It Was a Good Day Lyrics

[Produced by DJ Pooh]

[Intro]
Break 'em
Shit
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Uh

[Verse 1]
Just wakin' up in the mornin', gotta thank God
I don't know, but today seems kinda odd
No barkin' from the dog, no smog
And mama cooked the breakfast with no hog
I got my grub on, but didn't pig out

Finally got a call from a girl I wanna dig out
Hooked it up for later as I hit the door
Thinkin', "Will I live another twenty-four?"
I gotta go 'cause I got me a drop-top
And if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop

Had to stop at a red light
Lookin' in my mirror, not a jacker in sight
And everything is alright
I got a beep from Kim, and she can fuck all night
Called up the homies and I'm askin' y'all
"Which park are y'all playin' basketball?"
Get me on the court and I'm trouble
Last week, fucked around and got a triple-double
Freakin' niggas every way like MJ
I can't believe today was a good day (Shit)
[Verse 2]
Drove to the pad and hit the showers
Didn't even get no static from the cowards
'Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me
Saw the police and they rolled right past me
No flexin', didn't even look in a nigga's direction
As I ran the intersection
Went to Short Dog's house, they was watchin' Yo! MTV Raps
What's the haps on the craps?
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em
Roll 'em in a circle of niggas
And watch me break 'em with the seven, seven-eleven, seven-eleven
, seven, even back door Little Joe
I picked up the cash flow
Then we played bones, and I'm yellin', "Domino"
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central L.A.​
Today was a good day
(Shit)

[Verse 3]
Left my nigga's house paid (Word)
Picked up a girl been tryna fuck since the 12th grade
It's ironic, I had the brew, she had the chronic
The Lakers beat the Supersonics
I felt on the big fat fanny
Pulled out the jammy and killed the punani
And my dick runs deep, so deep
So deep, put her ass to sleep
Woke her up around one
She didn't hesitate to call Ice Cube the top gun

Drove her to the pad and I'm coastin'
Took another sip of the potion, hit the three-wheel motion
I was glad everything had worked out
Dropped her ass off and then chirped out
Today was like one of those fly dreams
Didn't even see a berry flashin' those high beams
No helicopter lookin' for a murder
Two in the mornin', got the Fatburger
Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
And it read, "Ice Cube's a Pimp"
(Yeah)
Drunk as hell, but no throwin' up
Halfway home and my pager still blowin' up
Today I didn't even have to use my AK
I gotta say, it was a good day (Shit)

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About

Genius Annotation

Ice Cube describes his ideal day: a pork-free breakfast, Yo MTV Raps!, gambling, a sexual rendezvous, and no murders in his neighborhood. By juxtaposing miraculous events (like constantly winning at craps or having “Ice Cube’s a Pimp” on the Goodyear blimp) with situations that seem rather normal to the average person (like not having to use your AK), he paints a picture of what his everyday life actually looks like: Murder and police interventions are daily experiences for him.

In 2012, a blogger calculated the exact day that Ice Cube describes in the song: January 20, 1992. The post generated a ton of publicity, eventually inspiring an internet campaign to put Ice Cube’s name on an actual blimp. The campaign was successful, and on January 20, 2014, Goodyear flew Ice Cube’s blimp over South Central, raising $25,000 for charity in the process.

“It Was a Good Day” peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on its way to gold certification. The song has been featured on several “best of” lists and it is featured prominently in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The song’s sample from the intro of The Isley Brothers' “Footsteps in the Dark” has become synonymous with “It Was a Good Day.”

Ice Cube has said in interviews that he liked to end his shows with this song. People would get riled up during the concert with his more aggressive songs, and he didn’t want them to leave the venue with that mentality. So he’d end with this mellow song to chill them out and reduce the odds of them doing something violent.

