b.i.b.l.e
gza Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Basic instructions before leaving earth

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe
An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Knowledge this wisdom, this goes back when I was twelve

I loved doin' right but I was trapped in Hell

Had mad ideas, sad eyes an' tears

Years of fears but yo, my foes couldn't bear

I searched for the truth since my youth

An' went to church since birth but it wasn't worth the loot

That I was payin', plus the prayin'

I didn't like stayin' 'coz of busy bodies an' dizzy hotties

That the preacher had souped up with lies

Had me cooped up lookin' at loot, butt an' thighs

Durin' the service, he swallowed up the poor

An' after they heard this, they wallowed on the floor

But I ignored an' explored my history that was untold

An' watched mysteries unfold

An' dropped a jewel like Solomon but never followed men

'Coz if you do, your brain is more hollow

Than space oblivia or the abyss

With no trace of trivia, left with the hiss

Does it pay to be deaf, dumb, blind?

From a slave we was kept from the mind

An' from the caves he crept from behind

An' what he gave was the sect of the swine

When the Bible, it condemned the pig

I don't mean to pull your hems or flip your wigs

But we used to wear a turban but now we're in the urban

No more wearin' beanies an' dress like a genie

No hocus pocus 'coz I focus on the facts

An' put it on the tracks an' brought it through the wax

I speak on Jacob, it might take up some time

An' too much knowledge, it might break up the rhyme

I did it anyway just to wake up the mind

Of those who kiss stones or prays on the carpet

Those who sit home or sell books by the market

Need to chill an' get their mind revived

For years religion did nothing but divide

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

I strolled through the books of Job to unfold

An' open Bibles instead of hopin' on revivals

Calling on His name an' screamin', ?Hallelujah?

When He hardly knew ya, that's how the Devil's fooled ya

See, look into my eyes, brethren, that's the lies of a Reverend

Why should you die to go to Heaven?

The Earth is already in space, the Bible, I embrace

A difficult task I had to take

I studied 'til my eyes was swollen an' only arose when

I found out that we were The Chosen

I deal with the truth an' build with the youth

An' teach my son as he kneels on the stoop

Son, life is a pool of sin, corrupted with foolish men

An' women with wicked minds, who build picket signs

To legalize abortion, the evil eye distortion

I quiz son with my wisdom

Before I converted, I was perverted an' knowledge was asserted

The study of wisdom, I preferred it

The understanding, it gave me mental freedom

I even learnt Caucasians were really the Tribe of Edam

The white image of Christ is really Cesare Borgia

An' uhh, the second son of Pope Alexander

The sixth of Rome an' once the picture was shown

That's how the Devil's tricked my dome

I prophesized to save a man but no one gave a damn

For my nation, the seed of Abraham

Blessed with the tongue of Hebrew

Now we're strung on needles an' some are plungin' evils

So study an' be wise in these days of darkness

Peace to my nephew, Marcus

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt

The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

The basic instructions before leaving earth

Life is a test, many quest the universe

An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt





The first shall be last an' the last shall be first

Overall Meaning

"B.I.B.L.E" (initialism of "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth") is a song by GZA that speaks to the importance of studying and understanding the Bible before passing on from this life. The song reflects GZA's personal journey of seeking spiritual knowledge and the realization that much of what he was taught in church might not necessarily be the truth. The word "Bible" actually means "book," and GZA stresses the importance of investigating and interpreting the text for oneself, rather than simply believing blind dogma.


The lyrics touch upon a variety of theological concepts including the idea that "life is a test and many quest the universe." GZA suggests that our time on earth is a trial, and we must use our experiences to learn and grow. He also speaks to the notion of salvation but suggests that many religious leaders have used it to control and manipulate people. Instead, he encourages listeners to seek the truth and to question authority.


Throughout the song, GZA uses metaphors and evocative language to paint a picture of the spiritual journey he's undergone. He refers to himself as "Solomon" dropping jewels of wisdom and mentions the need to "wake up" those who follow false religious leaders. Ultimately, "B.I.B.L.E" serves as a testament to the importance of spiritual growth and critical thinking.


Line by Line Meaning

Basic instructions before leaving earth
A phrase suggesting that the Bible is a guidebook for living life


Life is a test, many quest the universe
Life is a challenging experience, and people searching for answers in the universe


An' through my research, I felt the joy an' the hurt
The artist's search for knowledge yielded both pleasure and pain


The first shall be last an' the last shall be first
A biblical phrase that suggests that those who are humble may be exalted and vice versa


Knowledge this wisdom, this goes back when I was twelve
The artist has valued knowledge and wisdom since he was young


I loved doin' right but I was trapped in Hell
The artist had good intentions but was surrounded by negative influences


Had mad ideas, sad eyes an' tears
The artist had creative ideas but was also unhappy


Years of fears but yo, my foes couldn't bear
The artist faced many challenges but overcame them


I searched for the truth since my youth
The artist has always been interested in finding the truth about life


An' went to church since birth but it wasn't worth the loot
The artist grew up attending church but didn't find it valuable


That I was payin', plus the prayin'
Attending church was costly for the artist both in terms of money and time


I didn't like stayin' 'coz of busy bodies an' dizzy hotties
The artist found the people at church to be gossipy and superficial


