hurt that you gave me




When you said goodbye.
You walked on by."

Overall Meaning

The song "Mona Lisa" by Slick Rick tells a story of a chance meeting between the rapper and a girl named Mona Lisa. The song starts with Ricky Walters announcing the performers and paying homage to Slick Rick. Then the lyrics move to Slick Rick telling the story of how he met Mona Lisa. It was one of those days, and he was chilling in downtown with his old-school crew, craving a slice of pizza. That's when he runs into Mona Lisa. She was complimenting him, but at a point in time, she got disrespectful, and that's when Slick Rick introduces himself as the Grand Wizard. She apologizes and tells him about herself, saying she's a virgin. Trevor, a friend of Slick Rick, then comes in and pulls him out of the store, telling him that playing with lowlifes isn't good.


The story told in the song is a humorous one and is typical of Slick Rick's storytelling and narrative style. The song is a combination of rapping and singing, with Slick Rick's unique voice delivery adding to the humor and whimsical tone of the song. Despite the light-heartedness of the song, it does touch on themes such as class and respect, as well as the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, it was one of those days -- not much to do
Slick Rick was having a dull day with nothing much to do.


I was chillin downtown, with my old school crew
He was hanging out with his old friends in the downtown area.


I went into a store -- to buy a slice of pizza
Slick Rick went into a store to buy himself a pizza slice.


And bumped into a girl, her name was Mona -- what?
He accidentally collided with a girl named Mona.


YouknowhatI'msayin? So I said, "Excuse me, dear
Slick Rick asked Mona for permission after brushing into her.


my gosh, you look nice!
Slick Rick complimented Mona on how pretty she looked.


Put away your money
He offered to pay for her slice of pizza.


She said, "Thanks - I'd rather a slice of you
Mona jokingly flirted with Slick Rick, saying she'd prefer him instead of the pizza slice.


The compliment showed she had a mind in her
He could tell by her compliment that she was intelligent and quick-witted.


She said, "Great Scott! Are you a thief?
Mona noticed his gold teeth and playfully asked if he was a thief.


And calling me a thief? Please! Don't even try it (Right!)
Slick Rick denied he was a thief and sarcastically told Mona not to try him.


She almost got cut short -- you know, scissors
Mona almost got admonished by Slick Rick.


Trim, slim, (yeah) and I'm also light skinned
Mona described herself as slim, light-skinned, and attractive.


A virgin?! Honey needed a slap
Slick Rick couldn't believe when Mona said she was a virgin.


She tried to tell me she's a virgin -- with her yea wide gap
He found it hard to believe that Mona was a virgin when she appeared so promiscuous.


I said, "It don't matter, see, I'm not picky (word)
Slick Rick didn't care if Mona was a virgin or not as he wasn't picky.


Well, just about then, Trevor my friend came in
Slick Rick's friend Trevor arrived at the store.


"Hey Rick, don't you know playin with these snakes is a sin?!?"
Trevor warns Slick Rick of the trouble he can get into by hanging around with these lowlifes.


"With some real mature women and some more of her friends"
Trevor took Slick Rick to a party with more mature and established women.


And as the cab came, he thrusted me in it!
Trevor pulled Slick Rick into a waiting cab as they left downtown.


And as we were leavin and drivin along
As they drove away, Slick Rick could still hear Mona's voice in his head.


"If you see me walking down the street
Slick Rick remembers an excerpt from the song 'Walk On By' by Dionne Warwick.


And I start to cry. each time we meet.
He remembers the lyrics of the song about seeing your past love and feeling sad.


Walk on by. walk on by.
The song advises people to walk away from past relationships.


Foolish pride
The song suggests that pride is the reason behind people's heartbreak.


That's all that I have left, so, let me hide
People hide their hurt and pain due to foolish pride.


The pain and the hurt that you gave me
The song talks about the pain people endure due to a lost relationship.


When you said goodbye.
The person is hurt when the other person ends the relationship.


You walked on by.
The person who left the relationship walked away leaving the hurt person behind.




Contributed by Abigail D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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