Q&A

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

Translations
What did Ice Cube say about "It Was a Good Day"?
Genius Answer

Ice Cube told Blender Magazine in 2008:

The inspiration (for “It Was A Good Day”) was my life at the time. I was at the top of the rap game. It was the summer of ’92 and I was in a hotel room, really in a state of euphoria. I had all the money I had dreamed of. I was in a good frame of mind. And I remember thinking, ‘Okay, there’s been the riots, people know I will deal with that. That’s a given. But I rap all this gangsta stuff; what about all the good days I had?

Has this track received any certifications?
Genius Answer

“It Was a Good Day” was certified gold by the RIAA on June 1, 1993.

Credits
Produced By
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Performance Rights
Video Director
Recorded At
Echo Sound (Los Angeles)
Release Date
November 17, 1992
Songs That Sample It Was a Good Day
MAGIC by Vince Staples & Mustard, Issues by Dr. Dre (Ft. Anderson .Paak, Dem Jointz & Ice Cube), Life is a Gamble by Big K.R.I.T. (Ft. BJ the Chicago Kid & Marvin Gaye), 1992 by The Hood Internet, D'Voidofpopniggafiedmegamix by Ice Cube, History of Rap 3 by Jimmy Fallon (Ft. Justin Timberlake), We Like Them Girlz by Master P (Ft. Curren$y & Silkk the Shocker), Sleep By The Bay by Lil B, Drop Girl by Ice Cube (Ft. 2 Chainz & Redfoo), No Sleep by Wiz Khalifa, Another Day by Yhung T.O., Throwback Thursday by M-Dot (Ft. Looselyric & Phil Pradere), Good day by FS Baller, GOAT by Bam Mikal (Ft. Shing02), GOAT (Jack The Rip Remix) by Bam Mikal (Ft. Shing02), GMTO Day Freestyle by Bizzy Banks, Morning May by RETONIC, Fuck da Police by Ice Burgandy (Ft. Waka Flocka Flame), 40 Years of Hip-Hop by The Hood Internet, Pasa el tiempo by VKR, Niedzielna Komedia Polsatu by MC Wojtu$, :) by Ant Beale, Mirage by Horseshoe G.A.N.G, Bad Day by Tom Gist (Ft. Cam'ron), We Like The Girls by Silkk the Shocker, We Like Them Girls (Remix) by Silkk the Shocker (Ft. Master P & Petey Pablo), We Like Them Girls by Silkk the Shocker (Ft. Master P), Riding Thru Clouds by Playaz Circle, What a Day by Jeru the Damaja, Von Sees (Instrumental) by The Foreign Exchange, Von Sees by The Foreign Exchange (Ft. Von Pea), Don't Stimulate by Anotha Level, Fuck da Police by Waka Flocka Flame (Ft. Cartel MGM), The Fighter by Gym Class Heroes (Ft. Ryan Tedder), Yesterday Was A Good Day by DOM KENNEDY, Triple Double by Girl Talk, Everything, Everything by Wiz Khalifa (Ft. Berner, Iamsu!, J.R. Donato & Kool John), Freshmen [Demo] by Jacob Johnson, Saturday (Skit) by Logic (Ft. John "Pops" Witherspoon), Перекур (Interlude) by OG Prince, Bandolero (KEAN DYSSO Remix) by Don Omar, Linyeraje by Linyeras Cru, Today Was A Bad Day by GBKHATEDLOVE, It Was A Good Day Freestyle* by Keifer, Everybody's Flamingo 3 by The Aussie Bros, Yet Another Story... by Curren$y, It Was a Great Day by Pharrell Williams, Bez zmartwień by Kage (dq), Emperor of the Universe by BabyTron, Diamonds Part 6 by JrKellyRocks, It Was a Good Day (Remix)* by Lil Yachty & DC2Trill, Son como aire by Yako Muñoz, Ice Cube Speaks on Tha Block DVD by Ice Cube, Bad Day by Doe Boy & Benny the Butcher, Лето Сет Номер 16 by DJ Lyubov', Bad Day by Bizarre, Fue Un Buen Día by Akapellah, HWEGT by Azad, Celo & Abdi & Olexesh, Ice Cube by Addikt102, Hood Day by Dave East & Cruch Calhoun & A Good Day by THS Cal
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