People keep asking what this song means, and it's kind of hard to find using the search tool, so I figured I would help some people out (New Year's Resolution). I also don't think that this song gets enough respect. Personally, I believe that this is the greatest lyrical song of all-time. Everything has a double meaning and the rhyme scheme is rediculous. Hopefully, this will help convince people.

[Verse 1]:

I'm fearless (He’s brave enough to battle his critics)

Now hear this (Addressing all critics)

I'm earless (I don’t hear all of your criticisms and I don’t listen to people who tell me to dumb it down)

And I'm peerless (I’m one of a kind. There are no others like me so stop telling me to conform.)

That means I'm eyeless (The word peerless has no ‘i’s. )

Which means I'm tearless (He doesn’t care what you say, it’s not going to affect him. If he has no eyes, he can’t cry)

Which means my iris resides where my ears is (He observes rappers and the industry closely and watches their movements. The iris is the part of your eye surrounding the pupil. Iris is also a kind of plant, the people commonly put behind their ear. He learns by listening.)

Which means I'm blinded (He has no eyes so he’s blind. There has been no good music lately, so his senses must be failing)

But I'mma find it I can feel it's nearness (There are some good rappers out there, that are close to making it big, and he’s going to find them.)

But I'mma veer so I don't come near (He’s going to get out of the way of the music industry and do his own thing. He’s not going to conform so he’s going to stay in his own lane)

Like a chicken or a deer (He’s not going to be run over by the music industry. He’s no one-hit wonder. Deer’s freeze in the headlights, but he’s not going to let celebrity stop him from doing what he wants to)

But I remember I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear (He doesn’t listen to mainstream rap. He is not paying attention to commercial rap and copying their formula.)

Here, you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness (Fans obviously know what is good music, and he doesn’t, so he shouldn’t be in the driver’s seat.)

The windshield is minstrel, the whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere. Yeah, I'm both them there (A Minstrel show is when actors used to dress up in blackface and perpetuate black stereotypes by depicting blacks as lazy, ignorant, happy-go-lucky, stupid, and musical. Jazz musician Wynton Maralis has even called Hip-Hop a modern day minstrel show. White actors would cover their skin in black shoe polish, the windshield is covered in black so he can’t see. White executives are controlling black rappers and perpetuating the stereotypes of grills and the trill life. Talking about Grills has been done so much that it is becoming overkill, or roadkill. He describes the rap game as a car, and he shouldn’t be steering the car because he is not like it’s components.)

Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat and the locs in the chair had approached him here (This is about the Matrix when Morpheus came in wearing a black trench coat and gave Neo a choice between the red and blue pill. People in the matrix are deemed blind, but he is out of the matrix.)

And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror (Ghosts are invisible and Vampires can’t see their reflections in the mirror)

The writer of the quotes for the ghosts who supplier of the notes to the living (He is a ghostwriter’s ghostwriter. He writes the lyrics for ghostwriters who supply the lyrics to the mainstream rappers.)

Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies, given to the mother of the deceased. Awaken at war, 'til I'm restin' in peace (Rosie the riveter is a figure during World War II. These women only worked during war time, or awaken then. Meanwhile, their sons were dying at war. “Ring around the rosie, pockets full of posies” comes from the black plague when people were dying in the streets, so people would carry floweres in their pockets.)

[Chorus 1]:

You goin' over niggas' heads Lu (Dumb it down)
They tellin' me that they don't feel you (Dumb it down)
We ain't graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down)
Them big words ain't cool nigga (Dumb it down)
Yeah I heard Mean And Vicious nigga (Dumb it down)
Make a song for the bitches nigga (Dumb it down)
We don't care about the weather nigga (Dumb it down)
You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down)

[Verse 2]:

And I'm mouthless (Fans stuck in commercial rap won’t hear him over the radio)

Which means I'm soundless (Which means the mainstream won’t hear him so he has no power or relevancy).

Now as far as the hearing, I've found it (He has found people that will listen to him and built a solid fan base.)

It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is (He was never heard. His voice never even left the ground and is maximum distance away from the ears of the mainstream.)

But the doorknockers on the ear of a stewardess in a Lear
She fine and she flyin, I feel I'm flying by'em 'cause my mind's on cloud nine and I'm a mime at the same time (No matter how fly he gets, he’s still going to stay grounded. He is too fast and smart for everyone that his words are just going over their heads and no one understands him. This is because he is so far above the competition, and different (like a mime) at the same time.)

Pimps see the wings on the underground king (Pimp C is a rapper that died that was a member of the legendary rap group, Underground Kings. Because he is dead, he has grown wings like an angel. Also pimps want to become underground kings because they see the wealth that they are attaining. People believe that wealth is a way to get your wings into heaven.)

Who's also Klingon (Klingon is a group of species in Star Trek. They speak an odd language that is hard to decipher. Pimp C, like Lupe, is a good rapper that is intelligent, therefore listeners must think to understand his lyrics.)

To infinity and beyond (Another Star Trek reference)

Something really stinks, but I Sphinx like Leon (Leon Spinks is a boxer that beat an old, out-of-shape Muhammad Ali. His nose was broken in the fight and cannot smell)

Or lion in the desert (This refers to the Sphinx statue in Egypt. It has no nose because Napoleon had it chopped off because it was black and he was repulsed by the black nose. Both Leon Spinks and the Sphinx have no noses and can’t smell it. Also, the Sphinx is a gatekeeper in Greek mythology and you must answer a riddle to pass him on your path to becoming king (like Oedipus). The entire song is a riddle that must be decoded and solved. And to pass him you must out riddle him. Also, authors like WB Yeats use the Sphinx to signal the dawning of new eras.)

I'm flying on pegasus you're flying on the pheasant (Hercules flew on Pegasus. A Pegasus is a winged horse and is Greek for strong. A pheasant is a brightly-colored tiny bird. He is a class above everyone else.)

Writer of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers, spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's skit (Unicorn horns were believed to have powerful magic and immortality if you grind them into powder. In Mario Brothers, if you catch the fire flower, your character becomes enflamed and can spit fire. His music that he writes is addictive, like cocaine (white powder). His words will also live on forever. Dylon is a rapper who was on Making of the Band and is made fun of on Chappelle’s Show for saying “I spit hot fire.”)

Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, don’t snort the white horse, but toot my own horn (A horse and a horn make up a unicorn. He doesn’t do cocaine, but he will brag. A horn is slang for a nose. Snorting is like tooting.

[Chorus 2]:

You've been shedding too much light Lu (Dumb it down)
You make'em wanna do right Lu (Dumb it down)
They're getting self-esteem Lu (Dumb it down)
These girls are trying to be queens Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to graduate from school Lu (Dumb it down)
They're starting to think that smart is cool Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to get up out the hood Lu (Dumb it down)
I'll tell you what you should do (Dumb it down)

[Verse 3]:

And I'm brainless
Which means I'm headless (Brain is a slang term for head, which is a slang term for a blowjob. So brainless and headless are the same thing.)
Like Ichabod Crane is (In The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, There is a headless horseman that cuts of Ichabod’s head)

Or foreplay-less sex is (No Head Before Sex. Also lack of a courting stage with women and he is just having sex with random girls.)

Which makes me saneless (People call him insane for not dumbing it down and going commercial. He is also insane for having sex with random girls with AIDS and STDs being so prevelant.)

With no neck left to hang the chain with (His neck is not bound by a chain so he is not a slave to the industry; an industry that is filled with the idea of bling.)

Which makes me necklace-less (Because he isn’t controlled by the industry and mainstream, he is not rich, and therefore cannot afford the bling and gigantic necklaces that rappers wear.)

Like a necklace theft (He feels robbed of not being popular, and he wants to take over.)

And I ain't used my headrest yet (He’s not going to rest or sleep: He’s going to keep working to be better)

They said they need proof like a vestless chest 'bout the best, fair F-F-jet in the NES (Proof, the rapper, was shot in the head and killed and therefore had no need for a bullet proof vest. This is like the industry who needs no proof of a good rapper, but rather they just follow a formula: F-F means Final Fantasy, which was first released on the NES system. The games came in gray square things that were called jets. F-F also means First and Fifteenth, which is the best.)

Who exudes confidence and excess depth (His lyrics are complicated and deep)

Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breathe (Scuba Steve is a scuba diver action figure in the movie Big Daddy)

Around these leagues (Leagues is a measurement of depth of water; his lyrics are so deep that it’s hard to breath: Also Lupe is in a whole ‘nother league)

My snorkle is a tuba, Lu the ruler around these seas (His snorkel (the tube that a swimmer uses to breathe under water) is like a tuba (A trumpet with a low, deep pitch) because since he is the ruler of the seas, he sermons his listeners with a trumpet sound ever time he exhales (spits). He needs his voice to be loud and deep like the sound from a tuba. Lupe is the ruler of Hip-Hop and he is using seas as a continuation of the water metaphors throughout the verse.)

