Lupe Fiasco - Dumb It Down

[mcZu]

OK, I'm pretty sure I understand every line. So, if you don't understand a bar ask me.

[theJFKshow]

Why did you make this thread

[Devil'sAdvocate]

Why did you make this thread

[MikeNUFC]

Rider of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers, spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's
Skit
Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, snort the white horse, but toot my own horn

[matz]

[Verse 1:]
I'm fearless
Now hear this
I'm earless
And I'm peerless
That means I'm eyeless
Which means I'm tearless
Which means my iris resides where my ears is
But I'm gonna find it I can feel it's nearness
But I'm gonna veer so I don't come near
Like a chicken or a deer
But I remember I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here, you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness
The windshield is minstrel, the whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere. Yeah, I'm
Both them there
Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat and the locs in the chair had approached him
Here
And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies, given to the mother of the deceased. Awaken at war,
'til I'm restin' in peace

[Chorus 1:]
You goin' over niggas' heads Lu (Dumb it down)
They tellin' me that they don't feel you (Dumb it down)
We ain't graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down)
Them big words ain't cool nigga (Dumb it down)
Yeah I heard Mean And Vicious nigga (Dumb it down)
Make a song for the bitches nigga (Dumb it down)
We don't care about the weather nigga (Dumb it down)
You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down)

[Verse 2:]
And I'm mouthless
Which means I'm soundless
Now as far as the hearing, I've found it
It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is
But the doorknockers on the ear of a stewardess in a Lear
She fine and she flying, I feel I'm flying by'em 'cause my mind's on cloud nine and I'm a mime
At the same time
Pimps C the wings on the underground king
Who's also Klingon
To infinity and beyond
Something really stinks, but I Sphinx like Leon
Or lying in the desert
I'm flying on Pegasus you're flying on the pheasant
Rider of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers, spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's
Skit
Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, snort the white horse, but toot my own horn (sleep)

[Chorus 2:]
You've been shedding too much light Lu (Dumb it down)
You make'em wanna do right Lu (Dumb it down)
They're getting self-esteem Lu (Dumb it down)
These girls are trying to be queens Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to graduate from school Lu (Dumb it down)
They're starting to think that smart is cool Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to get up out the hood Lu (Dumb it down)
I'll tell you what you should do (Dumb it down)

[Verse 3:]
And I'm brainless
Which means I'm headless
Like Ichabod Crane is
Or foreplay-less sex is
Which makes me stainless
With no neck left to hang the chain with
Which makes me necklace-less
Like a necklace theft
And I ain't used my headrest yet
They said they need proof like a vestless chest 'bout the best, fair F-F-jet in the nest
Who exudes confidence and excess depth
Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breathe
Around these leagues
My snorkle is a tuba, Lu the ruler around these seas
Westside Poseidon, Westside beside'em, chest high and rising
Almost touching the knees of stewardess and the pilot
Lucky they make it flowered
Personal floating devices, tricks falling out of my sleeves
David Blaine
Make it rain
Make a boat
I make a plane
Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain
Until I feel like flowing and filling it up again..(Westside)

[Chorus 3:]
You putting me to sleep nigga (Dumb it down)
That's why you ain't popping in the streets nigga (Dumb it down)
You ain't winning no awards nigga (Dumb it down)
Robots and skateboards nigga? (Dumb it down)
GQ Man Of The Year G? (Dumb it down)
Shit ain't rocking over here B (Dumb it down)
Won't you talk about your cars nigga? (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is goyard nigga (Dumb it down)
Make it rain for the chicks (Dumb it down)
Pour champagne on a bitch (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is wrong with you? (Dumb it down)
How can I get on a song with you? (Dumb it down)

[Gemini: talking]
Look B, here's my man, my two way, (hey) uh, what should I - ah here take this (hey) that
Right there, fuck what my boys talking about nigga, (hey) nigga you hot to me, I like you (Dumb
It down)

[Lupe:]
Bishop G, they told me I should come down cousin, but I flatly refuse I ain't dumb down nothing

[theJFKshow]

I know the lyrics already

[Emadyville]

I never heard this song, thanks Zu

[matz]

I know the lyrics already

nah mate, da bold is what im clueless about

[mcZu]

Rider of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers, spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's
Skit
Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, snort the white horse, but toot my own horn

Writer of the white powder - White powder as in cocaine, a drug, which is dope. Meaning Lupe writes crack/dope. Plus it's a reference to the previous line, the pegasus. A white horse in most cases. White powder is alsot the opposite of black powder, which is how some people call gunpowder. So he's basically saying that he doesn't glorify killing in his lyrics as well.

Picker of the fire flowers - Whenever Mario and Luigi pick up the fire flowers, they start spitting fire, which is what Lupe is refering to. He too spits fire.

Spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's skit - A skit where Chappelle jokes about Dylon of "Making the Band" with P Diddy. Dylon spat real fire in that skit. Which just means that Lupe spits 'real'. And it's also a reference to the previous 'spitting fire' metaphor.

Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, snort the white horse - Again, an extension of the pegasus which was previously mentioned. And with this he's basically saying that he doesn't do drugs. You can smell it on his unicorn, he snorts the white horses, but can still toot his own horn. Even if he's that fly and dope (white horses, snorts - reference to drugs) he's still humble enough to toot his own horn.

[Verse 1:]
But I remember I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here, you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness
The windshield is minstrel, the whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere. Yeah, I'm
Both them there
Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat and the locs in the chair had approached him
Here
And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies, given to the mother of the deceased. Awaken at war,
'til I'm restin' in peace

[Verse 2:]
Now as far as the hearing, I've found it
It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is
But the doorknockers on the ear of a stewardess in a Lear

Who's also Klingon
To infinity and beyond
Something really stinks, but I Sphinx like Leon
Or lying in the desert

[Verse 3:]
And I'm brainless
Which means I'm headless
Like Ichabod Crane is
Or foreplay-less sex is
Which makes me stainless
With no neck left to hang the chain with
Which makes me necklace-less
Like a necklace theft
And I ain't used my headrest yet
They said they need proof like a vestless chest 'bout the best, fair F-F-jet in the nest
Who exudes confidence and excess depth
Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breathe
Around these leagues
My snorkle is a tuba, Lu the ruler around these seas
Westside Poseidon, Westside beside'em, chest high and rising
Almost touching the knees of stewardess and the pilot
Lucky they make it flowered
Personal floating devices, tricks falling out of my sleeves
David Blaine
Make it rain
Make a boat
I make a plane
Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain
Until I feel like flowing and filling it up again..(Westside)

But I remember I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear – Fans that listen and watch modern commercial music would think he doesn’t know what he’s doing because he’s not going multi platinum. He doesn't do what the others do, his windshield is smeared, he can't see. Nor hear what they are doing 'cause he doesn't imitate them.

Here, you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness – Since people (fans, critics, listeners, etc) used to complain a lot about his style of rapping, he offers them to take the wheel and steer his career. Because, if he were to follow their advice, he should change his way of writing/rapping. He's ''blind'', 'cause he doesn't do what the others do. Selling out.

The windshield is minstrel, the whole grill is road kill, so trill and so sincere. Yeah, I'm both them there – But then again, he refers to his windshield as a minstrel, a lyrical poet. Even if it's 'smeared' according to the masses, according to Lupe it's lyrical. His whole grill is filled with road kill, he has 'killed' a lot of people on his way to the top in the form of feat. etc. He even gives an example. Bun B's album, Trill. And he refers to being too real (trill) and sincere. He's both of them.

Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat and the locs in the chair had approached him here - Matrix reference. Morpheus gives Neo a choice between two pills: red to learn the truth, blue to return to the world as he knows it. Neo chose the red pill in the movie. But Lupe takes both pills. He knows the truth while he's still in this realm. Basically a further extension of the previous ''I'm both them there'' metaphor.

And he clear as a ghost, saw a biter of the throats in the mirror - Reference to two mythical creatures, ghosts and vampires. The rest in the rap scene is as clear as a ghost, which means they are not clear at all. Also, he claims that most of them have ghost writes. And they bite, he saw them bite in the miror. Even though vampire's don't have a relfection, Lupe can see and has seen that a lot of people bite lyrics from each other. Eventhough the masses don't see it.

The writer of the quotes for the ghosts who supplier of the notes to the living – Genius paradox. He says he is the one that either writes for the ghostwriters for write for the mainstream rappers. Or he is the one that inspires ghostwriters to write for the mainstream rappers. Mainstream rappers (or inferior rappers) being the 'living', opposite of ghosts.

Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies, given to the mother of the deceased. Awaken at war, 'til I'm restin' in peace – Not sure about this one, but I believe that he is refering to the nursery rhymes people these days make to glorify killing in rap. He, himself, is not asleep during this 'war', and he shall fight those bullshit rappers 'till he's resting in peace.

Now as far as the hearing, I've found it – Reference to the previous verse, he now has a solid fan base that is willing to listen to him. Even if the mainstream deams his work to be not what they want.


It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is – His fanbase was far, far away, but now it's closer to him than before. It's growing. He thought that, eventhough his fanbase was there, that they didn't quite understand what he was saying. It only reaches our earlobe, it hasn't yet fully entered our ears.

But the doorknockers on the ear of a stewardess in a Lear - But people would rather keep knocking on the door that feeds them fly Lear verses. Lear was a British artist and writer of nonsense verses. People just want bullshit that sounds fresh.

Who's also Klingon – Klingon the language used in Startrak, which explains to infinity and beyond, also meaning he’s clinging to infinity and beyond. His lyrics are beyond everyone else.

