Step
Vampire Weekend feat. Danny Brown Heems & Despot Vampire Weekend Danny Brown Heems Despot Lyrics

Every time I see you in the world
Whenever I come across you, wherever it may be

You always step to my girl
You always try to charm my girl or come in between us

Back back way back
In the distant past, a long time ago

I used to front like Angkor Wat
I used to pretend to be something grand or important, like Angkor Wat - a famous temple complex in Cambodia

Mechanicsburg, Anchorage, and Dar es Salaam
Various places I have been to in the world

While home in New York
While I was in my hometown of New York

Was champagne and disco tapes
The atmosphere was celebratory with champagne and music played from tapes

From L.A. slash San Francisco
Tapes may have been from Southern California or the Bay Area

But actually Oakland and not Alameda
The tapes were most likely from Oakland, not Alameda - a city across the bay from San Francisco

Your girl was in Berkeley with her communist reader
Your girlfriend was in Berkeley reading communist literature, a city across the bay from San Francisco,

Mine was entombed within boombox and Walkman
My girlfriend was listening to music on a boombox and Walkman

I was a hoarder but girl that was back then
I used to collect things obsessively, but that was in the past

The gloves are off
I am no longer holding back or pretending

The wisdom teeth are out
I have gained knowledge and experience through growing up and facing challenges

What you on about?
What are you talking about? What is your intention?

I feel it in my bones
I have a strong intuition or feeling about something

I'm stronger now
I am more emotionally resilient and able to handle difficulties

I'm ready for the house
I am prepared for the next phase of my life, which may involve settling down or taking on more responsibility

Such a modest mouse
I am trying to be humble or downplay my achievements

I can't do it alone
I need support or help from others to achieve my goals

Ancestors told me
I have heard from previous generations or have been passed down stories

That their girl was better
They believed that their significant other was superior to mine

She's richer than Croesus
Their girl is extremely wealthy

She's tougher than leather
Their girl is extremely resilient and strong

I just ignored all the tales of a past life
I chose not to pay attention to their stories or ideas about the past

Stale conversation deserves but a bread knife
Boring or repetitive talk is only deserving of a simple utensil such as a bread knife

And punks who would laugh
People who were disrespectful or dismissive of me

When they saw us together
When they saw me with my girlfriend

Well, they didn't know
They were not aware of the true situation or who my girlfriend really was

How to dress for the weather
They were unprepared or clueless about how to handle the situation

I can still see them there huddled on Astor
I can still remember them standing together on Astor Place

Snow falling slow to the sound of the master
Snow was falling gently as music played in the background

Wisdom's a gift but you'd trade it for youth
Having knowledge or experience is valuable, but you would give it up to be young again

Age is an honor, it's still not the truth
Growing old is a privilege, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have all the answers or that your life is perfect

We saw the stars when they hid from the world
We experienced something special or rare that most people did not see

You cursed the sun when it stepped to your girl
You were angry or upset when someone came between you and your significant other

Maybe she's gone and I can't resurrect her
Perhaps my girlfriend is no longer with me and I am unable to bring her back

The truth is she doesn't need me to protect her
My girlfriend is capable and does not require my constant protection or help

We know the true death
We understand what it means to truly pass away or experience loss

The true way of our flesh
The actual nature or reality of our physical bodies

Everyone's dying but girl you're not old yet
We are all aging and approaching death, but my girlfriend is still young and has time ahead of her