The original members of Y&T were Dave Meniketti (lead vocals and lead guitar), Leonard Haze (drums), Phil Kennemore (bass), and Joey Alves (rhythm guitar). Haze was replaced by Jimmy DeGrasso in 1986. Alves was replaced by Stef Burns in 1989. The band officially disbanded in 1991, although they continued to perform sporadically. They officially reunited in 2001 with a lineup of Meniketti, Kennemore, and Burns alongside Leonard Haze. Burns eventually went on to join the pop rock outfit Huey Lewis & The News and was replaced by John Nymann. Nymann was an old friend of the band who had sung backup for the group before. In 2006, Haze was asked to step down, and he was replaced by Mike Vanderhule.
The band's signature hits include "Summertime Girls", a Van Halen like piece of cheeky arena rock that reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985, and ""Mean Streak." That latter track hiked up to #25 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart due to its aggressive, heavy style. Y&T's 1984 album, 'In Rock We Trust', has been their highest selling release, reaching #46 on the Billboard Album Charts and selling over 450,000 copies; the spirited album came very close to Gold status.
Main Website: http://www.yandtrocks.com/
One Life
Y&T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a whole lot of niggas trying to sound like
That's why I put the flow in a cocoon
Transform it into something new
Created my winter raps in June
Stored them in the vineyard, it'll be November when you hear em
I bought these J's in '99, you just seeing 'em now
You might see me on TV with 'em
I was laid up poppin' bottles smoking loud with my bitches
I own planes to Vegas with Street Wiz and the Villain
Feelin' like it could all happen tonight
Roll the dice, if you scared turn the lights on
Thought we was all meetin' here
Where did all of these mice come from?
Stop tweeting baby girl, roll up, light somethin'
Monsta Beatz is in the speakers and I'm tryna write somethin'
[Chorus]
One life we live, highed up
Everybody wishing they was us
It's easy to see
I, too, would wanna be the man with the pounds
And the million dollar plan
Right quick, hit a quick right
In a Chevelle '72 Double-S with the stripes
I orchestrated this organization of niggas chasin' paper
Break a pound down, have a roundtable discussion
Like, 'I think the lil' homie fucking up'
Pull him to the side, get him right, I'm getting high
Tryna keep my profile low
Hoes digging after my gold, I'm on 'em though
Commando, Rambo, ammo
Rappefied aim at a lame nigga bitch like I'm sayin'
I'm finna roll, babygirl, you playin'
Fourteen inch ? with the white walls on the Cutlass
With the suede buckets
Sold a Regal with the vouges and the mayonnaise mustard ties
My ? like
'Who them new niggas?' She don't trust them guys
Watch 'em babygirl, you could be my extra set of eyes
It's treacherous and it's live
[Chorus]
The lyrics of this song, "One Life" by Y&T, showcase the rapper's unique and unparalleled style of rap. In these times, where many rappers are trying to sound the same, the artist cocooned his flow to create something brand new. He created "winter raps in June" and stored them in the vineyard for November release. The lyrics describe the rapper's luxurious lifestyle, owning planes, and popping bottles with his bitches. The chorus of the song revolves around the idea that everyone wishes to live the high life with millions of dollars and pounds, but only a few succeed. The rapper uses cars, money, and drugs as metaphors to portray his high life.
The song is all about living the high life and being at the top of the game. The rapper has orchestrated an organization of niggas chasing paper and hustling to get rich. He talks about breaking a pound down and having a roundtable discussion about the followers who are not catching up. He tries to keep a low profile while simultaneously keeping an eye on his gold-digging hoes. The song has a certain swag to it that conveys the rapper's confidence and comfort with his high-end lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, in these times, well at least to I
In this day and age, or at least from my perspective
It's a whole lot of niggas trying to sound like
Many musicians are attempting to emulate a particular style
That's why I put the flow in a cocoon
The artist has temporarily withdrawn from the mainstream to refine their craft and discover a new sound
Transform it into something new
To create an original style by synthesizing various influences
Created my winter raps in June
The artist has worked on new music during an unexpected time of year
Stored them in the vineyard, it'll be November when you hear em
The music is being held back until a later, more appropriate time
I bought these J's in '99, you just seeing 'em now
The artist has had these particular shoes for a long time, and recently brought them back out
You might see me on TV with 'em
The artist could be wearing these shoes in a future television appearance
Might see me in the streets conversating with killers
The artist is comfortable talking with dangerous individuals
I was laid up poppin' bottles smoking loud with my bitches
The artist has been relaxing and partying with friends
I own planes to Vegas with Street Wiz and the Villain
The artist has the means to travel via private plane
Feelin' like it could all happen tonight
The artist is confident in their abilities and feels like something significant might occur
Roll the dice, if you scared turn the lights on
Take a risk and see what happens - if you get scared, you can always back out
Thought we was all meetin' here
Referring to a gathering - someone may have invited more people than the artist was expecting
Where did all of these mice come from?
Another reference to unexpected guests or party crashers
Stop tweeting baby girl, roll up, light somethin'
Take a break from social media and enjoy the moment by smoking
Monsta Beatz is in the speakers and I'm tryna write somethin'
The artist is inspired by the music being played and wants to create something new
One life we live, highed up
We only get one life, and we're living it to the fullest
Everybody wishing they was us
Many people envy our lifestyle
It's easy to see
Our wealth and success is obvious and noticeable
I, too, would wanna be the man with the pounds
Even the artist would aspire to have the financial success that they currently have
And the million dollar plan
Our financial success wasn't accidental - we have a detailed plan to stay wealthy
Right quick, hit a quick right
A quick movement while driving
In a Chevelle '72 Double-S with the stripes
A specific kind of car that the artist is driving in
I orchestrated this organization of niggas chasin' paper
The artist has put together a group of people focused on financial success
Break a pound down, have a roundtable discussion
While smoking marijuana, the group discusses business strategies
Like, 'I think the lil' homie fucking up'
A specific issue or mistake within the group is brought up for discussion
Pull him to the side, get him right, I'm getting high
The group leader will privately talk to the individual who's caused the problem while still engaging in drug use
Tryna keep my profile low
The artist is avoiding unnecessary attention
Hoes digging after my gold, I'm on 'em though
People are trying to take advantage of the artist's wealth, but they are diligent in protecting themselves
Commando, Rambo, ammo
A reference to military tactics and weaponry
Rappefied aim at a lame nigga bitch like I'm sayin'
A derogatory reference to a person or group the artist doesn't like
I'm finna roll, babygirl, you playin'
Slang for 'I'm going to leave, you're taking too long to make a decision'
Fourteen inch ? with the white walls on the Cutlass
Details about a specific car
With the suede buckets
Details about car upholstery
Sold a Regal with the vouges and the mayonnaise mustard ties
The artist has sold a car and describes the features
My ? like 'Who them new niggas?' She don't trust them guys
Someone the artist knows is suspicious of unknown people in their circle
Watch 'em babygirl, you could be my extra set of eyes
The artist is asking someone close to them to help keep an eye on the suspicious individuals
It's treacherous and it's live
Life can be dangerous and unpredictable
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: D Harleaux, Daryl Anthony Harleaux, J Fitch, John A Fitch, Shante Franklin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind