There Goes The Neighborhood
Ice-T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴There goes the neighborhood.
Here come them fuckin' niggas
With their fancy cars.
Who gave them fuckin' niggas
Those rock guitars?
Who let 'em in the club?
Who let 'em on the stage?
Whose lettin' 'em play?
Don't they know rock's just for whites
Don't they know the rules?
Those niggers are too hard core
This shit ain't cool.
Those blacks want everything
In the fuckin' world
That nigga plays so good
He took my muthafuckin' girl
There goes the neighborhood.
There goes the neighborhoooooood,
There goes the neighborhood,
There goes the neighborhood
There goes the neighborhood.
Da, Da, Da, Da, Da
We're here,
We ain't goin' nowhere.
We're movin' right next door to you,
Body Count, muthafucka.
And those of you that don't like it
Can suck, my muthafuckin' dick, ha, ha, ha, ha.
There goes the neighborhood!
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
There goes the neighborhood!
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
There goes the neightborhood!
There goes the neighborhood!
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
There goes the neighborhood!
Here come them fuckin' niggas
With their fancy cars.
Who gave them fuckin' niggas
Those rock guitars?
Who let 'em in the club?
Did you make 'em pay?
Who let 'em on the stage?
Whose lettin' 'em play?
Don't they know rock's just for whites
Don't they know the rules?
Those niggas are too hard core
This shit ain't cool.
Those blacks want everything in the fuckin' world.
That nigga plays so good,
He took my muthafuckin' girl.
There goes the neighborhood
There, there, there, there goes the neighborhood.
Overall Meaning
Ice-T's "There Goes the Neighborhood" is a scathing indictment of the ingrained racism and entitlement within the rock and roll culture. The song is a powerful and explicit statement about the continued segregation and marginalization of Black artists in the music industry, particularly within the historically white-dominated rock genre. In the first verse, he sings about the resistance to Black artists and their entry into the rock industry, questioning the legitimacy of their access to the stage, their equipment, and their talent. He sneers at the notion that Black musicians are too "hardcore" or too different from what the white-dominated rock world wants. He lays bear the hypocritical nature of the racist attitudes that are still present within the music industry and society at large.
In the second verse, Ice-T indicts the exclusivity and entitlement that often accompany the predominantly white rock community. He paints a picture of a scene in which Black artists are not welcome and do not belong, and where white men view Black musicians as a threat to their masculinity and relationships. The repeated chorus of "there goes the neighborhood" is a potent line that speaks to the idea that when Black people enter white spaces, the white people in those spaces view themselves as powerless to prevent the inevitable change that will come. Ice-T’s song is significant because it draws attention to the racism that is still prevalent in many parts of society, even after decades of activism and progress.
Line by Line Meaning
There goes the neighborhood.
Ice-T is expressing his frustration at the arrival of black people into his previously all-white community.
Here come them fuckin' niggas With their fancy cars.
Ice-T is upset that black people are moving into his community and driving cars that he deems too expensive for them to own.
Who gave them fuckin' niggas Those rock guitars?
Ice-T is questioning why black people are allowed to play rock music and use guitars, which he believes is meant for white people only.
Who let 'em in the club? Did you make 'em pay? Who let 'em on the stage? Whose lettin' 'em play?
Ice-T is curious as to how black people were even allowed to join or perform at a club that he feels is exclusively for white people.
Don't they know rock's just for whites Don't they know the rules? Those niggers are too hard core This shit ain't cool.
Ice-T believes that rock is meant for white people and is upset that black people are trying to play it. He also believes that the way they play is too aggressive and not acceptable.
Those blacks want everything In the fuckin' world That nigga plays so good He took my muthafuckin' girl
Ice-T thinks that black people are entitled and are trying to take everything from white people, including their women. He also acknowledges that a black guitarist is talented enough to be a threat to him.
There goes the neighborhood.
Ice-T concludes that the presence of black people in his community is a negative thing.
Da, Da, Da, Da, Da We're here, We ain't goin' nowhere. We're movin' right next door to you, Body Count, muthafucka.
Ice-T is announcing his arrival in the neighborhood as a member of the group Body Count. He is making it clear that he is not leaving and will be living in the same community as the white people that he is addressing.
And those of you that don't like it Can suck, my muthafuckin' dick, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Ice-T is being confrontational towards the people who don't want black people in their community. He's telling them to deal with it and insulting them at the same time.
There goes the neighborhood!
Ice-T reiterates that the arrival of black people is a negative thing for the community.
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
Ice-T is laughing at the people who are upset about his arrival and behavior.
There goes the neighborhood!
Again, Ice-T reinforces the idea that the community is going downhill with the inclusion of black people.
There, there, there, there goes the neighborhood.
Repeating the line one more time, Ice-T emphasizes the message that the neighborhood is deteriorating with the arrival of black people.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GRETCHEN WILSON, JOHN D. RICH, VICKY MC GEHEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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