That the preacher had souped up with lies
The artist felt that the preacher was not honest


Had me cooped up lookin' at loot, butt an' thighs
The artist felt that the church focused too much on materialism and superficial beauty


Durin' the service, he swallowed up the poor
The artist felt that the church didn't do enough to help those in need


An' after they heard this, they wallowed on the floor
The artist observed the emotional response of some churchgoers


But I ignored an' explored my history that was untold
The artist decided to look for knowledge outside of the church


An' watched mysteries unfold
The artist discovered things he had never known before


An' dropped a jewel like Solomon but never followed men
The artist shared valuable knowledge but didn't blindly follow others


'Coz if you do, your brain is more hollow
The artist believes that blindly following others leaves you with an empty mind


Than space oblivia or the abyss
The artist compares a hollow mind to the emptiness of space


With no trace of trivia, left with the hiss
A lack of knowledge leaves you with nothing but static noise


Does it pay to be deaf, dumb, blind?
The artist questions whether ignorance is really beneficial


From a slave we was kept from the mind
Slaves were not allowed to be educated to keep them subservient


An' from the caves he crept from behind
Humanity has come a long way from its primitive origins


An' what he gave was the sect of the swine
The artist references a biblical prohibition against eating pork and suggests that this may be symbolic of a rejection of materialism


When the Bible, it condemned the pig
The Bible is used to support the idea of not being consumed with materialism


I don't mean to pull your hems or flip your wigs
The artist does not want to upset anyone with his ideas


But we used to wear a turban but now we're in the urban
The artist notes changes in culture and fashion over time


No more wearin' beanies an' dress like a genie
Clothing styles have changed over time


No hocus pocus 'coz I focus on the facts
The artist is focused on evidence and reality, not superstition


An' put it on the tracks an' brought it through the wax
The artist expresses his ideas through music


I speak on Jacob, it might take up some time
The artist references a biblical story and notes that it may take a while to explain


An' too much knowledge, it might break up the rhyme
Explaining too much information may make the song less coherent


I did it anyway just to wake up the mind
The artist shares knowledge to help people think critically


Of those who kiss stones or prays on the carpet
The artist references religious practices and questions their validity


Those who sit home or sell books by the market
The artist challenges people who profit from religion


Need to chill an' get their mind revived
The artist suggests that people need to relax and think clearly


For years religion did nothing but divide
The artist acknowledges the divisive nature of religion


I strolled through the books of Job to unfold
The artist references a biblical book and suggests that he studied it carefully


An' open Bibles instead of hopin' on revivals
The artist prefers individual study of the Bible to attending revivals


Calling on His name an' screamin', ?Hallelujah?
The artist references emotional religious expressions


When He hardly knew ya, that's how the Devil's fooled ya
The artist suggests that people are deceived by the devil using religious language


See, look into my eyes, brethren, that's the lies of a Reverend
The artist suggests that some religious leaders are dishonest


Why should you die to go to Heaven?
The artist challenges the belief that people need to die to go to heaven


The Earth is already in space, the Bible, I embrace
The artist suggests that humans are already in a kind of heaven, and he values the Bible


A difficult task I had to take
The artist acknowledges that it is challenging to share his ideas


I studied 'til my eyes was swollen an' only arose when
The artist worked hard to gain knowledge


I found out that we were The Chosen
The artist discovered a sense of personal identity and purpose


I deal with the truth an' build with the youth
The artist shares knowledge with young people to help them grow


An' teach my son as he kneels on the stoop
The artist is a teacher and a parent


Son, life is a pool of sin, corrupted with foolish men
The artist recognizes that life has many challenges and pitfalls due to human failings


An' women with wicked minds, who build picket signs
The artist references social and political issues


To legalize abortion, the evil eye distortion
The artist objects to the legalization of abortion and suggests that it distorts people's perspectives


I quiz son with my wisdom
The artist shares his knowledge with his son


Before I converted, I was perverted an' knowledge was asserted
The artist changed his beliefs and values over time


The study of wisdom, I preferred it
The artist values knowledge and wisdom


The understanding, it gave me mental freedom
The artist believes that knowledge brings intellectual liberation


I even learnt Caucasians were really the Tribe of Edam
The artist references a theory of racial identity that he has learned


The white image of Christ is really Cesare Borgia
The artist suggests that widely accepted images of Jesus are historically inaccurate


An' uhh, the second son of Pope Alexander
The artist provides more context for the idea that Jesus' image is based on Cesare Borgia


The sixth of Rome an' once the picture was shown
The artist describes how the image of Jesus was created and spread throughout Western culture


That's how the Devil's tricked my dome
The artist suggests that mainstream religious teachings are manipulated by evil forces


I prophesized to save a man but no one gave a damn
The artist shares his ideas in order to help people, but he is often ignored or rejected


For my nation, the seed of Abraham
The artist identifies with the biblical story of Abraham and his descendants


Blessed with the tongue of Hebrew
The artist is proud of his Jewish heritage and language


Now we're strung on needles an' some are plungin' evils
The artist notes the moral challenges facing people in contemporary society


So study an' be wise in these days of darkness
The artist encourages people to learn and think critically despite difficult times


Peace to my nephew, Marcus
A shout-out to the artist's family member




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions