Respect
The Starshine Orchestra And Singers Lyrics
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How in the world do you think anybody's s'posed to respect you
If you don't give a heck 'bout the man with the bible in his hand, y'all
Just get out the way, and let the gentleman do his thing
You the kind of gentleman that want everything your way, yeah
Take the sheet off your face, boy, it's a brand new day
Respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself
Ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na na
Respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself
If you're walking 'round think'n that the world owes you something 'cause you're here
You goin' out the world backwards like you did when you first come here yeah
Keep talkin' bout the president, won't stop air pollution
Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that'll help the solution
Oh, you cuss around women and you don't even know their names, no
Then you're dumb enough to think that'll make you a big ol' man
Respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself
If you don't respect yourself
Ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na na
Respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself
Respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself
Respect yourself, yeah yeah respect yourself, respect yourself yeah, respect yourself
You oughta you oughta respect yourself yeah, respect yourself
The lyrics to The Starshine Orchestra And Singers' song "Respect" center around the idea that in order to receive respect from others, one must first respect themselves and those around them. The first verse comments on the absurdity of disrespecting others and yet still expecting to be respected in return. It also references a hypocrisy in disregarding a man with a bible, indicating that one should not judge or disrespect another based on their religion or beliefs.
The chorus repeats the phrase "respect yourself" as a reminder that this is the key to gaining respect from others. The second verse continues with the theme of respecting those around you and taking responsibility for one's actions, such as coughing into your hand to prevent the spread of germs. The verse also criticizes those who use vulgar language towards women without even knowing their names or backgrounds. The song ends with another repetition of the phrase "respect yourself."
Overall, the song promotes the importance of self-respect and treating others with kindness and respect in order to create a more positive and harmonious environment.
Line by Line Meaning
If you disrespect anybody that you run in to
If you show disrespect towards someone you meet
How in the world do you think anybody's s'posed to respect you
How can you expect anyone to respect you then?
If you don't give a heck 'bout the man with the bible in his hand, y'all
If you don't care about the man trying to spread religious teachings
Just get out the way, and let the gentleman do his thing
Allow the gentleman to continue with his work
You the kind of gentleman that want everything your way, yeah
You are the kind of person who wants everything to be their way
Take the sheet off your face, boy, it's a brand new day
Get rid of your ignorant beliefs and be open-minded
If you're walking 'round think'n that the world owes you something 'cause you're here
If you believe that the world owes you something just because you exist
You goin' out the world backwards like you did when you first come here yeah
You are going through life in reverse, like when you were born
Keep talkin' 'bout the president, won't stop air pollution
Talking about the president won't solve bigger problems like air pollution
Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that'll help the solution
Simple actions like covering your mouth when you cough can help solve issues
Oh, you cuss around women and you don't even know their names, no
You use foul language around women who you don't even know
Then you're dumb enough to think that'll make you a big ol' man
And you foolishly believe that this makes you a mature adult
If you don't respect yourself
If you don't have respect for yourself
Ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na na
No one will care about you or your opinions
Respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself, respect yourself
Respect yourself and your values repeatedly
Respect yourself, yeah yeah respect yourself, respect yourself yeah, respect yourself
Again, respect yourself and your values
You oughta you oughta respect yourself yeah, respect yourself
It's important to respect yourself and your values
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Luther Thomas Ingram, Mack Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind