Changing of the Guards Lyrics

[Intro: Diddy]
Yeah, ughh
Bring the noise (Bring the noise)
Louder

Heavy is the head that wears the crown
These niggas' heads is too light (Yah)
Bring the noise (Bring the noise)
Take that (Yes)
Put the Fear of God in these niggas, Pusha
Get 'em!

[Verse: Pusha T]
It's like the changin' of the guards
We changin' out the frauds
I gave these lions heart like my name ended in Oz
Long time comin', Sam Cookin' up these bars
Still Eddy Caning, see the fiends sunk in jaws (Yiuuck)
Push a ton, pledge allegiance to the raw
Known dope dealer that escaped without a scar (Yess)
I'm Buddy Lee, so lucky me, see I’m home
Wish I could jailbreak my team like an iPhone (Wooo)
Squilly told me take this motherfucker by storm
Get the money and they bitches, bring the prize home (Yess)
So as I embark, this where begin start
I write my own happy endin', nigga pen sharp
My life’s a Kodak moment, I need a frame for it
The Penthouse’s daybed needs a crane for it
I'm fuckin' on it, exotic bitch from out the rain forest
So many bitches it's a blur, I take the blame for it (Wooo)
God in heaven knows what I feel inside
Responsible for all this inner-city genocide
I'll be damned if I let Yale campus vilify
As I uplift this art form ceilin' high
I can't identify with your one death
We lose thousands over here, you speakin' one breath

Outsiders lookin' in like using one ref
My zip cam point of view to you is one step
Closer to clarity, not a parody

How cocaine single-handedly carried me (It's just my life)
Escaped clever through the foxhole narrowly
They kick dirt up on my name until they bury me (Never)
I just shake it off, then I shake a leg
A lot of time to make up is what Jacob said (Welcome home, baby)
The fans fell for your act, I tell you break a leg
Then guns shots goin' off that’ll awake the dead
Push!

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About

Genius Annotation

Pusha T reflects on where he’s come from and the significant changes that have taken place in his life, lifting him from drug dealing to a career as a highly visible, highly skilled hip hop artist. He comes from a difficult and dangerous background and here he claims to represent a changing of the guards in the sense that he is bringing authenticity to rap, and removing the fraudulent rappers that only claim to have come from such a background.

In keeping with the theme of change and evolution, there are several points in the song that mark a subtle musical key shift: One when Pusha T begins rapping, then a shift back starting on the line, “Squilly told me…” then back on “God in heaven knows…” then back again on “Closer to clarity…” These are literal key shifts to represent a shift in paradigm that Pusha T is bringing to the game.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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Release Date
November 8, 2011
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