Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is one of Lauryn Hill's most iconic songs, released as the lead single from her debut solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998. The song blends hip-hop, R&B, and soul, and became a massive commercial hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The lyrics of the song address themes of self-respect, materialism, and the pressures of societal expectations, particularly around gender and relationships. Hill's delivery mixes rapping with soulful singing, and the track's message is both empowering and cautionary.
The song's infectious beat, which incorporates a vintage doo-wop sound, was produced by Lauryn Hill herself. The song's popularity, as well as its socially conscious message, cemented Hill's place as one of the most important artists of the late '90s and beyond. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" remains a key part of Hill's legacy as both a musical innovator and a voice of empowerment.
Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) Lyrics
Yo, remember back on the Bully when cats used to harmonize like
Yo, yo, my men and my women
Don't forget about the deen, Sirat al-Mustaqeem
Yo, it's about a thing
If ya feel real good wave your hands in the air
And lick two shots in the atmosphere
It's been three weeks since you were looking for your friend
The one you let hit it and never called you again
'Member when he told you he was 'bout the Benjamins?
You act like you ain't hear him, then give him a little trim
To begin, how you think you're really gon' pretend
Like you wasn't down and you called him again?
Plus, when you give it up so easy you ain't even foolin' him
If you did it then, then you'd probably f- again
Talking out your neck, sayin' you're a Christian
A Muslim, sleeping with the jinn
Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in
Who you gon' tell when the repercussions spin?
Showing off your ass 'cause you're thinkin' it's a trend
Girlfriend, let me break it down for you again
You know I only say it 'cause I'm truly genuine
Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem
Baby girl, respect is just a minimum
N- f- up and you still defending 'em
Now, Lauryn is only human
Don't think I haven't been through the same predicament
Let it sit inside your head like a million women in Philly, Penn
It's silly when girls sell their souls because it's in
Look at where you be in, hair weaves like Europeans
Fake nails done by Koreans
Come again
A win win, come again
A win win, come again
My friend come again
Guys you know you'd better watch out
Some girls, some girls are only about
That thing, that thing, that thing
That thing, that thing, that thing
The second verse is dedicated to the men
More concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women
Him and his men, come in the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend, poppin' yang (like you got yen)
Let's stop pretend, the ones that pack pistols by they waist men
Cristal by the case men, still in they mother's basement
The pretty face men claiming that they be the big men
Need to take care of they three or four kids
And they face a court case when the child support late
Money taking and heart breaking, now you wonder why women hate men
The sneaky, silent men
The punk, domestic violence men
Quick to shoot the semen, stop acting like boys and be men
How you gonna win, when you ain't right within?
How you gonna win, when you ain't right within?
How you gonna win, when you ain't right within?
Uh-uh, come again
Yo, yo, come again
The breddrin come again
And sistrin come again
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Girls you know you'd better watch out
Some guys, some guys are only about
That thing, that thing, that thing
That thing, that thing, that thing
Guys you know you'd better watch out
'Cause girls, some girls are only about
That thing, that thing, that thing
That thing, that thing, that thing
Girls you know you'd better watch out
Some guys, some guys are only about
That thing, that thing, that thing
That thing, that thing, that thing
Hey, we've got some very intelligent women here, man
Do you think you're too young to really love somebody?
(No, no, no, I don't think so)
I say it for me, uh, I'm an adult I say, wait
"You're too young to be in love, this is silly
You're infatuated or whatever, you got nice jeans
You wear fancy Adidas"
I mean, it might be something I don't know
(It's the difference from loving somebody and being in love with somebody)
Well, you tell me, what's the difference?
(Okay, you can love anybody but when you're in love with somebody
You're looking at it like this
You're taking that person for what he or she is
No matter what he or she look like or no matter what he or she do
You fall in love, you can fall out of love
You might stop being in love but you are not gonna stop loving that person
Maybe sometimes they never been loved before
Or they never been in love before, they never
They don't know what the feeling is to be loved
She poetic
She killed it, we could end that conversation with that, right?