Ready Or Not
The Fugees Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me

Now that I escape, sleepwalker awake
Those who could relate know the world ain't cake
Jail bars ain't golden gates
Those who fake, they break
When they meet their 400-pound mate
If I could rule the world
Everyone would have a gun in the ghetto of course
When giddyuping on their horse
I kick a rhyme drinking moonshine
I pour a sip on the concrete, for the deceased
But no don't weep, Wyclef's in a state of sleep
Thinking bout the robbery that I did last week
Money in the bag, banker looked like a drag
I want to play with pelicans from here to Baghdad
Gun blast, think fast, I think I'm hit
My girl pinched my hips to see if I still exist
I think not, I'll send a letter to my friends
A Born Again hooligan only to be king again

Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me

I play my enemies like a game of chess, where I rest
No stress, if you don't smoke sess, lest
I must confess, my destiny's manifest
In some Goretex and sweats I make treks like I'm homeless
Rap orgies with Porgy and Bess
Capture your bounty like Elliot Ness, yes
Bless you if you represent the Fu
But I'll hex you with some witch's brew
If you're doo-doo, voodoo
I can do what you do, easy, believe me
Fronting niggas give me hee-bee-gee-bees
So while you're imitating Al Capone, I'll be Nina Simone
And defecating on your microphone

Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly

You can't run away
From these styles I got, oh baby, hey baby
Cause I got a lot, oh yeah
And anywhere you go
My whole crew's gonna know baby, hey baby
You can't hide from the block, oh no

Ready or not, refugees taking over
The Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
On the twelfth hour, fly by in my bomber
Crews run for cover, now they're under pushing up flowers
Superfly true lies, do or die
Toss me high ? only puff la
With my crew from lock high




I refugee from Guantanamo Bay
Dance around the border like I'm Cassius Clay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Fugees' song "Ready Or Not" can be interpreted in many different ways. One possible interpretation is that the song is about power, struggle, and survival in a harsh world. The opening lines suggest a kind of game, but one with high stakes: "Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide / Gonna find you and take it slowly / Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide / Gonna find you and make you want me." The singer seems to be asserting dominance, saying that they will find and control whoever they are after, slowly and methodically.


The next lines suggest that the singer has recently escaped from something, perhaps a difficult situation or a life of poverty and oppression: "Now that I escape, sleepwalker awake / Those who could relate know the world ain't cake / Jail bars ain't golden gates / Those who fake, they break / When they meet their 400-pound mate." This sets up the rest of the song as a kind of victorious anthem, with the singer proclaiming their own strength and resilience against the odds.


Throughout the rest of the song, the lyrics touch on a wide range of topics, including violence ("If I could rule the world / Everyone would have a gun in the ghetto of course"), power dynamics ("I play my enemies like a game of chess"), cultural identity ("Bless you if you represent the Fu"), and historical oppression ("The Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta / On the twelfth hour, fly by in my bomber"). Ultimately, the song is about asserting oneself in a hostile world, and refusing to be bowed by the challenges of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
I'm coming after you whether you're ready or not.


Gonna find you and take it slowly
I'll catch you and make you mine, taking my time with you.


Gonna find you and make you want me
Once I have you, you won't be able to resist me.


Now that I escape, sleepwalker awake
I'm finally free and aware of my surroundings.


Those who could relate know the world ain't cake
Those who understand know that life is tough.


Jail bars ain't golden gates
Being locked up is no paradise.


Those who fake, they break
People who pretend to be someone they're not will eventually suffer.


When they meet their 400-pound mate
They will be forced to face the consequences of their lies.


If I could rule the world
If I had the power, I would change things.


Everyone would have a gun in the ghetto of course
In the inner-city, firearms would be a necessary means of survival.


When giddyuping on their horse
Riding horses like a cowboy.


I kick a rhyme drinking moonshine
Sipping on homemade liquor while I rap.


I pour a sip on the concrete, for the deceased
Paying tribute to those who have passed away.


But no don't weep, Wyclef's in a state of sleep
Don't cry, I'm just resting.


Thinking bout the robbery that I did last week
Reflecting on my recent heist.