Westside Poseidon, Westside beside'em, chest high and rising (Poseidon is the ruler of the seas in Greek mythology. He is the ruler of the West. He is on the Westside of Poseidon, therefore he is his left hand man. Westside Chicago is beside Lupe and supports him. Lupe is proud, and has his chest out, and is ready to rise up the ranks of raps elite. He is also raising the depth of the waters, and his lyrics.)

Almost touching the knees of stewardess and the pilot (The water is rising so high that it is going to the skies where the planes are)

Lucky they make you fly with
Personal floating devices, tricks falling out of my sleeves (Water is now so high that it is in the plane so it is a good thing that the passengers have personal floating devices. There is always something new with Lupe, and all of his lyrics can mean different things to different people. His words are like magic.)

David Blaine (Famous magician)

Make it rain

Make a boat (There’s so much water that you need to make a boat to float with like Noah’s Ark)

I make a plane (He is above everyone else so they are all in a boat, but he is flying above them. Also, he is so good that he raises the plane and sets a new level that rappers have to come up to. Lupe is raising the bar)

Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain (If I leave, then the rap game will be depleted of lyrical depth. Pulling the plug can be seen as dying like a person in a coma gets the plug pulled. He is also making it seem like a bathtub that is filling up with water)

Until I feel like flowing and filling it up again..(His flow is like water and he can do this anytime he wants. He can easily increase depth whenever he raps.)

[Chorus 3]:

You putting me to sleep nigga (Dumb it down)
That's why you ain't popping in the streets nigga (Dumb it down)
You ain't winning no awards nigga (Dumb it down)
Robots and skateboards nigga? (Dumb it down)
GQ Man Of The Year G? (Dumb it down)
Shit ain't rocking over here B (Dumb it down)
Won't you talk about your cars nigga? (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is goyard (???what is that???) nigga (Dumb it down)

Make it rain for the chicks (Dumb it down)
Pour champagne on a bitch (Dumb it down) (Making Fun of Weezy Fucking Baby...Get It?..Weezy Fucking Baby)

What the fuck is wrong with you? (Dumb it down)
How can I get on a song with you? (Dumb it down)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Rice Is Gay,

He said that when he first made this song. the hook was about like spacetravel or somtin crazy far out like that. And he said he saw a movie where there were 3 monkey statues, 1 with his hands over his mouth, 1 with hands over ears, and one with hands over eyes. and the point was . hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. and he thought that was "fresh". so he made his verses off that.

so when he first made the song it wasnt to the hook of "dumb it down" they changed that later on.

I think this is a pretty dead on breakdown! There are only a couple things I would disagree with like.. "But I'mma veer so I dont come near like a Chicken or a Deer... He's not coming close to what the mainstream is doing.. he's veering from what Hip Hop is to not come close to it.. much like a chicken or a deer, they keep there distance.. you can't get close to them..

Pz

i agree your wonderful but

quote:

She fine and she flyin, I feel I'm flying by'em 'cause my mind's on cloud nine and I'm a mime at the same time (No matter how fly he gets, he’s still going to stay grounded. He is too fast and smart for everyone that his words are just going over their heads and no one understands him. This is because he is so far above the completion, and different (like a mime) at the same time.)

Pimps see the wings on the underground king (Pimp C is a rapper that died that was a member of the legendary rap group, Underground Kings. Because he is dead, he has grown wings like an angel. Also pimps want to become underground kings because they see the wealth that they are attaining. People believe that wealth is a way to get your wings into heaven.)

Unless Lupe is psychic, he didn't know Pimp C was going to die when the wrote the song. Dumb it down dropped around september ( correct me if you must) and Pimp C died in december.

quote:

Or foreplay-less sex is (No Head Before Sex. Also lack of a courting stage with women and he is just having sex with random girls.)

