I Left My Wallet in El Segundo
a Tribe Lyrics
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Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
My mother went away for a month-long trip
Her and some friends on an ocean-liner ship
She made a big mistake by leaving me home
I had to roam so I picked up the phone
Dialed Ali up to see what was going down
Told him I pick him up so we could drive around
Took the Dodge Dart, a '74
My mother left a yard but I needed one more
Shaheed had me covered with a hundred greenbacks
So we left Brooklyn and we made big tracks
Drove down the Belt, got on the Conduit
Came to a toll, we paid and went through it
Had no destination, we was on a quest
Ali laid in the back so he could get rest
Drove down the road for two-days-and-a-half
The sun had just risen on a dusty path
Just then a figure had caught my eye
A man with a sombrero who was four feet high
I pulled over to ask were we was at
His index finger he tipped up his hat
"El Segundo," he said, "my name is Pedro
If you need directions, I'll tell you pronto"
Needed civilization, some sort of reservation
He said a mile south, there's a fast food station
Thanks, senor, as I start up the motor
Ali said, "Damn, tip, why you drive so far for?"
(Well describe to me what the wallet looks like)
Anyway a gas station we passed
We got gas and went on to get grub
It was a nice little pub in the middle of nowhere
Anywhere would have been better
I ordered enchiladas and I ate 'em
Ali had the fruit punch
When we finished we thought for ways to get back
I had a hunch
Ali said, "Pay for lunch"
So I did it
Pulled out the wallet and I saw this wicked beautiful lady
She was a waitress there
Put the wallet down and stared and stared
To put me back into reality, here's Shaheed
"Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?"
I checked for keys and started to step
What do you know, my wallet I forget
Yo, it was a brown wallet, it had props numbers
Had my jimmy hats I got to get it man
Lord, have mercy
The heat got hotter, Ali stars to curse me
I fell bad but he makes me feel badder
Chit-chit-chatter, car stars to scatter
Breaking on out, we was Northeast bound
Jettin' on down at the speed of sound
Three days coming and three more going
We get back and there was no slack
490 Madison, we're here, Sha
He said, "All right, Tip, see you tomorrow"
Thinking about the past week, the last week
Hands go in my pocket, I can't speak
Hopped in the car and torpe'ed to the shack
Of Shaheed, "we gotta go back" when he said
"Why?" I said, "we gotta go
Cause I left my wallet in El Segundo"
Yeah, I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Come on let's go
The song "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" by A Tribe Called Quest tells a humorous and adventurous story of a trip taken by the singer and his friend Ali in search of the singer's lost wallet. The song begins with the singer explaining how his mother went on a month-long trip, leaving him home alone. He then calls up Ali to hang out and use his car to drive around. Shaheed, their friend, loaned them $100, and the adventure began. They traveled for two-and-a-half days, without a destination. They came across a small man named Pedro who told them they were in El Segundo, an area in California. When they finally stopped to eat, the singer left his wallet at the restaurant, and the song becomes a recount of their journey back to retrieve it.
The clever storytelling within the song is accompanied by strong beats and samples from Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" and Rotary Connection's "Memory Band." The song's chorus, "Left my wallet in El Segundo, I gotta get, I got ta get it," is catchy, and the repetitive phrase leaves the song's narrative implanted in the listener's head. The song was well-received, and it became A Tribe Called Quest's first hit song in the United States.
The song has a lighthearted tone characterized by humorous and pop culture references, such as the reference to Pedro's sombrero and the inclusion of Indian ceremonial pow-wow singing before the beat drops. The song serves as a coming-of-age tale, combining the complexities of youth with a fun adventure story. The song also pays homage to the west coast and is often cited as one of the early examples of the west-coast influenced sound in hip hop.
Line by Line Meaning
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I lost my wallet in El Segundo and I need to find it
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I lost my wallet in El Segundo and I need to find it
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I lost my wallet in El Segundo and I need to find it
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
I need to find my wallet urgently
My mother went away for a month-long trip
My mother left me alone for a month
Her and some friends on an ocean-liner ship
She is on a ship on the ocean with her friends
She made a big mistake by leaving me home
She made a mistake by leaving me alone
I had to roam so I picked up the phone
I had to go out, so I called a friend
Dialed Ali up to see what was going down
I called my friend Ali to see what was happening
Told him I pick him up so we could drive around
I told him I would pick him up, so we could drive around
Took the Dodge Dart, a '74
We took a 1974 Dodge Dart
My mother left a yard but I needed one more
My mother left me some money but I needed more
Shaheed had me covered with a hundred greenbacks
Shaheed gave me one hundred dollars
So we left Brooklyn and we made big tracks
We left Brooklyn and drove fast
Drove down the Belt, got on the Conduit
We drove on the Belt Parkway and got on the Van Wyck Expressway
Came to a toll, we paid and went through it
We came to a toll booth and paid to go through it
Had no destination, we was on a quest
We did not have a destination, we were just exploring
Ali laid in the back so he could get rest
Ali was resting in the back seat
Drove down the road for two-days-and-a-half
We drove for two and a half days
The sun had just risen on a dusty path
It was early morning and we were on a dusty road
Just then a figure had caught my eye
I saw someone in the distance
A man with a sombrero who was four feet high
I saw a short man wearing a sombrero
I pulled over to ask were we was at
I stopped the car to ask where we were
His index finger he tipped up his hat
He lifted his hat with his finger
"El Segundo," he said, "my name is Pedro
His name is Pedro and we are in El Segundo
If you need directions, I'll tell you pronto
He offered to give us directions
Needed civilization, some sort of reservation
We needed to go somewhere with people
He said a mile south, there's a fast food station
He told us there's a fast food station a mile south
Thanks, senor, as I start up the motor
I thanked him and started the car
Ali said, "Damn, tip, why you drive so far for?"
Ali asked why we drove so far
Anyway a gas station we passed
We passed a gas station
We got gas and went on to get grub
We filled up with gasoline and went to get some food
It was a nice little pub in the middle of nowhere
The restaurant was small and in the middle of nowhere
Anywhere would have been better
Anywhere else would have been better
I ordered enchiladas and I ate 'em
I ordered and ate enchiladas
Ali had the fruit punch
Ali had fruit punch to drink
When we finished we thought for ways to get back
After we ate, we considered how to get back home
I had a hunch, Ali said, "Pay for lunch"
I had an idea, Ali suggested that I pay for lunch
So I did it, pulled out the wallet
I paid for lunch and took out my wallet
And I saw this wicked beautiful lady
I saw a very beautiful woman
She was a waitress there
She worked as a waitress there
Put the wallet down and stared and stared
I put my wallet down and stared at her
To put me back into reality, here's Shaheed
Shaheed spoke to me, bringing me back to reality
"Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?"
Shaheed asked if I had everything I needed
I checked for keys and started to step
I checked for my keys and started to leave
What do you know, my wallet I forget
I forgot my wallet
The heat got hotter, Ali starts to curse me
It became hotter outside and Ali became angry with me
I fell bad but he makes me feel badder
I felt bad, but he made me feel worse
Chit-chit-chatter, car starts to scatter
We kept talking and arguing as we drove
Breaking on out, we was Northeast bound
We hurriedly left, driving to the Northeast
Jettin' on down at the speed of sound
We drove very fast
Three days coming and three more going
It took us three days to get there and three more to come back
We get back and there was no slack
We arrived home without any problems
490 Madison, we're here, Sha
We arrived at Madison Street, where Shaheed lived
He said, "All right, Tip, see you tomorrow"
Shaheed said he would see me tomorrow
Thinking about the past week, the last week
I thought about the previous week
Hands go in my pocket, I can't speak
I put my hands in my pocket and couldn't say anything
Hopped in the car and torpe'ed to the shack
I got in the car and drove quickly to Shaheed's house
Of Shaheed, "we gotta go back" when he said
At Shaheed's house, I realized we had to go back
"Why?" I said, "we gotta go
Shaheed asked why and I replied that we had to retrieve my wallet
Cause I left my wallet in El Segundo"
Because I had left my wallet in El Segundo
Yeah, I left my wallet in El Segundo
I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
I have to get my wallet back
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dantean
@@chiefkeef6405 Did you need the joke explained? Go back to your school for a refund.