Money in the bag, banker looked like a drag
I successfully stole from a boring-looking person in a suit.


I want to play with pelicans from here to Baghdad
I want to explore the world and have fun everywhere I go.


Gun blast, think fast, I think I'm hit
I've been shot, and I need to act quickly.


My girl pinched my hips to see if I still exist
My girlfriend checked if I was still alive and conscious.


I think not, I'll send a letter to my friends
I don't think I'll make it, so I'll write a farewell letter to my loved ones.


A Born Again hooligan only to be king again
If I'm lucky enough to survive, I'll reclaim my power and status.


I play my enemies like a game of chess, where I rest
I manipulate my foes like a chess player; when I'm not working, I relax.


No stress, if you don't smoke sess, lest
I'm not worried unless you smoke marijuana (which you shouldn't).


I must confess, my destiny's manifest
I know what I'm meant to do in life.


In some Goretex and sweats I make treks like I'm homeless
Even when I'm dressed for the outdoors, I look homeless while traveling.


Rap orgies with Porgy and Bess
A creative metaphor for the music I make.


Capture your bounty like Elliot Ness, yes
I'm skilled at tracking down targets, like the famous lawman Elliot Ness.


Bless you if you represent the Fu
You're in good graces if you're associated with my crew.


But I'll hex you with some witch's brew
If you betray us, I'll curse you.


If you're doo-doo, voodoo
If you're no good, I'll cast a spell on you, using rhyming wordplay.


I can do what you do, easy, believe me
I'm just as good as you (or anyone), and I have proof.


Fronting niggas give me hee-bee-gee-bees
People pretending to be tough make me feel uneasy.


So while you're imitating Al Capone, I'll be Nina Simone
While you're trying to act like a gangster, I'll be true to myself and emulate Nina Simone.


And defecating on your microphone
I'll outshine your rapping and make you look bad.


You can't run away
You can't escape my reach.


From these styles I got, oh baby, hey baby
I have so many skills, you'll fall in love with me.


Cause I got a lot, oh yeah
I have plenty of talents and abilities.


And anywhere you go
No matter where you hide.


My whole crew's gonna know baby, hey baby
My team will find you no matter what.


You can't hide from the block, oh no
Even if you go into hiding, you'll be found by someone from our community.


Ready or not, refugees taking over
I'm representing for the refugee community.


The Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
I'm a classic reggae-style rebel, with a hint of Jamaican culture.


On the twelfth hour, fly by in my bomber
I come in fast and strong, like a fighter jet (or an old-school bomber jacket).


Crews run for cover, now they're under pushing up flowers
My enemies will fall, and be buried underground.


Superfly true lies, do or die
I'm cool, calm, and collected; I'm not afraid to take risks.


Toss me high ? only puff la
I'm elevated and feeling good (like someone who's been smoking marijuana).


With my crew from lock high
I'm with my friends from the block where I grew up.


I refugee from Guantanamo Bay
I'm a political and social outcast, and I have been exiled (like a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay).


Dance around the border like I'm Cassius Clay
I navigate dangerous situations with grace and confidence, like boxer Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay).




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Roba Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Walt Disney Music Company, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: THOM BELL, WILLIAM HART, ANDREW GOLDSTEIN, BRIDGIT CLAIRE MENDLER, EVAN BOGART, EMANUEL KIRIAKOU

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@CollinAbroadcast

This track was my childhood

@sarahboakye7691

Same

@leetogo3333

what a strange childhood

@shantellgillard8798

Same

@gregorschell3338

Langweilige Kindheit hattest du

@crimsonking4151

I'm sure it was if you were black in the 90's

276 More Replies...

@Qickdraw

This is easily one of the best hip hop tracks of all time

@shasmi93

Woah…. That’s insane to say. It’s up there for sure…. But there are some stunners over the years.

@irishcountrygirl78

Thanks to Enya. I love Fugees and all they did, but they effed around and found out, they stole from an Irish world known artist and got sued hugely. Mind you, this song needs her sample. It would be nothing without her haunting humming.

@user-ou5sr8yi7l

Песня старенькая 😂 звучание 👍🔥

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