Which makes me saneless (People call him insane for not dumbing it down and going commercial. He is also insane for having sex with random girls with AIDS and STDs being so prevelant.)

and im kinda iffy on that too

WOW. Nice job. thats a tricky song. PROPS

very good post. the one thing i might disagree with is the line "as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is" i read in another post that it meant that he found people that really like his music but they still don't fully grasp the concept of his songs. like it doesn't quite reach the ear but almost (reaches the earring.) that and the pimp c line. but overall, really good post.

good shit

if you break it down like that then yes it is the best lyrical song ever made, great depth Lup

yea, this is cool.
I'm not sure about the peerless part tho...i thought that since he was peerless (as in no equal) he is also eyeless because he is peerless (he is unable to peer=unable to look/see=eyeless).

I agree with all of your corrections. Especially the chicken and deer comment, I never even thought of that one. And if Tupac can predict his own death, I'm willing to believe that Lupe can predict the death of others.

Thanks for breaking this down, I was stuck on a few parts, especially the pocket full of posies line.

Also, nice work C-Dub on the peerless=eyeless connection that makes since!!

As far as the neck-less verse I agree he is referencing getting head but I thought "Which makes me sane less, With no neck left to hang a chain with" meant when he does get head it drives him crazy (sane less), especially deep throat referencing "with no neck left to hang a chain with" Were as the neck is the rest of the d**k after the head. Hope I don't sound like a complete perv but that's what I thought

Thoughts?

This song has to be the most lyrically intricate song I've ever heard.

Wooooooooow
thats different

But i totally get it, it makes sense

i can't even picture him gettin head, thats like...picturing my cousin gettin head- its just feels wrong lol

Yeah, I know what you mean lol!

Top notch man, I thought I knew what most of dumb it down referred to, but there was a whole lot more. just 1 thing tho, I think the start of the second verse is also used to describe how mainstream rappers use video girls to catch peoples attention, and then they preach about gun violence and drugs. Lupe relates this to a plane. The negative rapper is the pilot, and the stewardess is the video girl. I think the earing to the ground part also described women as being shorter, and how mainstream rappers degrade women, and look down upon them.

I'm fearless (He’s brave enough to battle his critics)

Now hear this (Addressing all critics)

I'm earless (I don’t hear all of your criticisms and I don’t listen to people who tell me to dumb it down)

And I'm peerless (I’m one of a kind. There are no others like me so stop telling me to conform.)

That means I'm eyeless (The word peerless has no ‘i’s. )

Which means I'm tearless (He doesn’t care what you say, it’s not going to affect him. If he has no eyes, he can’t cry)



PEERLESS DOESNT MEAN THERES NONE LIKE ME. PEER MEANS TO LOOK. THATS WHY HE SAYS IM EYELESS.PEERLESS = EYELESS, NOT PEERLESS HAVING NO I'S IN THE WORD.

AND PIMP C WAS ALIVE WHEN DUMB IT DOWN DROPPED. DO SOME MORE RESEARCH HOMIE.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND IS FROM TOY STORY!!!

Call me an idiot but I think this is completely wrong.

I think you guys are focusing to much on what "could" be...instead of what is...

the verse is based on the Idea of "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil". Its not based on him battleing critics...and dont even bring up any of that, well its a double meanin about him fightin critics ish.

I mean... I knew this thread was another case of over analyzing when I read the first line of the breakdown...

"im fearless" and you think the meaning of this 1 line has a complete story lol "brave enough to fight the critics...uuhhh...yeaahhh...no.

I highly doubt when Lupe writes one word hes gonna have a complete meaning for it lmao.

And besides, Lupe already said in an interview its about what I just said...he never said its about him fightin critics or any of that garbage. Yeh hes talkin about how hes not gonna lower his standards to that of the industry etc etc.

but your takin this way out of context...and I think anyone runnin with this is just as dumb as anyone believing that post about some guy poopin in Lu's car...

And did you guys ever stop to think that mabye a few lines of this is just clever lyricism, and not an entire plot behind each word?

YEAH!! TELL EM!!

Or foreplay-less sex is (No Head Before Sex. Also lack of a courting stage with women and he is just having sex with random girls.)


hmmm ^^^^
i couldnt really imagine lupe just going an have sex with random as girls all the time...kinda a bit hypocritical for lupe i dunno thats just waht i think ... wether the analysing is right i dunno??

quote:

Originally posted by CaliALive:
Wooooooooow
thats different

But i totally get it, it makes sense

i can't even picture him gettin head, thats like...picturing my cousin gettin head- its just feels wrong lol