Something really stinks, but I Sphinx (Spinks) like Leon, or lying in the desert – Muhammad Ali beat Leon Sphinx in 1978, I think Muhammad Ali broke Leon Sphinx’s noses, and he’s also referring to the Sphinx in Egypt. Which has a broken nose. And is also the product of lies in history. Controversery surrounding the broken nose. And it also means that Lupe will just box away the bullshit.

And I'm brainless, which means I'm headless - He's 'stupid' for not selling out and rapping about bullshit like the others, but he doesn't mind it. Because he's 'brainless', no mind. So he doesn't mind it all.

Like Ichabod Crane is - Ichabod Crane was supposedly killed by the headless horse man. Relating this to the concept, since he is stupid, brainless and headless he will be run out of the industry by the record labels. Even if he's 'fly' (a Crane is also a bird) and beyond everyone (Ichabod is a biblical name, grandson of Eli).

Or foreplay-less sex is - Foreplay usually consists of getting head (a blowjob for example). Since he doesn't get any head, he's still 'stupid'.

Which makes me stainless (saneless?) - Which on turn makes him stainless, he's hard as steel, but not the same as the others, he is stainless. And it's also a reference to the foreplayless sex, no cumming, no stains. Pause. And if it's saneless, he's just not sane enough to make that kind of music.

With no neck left to hang the chain with, which makes me necklace-less like a necklace theft - No head, no neck, so he has no chain on his neck (or noose) that is holding him down. He is free, to do what he wants to do. Not like the other commercial rappers. So he's necklace-less, like a necklace theft. No chain on his neck.

And I ain't used my headrest yet - He is not going to fall asleep now. Because as we all know 'sleep is the cousin of death'. So he doesn't use his headrest.

They said they need proof like a vestless chest 'bout the best, fair F-F-jet in the NES(t) - People need proof, like a vestless chest. Chest without a vest, dead corpse, means proof to find the cause of death. Proof about the best, best being Lupe Fiasco. So is F&F, First and Fiftheen, his crew is fly (F-F jet, first and fitheen jet). Fair, but flyest in the nest they in, nest being the rap scene. Also a reference to NES, the game console, and F F can also mean Final Fantasy. The first F F game out on the NES.

Who exudes confidence and excess depth - Lupe is beyong being confident, not cocky, though, and he goes deep.

Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breath around these leagues - The things he say are so deep, that even Scuba Steve, a deep sea diver, can't breath around the depths of his words. Scuba Steve was a diver toy, and also a reference to the movie Big Daddy.

My snorkle is a tuba, Lu the ruler around these seas, Westside Poseidon, Westside beside 'em, chest high and rising - His snorkle is a tuba, he makes good music while he's deep at the same time. Also, he has more than enough breathing capacity due to the tuba. He's the rule of the seas, seas being the rap scene. He's the Westside Poseidon, Poseidon the rule of the seas, also, Pegasus was sired by Poseidon. So this is again a reference to the horse and to being fly. He has westside beside him, and he'll keep on repping his city untill it cannot rise anymore.

Almost touching the knees of stewardess and the pilot - The deep words of Lupe are now rising, rising so high that even the fly bullshit can't escape it.

Lucky they make you fly with personal floating devices - As a listener you should be lucky that you're flying through songs with your own 'floating device' incase the plane crashes, 'cause it will.

Tricks falling out of my sleeves, David Blaine - His tricks are falling out of his sleeve, but he's one of the best in the scene, like David Blaine is to magic.

Make it rain, make a boat, I make a plane - 'Make it rain' refers to making it rain with money, and too flooding the scene with his deep lyrics. So you should make sure that you make a boat otherwise you'll drown. But as soon as you make a boat, he'll make a plane. And just fly over you, 'cause he's always a couple of steps ahead of you.

Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain, until I feel like flowing and filling it up again - The minute they're all on their boats, he'll just pull the plug and make it drain. Giving them the perception of being safe and all. But as soon as he feels like flowing again, he'll fill it up with deep verses.

I tried to explain it as accurate as possible. If something is still not clear, feel free to ask.

[Emadyville]

^^^^




That was interesting as fuck to read thanks man

[theJFKshow]

Lol wow what a waste of time

[classthe_king]

Lol wow what a waste of time

Seriously, just shut the fuck up

[matz]

just seen ur reply, good stuff, lupes on a whole different level to anyone else imo

dudes like shakespeare or some poem i had to analyse at school to find the hidden meaning or underlying theme, what an insane song

[Berry]

just seen ur reply, good stuff, lupes on a whole different level to anyone else imo

dudes like shakespeare or some poem i had to analyse at school to find the hidden meaning or underlying theme, what an insane song

stop lying like a Mum-Ra.

He does say some stupid shit as well.

[matz]

just seen ur reply, good stuff, lupes on a whole different level to anyone else imo

dudes like shakespeare or some poem i had to analyse at school to find the hidden meaning or underlying theme, what an insane song

stop lying like a Mum-Ra.

He does say some stupid shit as well.

a mum-ra?! thats new

you can't lie when your stating your opinion