"Can It Be All So Simple" features rapping from Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. Its lyrics deal with a glorified mafioso lifestyle. In the song, Raekwon and Ghostface discuss the hardships of growing up in New York City during the 80's, and how they want to live a lavish and famous lifestyle to escape the hardships of life. The music video was directed by Hype Williams, with images similar to the song's content and a cameo by MC Eiht.
A remix can be found on Raekwon's debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" uses the break beat from "Can It Be All So Simple"
can it be so simple
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Niggas wilin', gun shots thrown, the phone dialin'
Back in the days of 8 now, making a tape now
Rae gotta get a plate now
Ignorant and mad young, wanted to be the one
Till I got (Blaow! Blaow! Blaow!) felt one
Yeah, my pops was a fiend since 16
Shooting that "that's that shit!" in his blood stream
And niggas know that habit's behind me
Day one, yo, growing all up in the ghetto
Now I'm a weed fiend, jetting the Palmetto
In Medina, yo, no doubt the God got crazy clout
Pushing the big joint from down South
So if you're filthy stacked up
Better watch your back and duck
Cause these fiends, they got it cracked up
Now my man from up north, now he got the law
It's solid as a rock and crazy salt
No jokes, I'm not playing, get his folks
Desert Eagle his dick and put em in a yoke
And to know for sure, I got reck and rip shop
I pointed a gat at his mother's knot
Yo, Rae, don't do that shit, man! Don't do that shit!
Fuck that!
Dedicated to the winners and the losers
Dedicated to all Jeeps and Land Cruisers
(Can it be that it was all so simple then?)
Dedicated to the Y's, 850-I's
Dedicated to niggas who do drive-bys
(Can it be that it was all so simple then?)
Dedicated to the Lexus and the Ac's
Dedicated to MPV's: phat!
Kicking the fly cliches
Doing duets with Rae and A, happens to make my day
Though I'm tired of busting off shots, having to rock knots
Running up in spots and making shit hot
I'd rather flip shows instead of those
Hanging on my living room wall
My first joint, and it went gold!
I want to lamp, I want to be in the shade
Plus the spotlight, getting my dick rode all night
I want to have me a phat yacht
And enough land to go and plant my own sess crops
But for now it's just a big dream
Cause I find myself in the place where I'm last seen
My thoughts must be relaxed, be able to maintain
Cause times is changed and life is strange
The glorious days is gone, and everybody's doing bad
Yo, mad lives is up for grabs
Brothers passing away, I gotta make wakes
Receiving all types of calls from upstate
Yo, I can't cope with the pressure
Settling for lesser
The God left lessons on my dresser
So I can bloom and blossom, find a new way to
Continue to make more hits with Rae and A
Sunshine plays a major part in the daytime
Peace to mankind, Ghostface carry a black 9
The song "Can It Be All So Simple" by Wu-Tang Clan is a retrospective rap song about the childhoods and aspirations of the Wu-Tang Clan members. The first verse of the song is a narrative of Raekwon's childhood experiences growing up on Staten Island, where gunshots and gang violence were a part of everyday life. The verse talks about Rae's desire to be the best and his subsequent reality check when he was shot, which made him realize the dangers of the street life. The chorus is a nostalgic reflection on the good times that have passed, and how life used to be simpler, before the members became famous. The second verse is about Ghostface Killah's dreams of success, which includes buying a yacht, owning land for planting crops, and living comfortably. He talks about the pressure he feels while trying to achieve these dreams and the lessons he has learned from the God, including the importance of maintaining a relaxed mindset.
The song was released in 1993 on the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)." The song was produced by RZA and features verses from Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Inspectah Deck. It is one of the group's most famous songs, known for its reflective and emotional lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Started off on the island, AKA Shaolin
It all began on the Shaolin Island.
Niggas wilin', gun shots thrown, the phone dialin'
People were acting out of control, gunshots were fired and someone was calling the police.
Back in the days of 8 now, making a tape now
It was during the time when everyone was making mixtapes.
Rae gotta get a plate now
Rae needs to make a living.
Ignorant and mad young, wanted to be the one
Rae was young and ambitious.
Till I got (Blaow! Blaow! Blaow!) felt one
Until Rae got shot.
Yeah, my pops was a fiend since 16
Rae's father had been addicted to drugs since he was 16.
Shooting that "that's that shit!" in his blood stream
His father was injecting drugs directly into his bloodstream.
That's the life of a grimey, real-life crimey
That's the life of a gritty, real criminal.
And niggas know that habit's behind me
People know that Rae is not into drug addiction.
Day one, yo, growing all up in the ghetto
Since day one, Rae grew up in the ghetto.
Now I'm a weed fiend, jetting the Palmetto
Rae now smokes weed and drives on the Palmetto Highway.
