The core of us are simple, but dignified
We don't simply live to die Shad (Ft. Brendan Canning, Ian Kamau & Lisa Lobsinger) – Lucky 1's
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No man is really special — we are all human beings. Shad provides some nice wordplay — the short bus is known for taking students with special needs (special kids) to school.
The best of us live simply but are dignified in our views and willingness to live our own lives. And t’s more to life than simply living until the day we die. There is living for the afterlife.
Phone tag, hide-and-seek with the PDA off Shad (Ft. Lisa Lobsinger) – Telephone
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Tag and Hide-and-seek are two games children like playing a lot. Basically, it’s as if everyday, Shad and his girl try to phone each other and communicate, trying to find each other. But because they fail to do so constantly, it renders the phone useless.
PDA has a double meaning here too:
- Hide-and-seek with the Public Display of Affection becomes a line about him turning his phone off while they act like a couple.
- His Personal Digital Assistant (a type of mobile device) is turned off.
When I need help? This female won’t take my calls
It’s like pool and that’s her cue to break my balls Shad (Ft. Lisa Lobsinger) – Telephone
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Calls are used in games of pool. And so are cue balls and breaking. Except, instead of playing pool, she’s ignoring Shad’s calls and that’s her cue to hurt him — she’s generally making him feel like shit. And she does it right when he needs help and is left alone, although she claims she means well.
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Two double entendres in one line — GENIUS.
- They’re breaking up, as in separating, ending their relationship, but also a reference to how there’s way too much static on the line, so he can’t hear her clearly.
- Although he can’t hear her clearly and can’t hear what she’s saying, he still gets the tone, as in a dial tone, she’s still on the telephone. He also gets the tone in another way — he understands what she means to say although he can’t her her — it’s clear to him that they’re breaking up.
She goes off the wall, like a hella old centerfold Shad (Ft. Lisa Lobsinger) – Telephone
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Her being “off the hook” here serves as a double entendre — she’s a really cool girl and she’s completely left the phone so he can’t call her. And although she is cool and often leaves her phone when talking to him, she goes off the wall (goes crazy) when he does the same thing, when he lets go of the phone.
Shad further plays on the idiom “off the wall” — a very old centerfold would literally fall off the wall of its own weight and accord someday. Being so old, you probably have a liking for it and would like to keep it up, but as it ages it develops a penchant for “going off the wall.”
Told put God first and her next
If she’s the only girl like Snow White or Smurfette
She’s not, I am dating nobody, nobody’s perfect Shad (Ft. Lisa Lobsinger) – Telephone
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Though he knows a lot of girls labeled him a bad boyfriend, it doesn’t matter to him because he knows that he should put God first. That is because of Shad’s Christian upbringing. Christians are taught to put God first.
But then he should put his girl next if she’s the only one. Both, Snow White and Smurfette were the only females in a mostly-male cast.
However, she’s not the only one, so Shad keeps dating nobody, although society thinks if you are not dating or have a husband/wife something is wrong with you. Because he knows that only God is perfect. As he says on his track “Rock To It”:
Not that I’m perfect only Christ was viceless
Also a biblical play. The Bible refers to God as “The Great I Am.” So “She’s not I am” equals “She’s not God.”
No sun immersed in the coldness
No son, reverse like the poles get Shad – Now a Daze
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Nothing is worth selling your soul to gain money and fame.
Shad’s doubling back on his digression with, “no son, reverse…”. And he switches “no sun” with “no son” and keeps the coldness motif by talking about the north and south poles whose polarity might switch in the coming years.
Like, God why you letting this happen? Amen
He answered, "Son, I'm asking you the same thing
Cause you're supposed to be my servants out there working
Like you're my hands reaching out to those that's hurting
You don't have long on this Earth and
I hope you won't compromise, I said I hope you won't compromise" Shad – Compromise
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Shad is mad that God is letting some people starve while others stuff themselves and waste food. God turns around and asks him why he is letting it happen and not doing anything to help.
Instead of asking why God doesn’t intervene, we need to take responsibility and start caring for our fellow human beings. We have to serve for him here on earth while we can, because we don’t have much time left. God hopes that you will do whatever you can to create a fair and equal society on this earth. Don’t compromise!
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He used to get up to work first of all the slaves, so early that he (figuratively) would have been drinking coffee.
It’s also a pun on “grind”. He is on his grind, aka at work.
Handed down proud roots from my motherland
To my hometown Shad – A Good Name
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