Work Out Lyrics

[Chorus]
Ayy, we've got a good thing
Don’t know if I’ma see you again

But is that a good thing?
'Cause girl, I can’t be your man, no ma'am

I know what's on your brain
You probably hoped it never would end
Like, “Is it the real thing
Or is it just a one-night stand?”
Well then

[Bridge]
Let me see you get high, then go low
Now, girl, won't you drop that thing down to the floor?
I’m here for one night, how far will you go?
I wanna see you (Work out for me, work out for me)
High, then go low
Now, girl, won't you drop that thing down to the floor?
I’m here for one night, how far will you go?
I wanna see you (Work out for me, work out for me)

[Verse 2]
Carolina Blue kicks, fresh on the scene
Hottest nigga on the block
Damn, girl, you're mean
They be startin' shit, but it’s yo' world

On my Martin shit: “You go, girl!”
She bad and she know it
Some niggas save hoes, I’m not that heroic

Could you be my escort?
'Cause just like them two door Fords
Damn, they don’t make 'em like you no more

Cole World, real Cole World
Them boys cool—me, I’m on fire
Know what's on my mind
Tryna see what's on yours tonight, tonight, tonight
Move slow, 'cause you wanna live fast
Up late so you'll probably skip class
Life is a test so before the night pass, get right, get right

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

After “Who Dat” failed to become a chart topper, J. Cole released “Work Out” as the second single off his debut album three months prior to its release, on June 5th, 2011, the second year anniversary of his acclaimed mixtape, The Warm Up.

Although the song achieved great commercial success (reaching #13 on the Hot 100 and going double platinum), it was received negatively by Cole’s core fans, and we would later find out that Nas wasn’t a fan either.

The song samples Kanye West’s “The New Workout Plan” and the lyrics from the outro are taken from Paula Abdul’s song “Straight Up.”

According to Complex Magazine, J. Cole doesn’t like the song:

Despite sampling Kanye West’s “The New Workout Plan” on his single “Work Out,” he considers it the worst song on The College Dropout.

Q&A

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

What did J. Cole say about "Work Out"?
Genius Answer

Is there a live TV performance of the song?
Genius Answer

Comments