In Medina, yo, no doubt the God got crazy clout
In Medina, people acknowledge Rae's influence and power.
Pushing the big joint from down South
Rae is driving a big car from the South.
So if you're filthy stacked up
So, if you have a lot of money,
Better watch your back and duck
You need to be careful and avoid getting into trouble.
'Cause these fiends, they got it cracked up
Because drug addicts can be very unpredictable.
Now my man from up north, now he got the law
My friend from the North is now a lawyer.
It's solid as a rock and crazy salt
He is very reliable and skilled.
No jokes, I'm not playing, get his folks
I'm not kidding, get his parents.
Desert Eagle his dick and put em in a yoke
Shoot him with a Desert Eagle and arrest him.
And to know for sure, I got reck and rip shop
To be sure, I will destroy everything.
I pointed a gat at his mother's knot
I pointed a gun at his mother's head.
Yo, Rae, don't do that shit, man! Don't do that shit!
Rae's partner is advising him not to do it.
Dedicated to the winners and the losers
This is dedicated to everyone, the successful and the unsuccessful.
Dedicated to all Jeeps and Land Cruisers
This is dedicated to Jeep and Land Cruiser vehicles.
(Can it be that it was all so simple then?)
Is it possible that everything was much simpler back then?
Dedicated to the Y's, 850-I's
This is dedicated to the BMW Y and 850-I models.
Dedicated to niggas who do drive-bys
This is dedicated to those who carry out drive-by shootings.
Dedicated to the Lexus and the Ac's
This is dedicated to Lexus and Acura cars.
Dedicated to MPV's: phat!
This is dedicated to MPVs of all kinds, they're cool!
Kicking the fly cliches
I'm being cool and speaking smooth.
Doing duets with Rae and A, happens to make my day
Performing duets with Rae and A makes me happy.
Though I'm tired of busting off shots, having to rock knots
Even though I'm tired of violence and carrying guns,
Running up in spots and making shit hot
Breaking into places and causing chaos.
I'd rather flip shows instead of those
I'd rather perform shows than be involved in crime.
Hanging on my living room wall
It will be hanging on my living room wall,
My first joint, and it went gold!
My first song was a massive hit.
I want to lamp, I want to be in the shade
I want to relax and hang out in a cool place.
Plus the spotlight, getting my dick rode all night
Being in the spotlight, having sex all night.
I want to have me a phat yacht
I want to own a cool yacht.
And enough land to go and plant my own sess crops
And own enough land to grow my own marijuana crops.
But for now it's just a big dream
But, for now, it's just a big dream.
Cause I find myself in the place where I'm last seen
I find myself in a familiar but unimportant place.
My thoughts must be relaxed, be able to maintain
I need to be calm and composed.
Cause times is changed and life is strange
Because times have changed and life is unpredictable.
The glorious days is gone, and everybody's doing bad
The great days are over, and people are not doing well.
Yo, mad lives is up for grabs
Lives are being lost.
Brothers passing away, I gotta make wakes
Friends are dying, and I need to attend wakes.
Receiving all types of calls from upstate
Getting calls from people in prison.
Yo, I can't cope with the pressure
I can't handle the pressure.
Settling for lesser
I'm willing to accept less than what I want.
The God left lessons on my dresser
My mentor gave me some lessons to live by.
So I can bloom and blossom, find a new way to
So, I can rise above and flourish, discover a new path.
Continue to make more hits with Rae and A
And keep producing more successful music with Rae and A.
Sunshine plays a major part in the daytime
Sunshine is an important part of the daytime.
Peace to mankind, Ghostface carry a black 9
Peace to everyone, and Ghostface carries a gun.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT F. DIGGS, RUSSELL T. JONES, DENNIS DAVID COLES, GARY E. GRICE, LAMONT HAWKINS, JASON HUNTER, CLIFFORD SMITH, COREY WOODS, MARILYN BERGMAN, ALAN BERGMAN, MARVIN HAMLISCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@earlwoods5536
Who's listening in 2024.. wu-tang is here forever
@rjones4748
4eva
@alejandrogamez7531
π€πΎ
@mbakompuchane6180
Always
@@alejandrogamez7531
@rachelmoses5862
ππΎββοΈππΎπ₯π₯π₯π₯ππΎππΎππΎ
@Moprofit742
4L
@NightLinks
Raekwon using the word "Clout" wayyy before it went mainstream.
@concreterosegarden5936
My dad listened to wu tang all the time. I used to hate it as a kid but now when I hear this new music of my generation I know there's no comparison. Wu tang was real talent and skill.
@gabrielcruz7852
Correct young man we lived it ... they seen it on TV .... NYC BX
@vicky1rn52
Wu Tang is for the children Son! Ya Pops was exposing you to hip hop history ππ½