Around ‘91/’92 Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and the Hieroglyphics crew were first starting to make noise in the bay and it was then that he felt he could really make something out of this music thing. He had a friend who rapped who convinced The Grouch to start writing/rapping in ‘94. He met the Mystik Journeymen soon after and they schooled him on the independent hustle. It was on.
The Grouch’s first show as an MC was in 1995, it was at one the Journeymen’s “Broke Ass Summer Jam” shows in East Oakland. At that time he performed under his real name and the crowd showed him much love, which he says is the main reason he stuck with making music. The Grouch’s music influences include all the hip-hop greats from LL Cool J to the Beastie Boys along with the Bay Area classics and jazz, rock, and soul music. The Grouch has always taken the independent route and has done everything himself along the way, a fact he takes great pride in.
Lift Me Up
The Grouch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Know that God done chose my wealth, I adjust, he
I was so stuck up in a funk, it was hard to just get up
But then I ate away the bump, then I was set free
Lawdy! I'm set free, nothin' can touch me
Even when the road of life, it get bumpy
I be chillin' with my trues, sneakers for my shoes
Never slip sideways, all I do is sing blues
Used to need a breezy, now it sound like old news
Years passin' by, but the faces in the crew
Man, they always stay the same, keep it tight, I thought you knew?
And I'm feelin' so thankful, my cup runneth...
Over, gettin' closer to the summit
In this lifetime, givin' y'all all that I can
Feel the memories and words in the heart of a man, yeah
It's so unusual
'Cause I feel so fly today
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's somethin' beautiful
Lifts me up, I fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah
Lucky labeled me the Duke of Earl
But now that seems like a past life, shoot, you could twirl
When eighty, but baby, me I'm not a ballerina
Maybe I was crazy, I learned a lot and seen a
Large portion of the globe, though
Old habits, rabbit like, now I enjoy it more and probe slow
Keep goin' up, I feel the synergy
Created with my woman since '98 'til Infinity
And Zion I, by and by, see eye to eye
A Legend's work is never done, we try and try
I heard it said, that things go in cycles
The way that I'ma work it, pay attention to the light bulbs
Be rightful, owners upon us
The next moments, check your vitals, the bone isn't so much
Don't go nuts before you turn to accumulate
Your greatest gifts, learn to appreciate
It's so unusual
'Cause I feel so fly today
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's somethin' beautiful
Lifts me up, I fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah
It's so unusual
'Cause I feel so fly today
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's somethin' beautiful
Lifts me up, I fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah
In the song Lift Me Up by The Grouch, the artist reflects on his journey of self-improvement and self-love. He starts off by stating that he made a promise to himself to trust in his abilities and to appreciate the wealth that he has been blessed with by God. The Grouch acknowledges that he was once stuck in a negative spiral but managed to overcome it by dealing with his problems instead of avoiding them. He then expresses how being set free from his troubles has allowed him to feel invincible and unbreakable, even when the journey of life gets rough.
The artist also emphasizes the importance of true friendships and remaining grounded despite his success. He is grateful to still have the same tight-knit crew surrounding him since the early days of his journey. He appreciates the memories and experiences that they’ve shared and how they’ve helped him grow as an artist and a person.
The song's chorus emphasizes the way the artist's newfound sense of self-love and appreciation has lifted him to new, extraordinary heights, hence the title Lift Me Up. He mentions that it is “something beautiful” and that he feels “so fly” today. This new sense of confidence has allowed him to enjoy the world more and to take things at his own pace, without worrying too much about success or failure.
Overall, the song's message is about the importance of self-love, friendship, and taking life at one's own pace.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, I made a promise to myself, I said I'd trust me
I promised myself that I would trust my own instincts and decisions
Know that God done chose my wealth, I adjust, he
I recognize that my wealth comes from God and I adjust accordingly
I was so stuck up in a funk, it was hard to just get up
I was stuck in a negative mindset and had a hard time motivating myself
But then I ate away the bump, then I was set free
But then I found a way to overcome my negative mindset and was set free
Lawdy! I'm set free, nothin' can touch me
I feel free and nothing can bring me down
Even when the road of life, it get bumpy
Even when life gets difficult
I be chillin' with my trues, sneakers for my shoes
I hang out with my closest friends and wear comfortable shoes
Never slip sideways, all I do is sing blues
I never stray from my path and I express myself through music
Used to mash the gas, now controls set on cruise
I used to be reckless, but now I'm more relaxed and controlled
Used to need a breezy, now it sound like old news
I used to need a girl to make me happy, but now that doesn't matter as much
Years passin' by, but the faces in the crew
Time has gone by, but my closest friends are still the same
Man, they always stay the same, keep it tight, I thought you knew?
My friends are consistent and loyal, I thought you already knew that
And I'm feelin' so thankful, my cup runneth...
I am grateful and my happiness overflows
Over, gettin' closer to the summit
I am getting closer to reaching my goals
In this lifetime, givin' y'all all that I can
During my life, I am giving everything I can to others
Feel the memories and words in the heart of a man, yeah
These experiences and emotions come from within me
It's so unusual
This feeling is uncommon
'Cause I feel so fly today
I feel great today
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's somethin' beautiful
This feeling is wonderful
Lifts me up, I fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah
This feeling lifts me up and makes me feel free
Lucky labeled me the Duke of Earl
People used to see me as lucky or successful
But now that seems like a past life, shoot, you could twirl
But that was in the past and doesn't matter as much now
When eighty, but baby, me I'm not a ballerina
Even when I'm old, I won't slow down too much
Maybe I was crazy, I learned a lot and seen a
Maybe I was foolish before, but I've learned a lot and seen a lot since then
Large portion of the globe, though
I've traveled and seen a lot of the world
Old habits, rabbit like, now I enjoy it more and probe slow
I used to be impulsive, but now I enjoy things more and take my time
Keep goin' up, I feel the synergy
I keep improving and feeling connected to others
Created with my woman since '98 'til Infinity
I have a long-lasting and strong connection with my significant other
And Zion I, by and by, see eye to eye
I have a good relationship with the musicians Zion I
A Legend's work is never done, we try and try
As an artist, I will always strive and work towards greatness
I heard it said, that things go in cycles
I've heard that everything goes through ups and downs in cycles
The way that I'ma work it, pay attention to the light bulbs
I pay attention to my creative ideas and nurture them to bring them to fruition
Be rightful, owners upon us
It's important to be responsible and take ownership
The next moments, check your vitals, the bone isn't so much
It's important to be present and mindful of your own well-being
Don't go nuts before you turn to accumulate
Don't get carried away before you have accomplished anything
Your greatest gifts, learn to appreciate
Appreciate and recognize your own talents and abilities
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DARREN HAYES, RICK NOWELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eddy Gonzalez
on Language Barrier
lyrics way off