i·ro·ny1 /ˈīrənē/ noun
MEANING: the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
"“Don't go overboard with the gratitude,' he rejoined with heavy irony"
Similar: sarcasm; sardonicism; dryness; causticity; satire. Opposite: sincerity
a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
Example: "the irony is that I thought he could help me"
Similar: a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
@jamesk7556
Lyrics
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
My mother went away for a month-long trip
Her and some friends on an ocean-liner ship
She made a big mistake by leaving me home
I had to roam so I picked up the phone
Dialed Ali up to see what was going down
Told him I pick him up so we could drive around
Took the Dodge Dart, a '74
My mother left a yard but I needed one more
Shaheed had me covered with a hundred greenbacks
So we left Brooklyn and we made big tracks
Drove down the Belt, got on the Conduit
Came to a toll, we paid and went through it
Had no destination, we was on a quest
Ali laid in the back so he could get rest
Drove down the road for two-days-and-a-half
The sun had just risen on a dusty path
Just then a figure had caught my eye
A man with a sombrero who was four feet high
I pulled over to ask were we was at
His index finger he tipped up his hat
"El Segundo, " he said, "my name is Pedro
If you need directions, I'll tell you pronto"
Needed civilization, some sort of reservation
He said a mile south, there's a fast food station
Thanks, senor, as I start up the motor
Ali said, "Damn, tip, why you drive so far for?"
Anyway a gas station we passed
We got gas and went on to get grub
It was a nice little pub in the middle of nowhere
Anywhere would have been better
I ordered enchiladas and I ate 'em
Ali had the fruit punch
When we finished we thought for ways to get back
I had a hunch
Ali said, "Pay for lunch"
So I did it
Pulled out the wallet and I saw this wicked beautiful lady
She was a waitress there
Put the wallet down and stared and stared
To put me back into reality, here's Shaheed
"Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?"
I checked for keys and started to step
What do you know, my wallet I forget
Yo, it was a brown wallet, it had props numbers
Had my jimmy hats I got to get it man
Lord, have mercy
The heat got hotter, Ali stars to curse me
I fell bad but he makes me feel badder
Chit-chit-chatter, car stars to scatter
Breaking on out, we was Northeast bound
Jettin' on down at the speed of sound
Three days coming and three more going
We get back and there was no slack
490 Madison, we're here, Sha
He said, "All right, Tip, see you tomorrow"
Thinking about the past week, the last week
Hands go in my pocket, I can't speak
Hopped in the car and torpe'ed to the shack
Of Shaheed, "we gotta go back" when he said
"Why?" I said, "we gotta go
Cause I left my wallet in El Segundo"
Yeah, I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Come on let's go
@_yak
This is probably the best song about leaving your wallet in a diner.
@chiefkeef6405
Don’t think there’s that many of those😂
@abelq8008
Top 5 for sure.
@dantean
@@chiefkeef6405 Did you need the joke explained? Go back to your school for a refund.
i·ro·ny1 /ˈīrənē/ noun
MEANING: the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
"“Don't go overboard with the gratitude,' he rejoined with heavy irony"
Similar: sarcasm; sardonicism; dryness; causticity; satire. Opposite: sincerity
a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
Example: "the irony is that I thought he could help me"
Similar: a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
@ParanoidParkProject
I left my wallet in this comment section
@benjaminfischer6022
This is my least favorite song about leaving a wallet in a diner
@ThatGuy5331
Imagine you’re a cop and 4 guys come in your office and one of them starts rapping about what happened to their wallet.
@coolking_07
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
@EvonneLindiwe
🤣🙆🏾🤦🏾💰👮🏻♂️👮🏻♂️
@nugsymalone1247
I would tip em, Id be impressed