Saturday, it's Saturday! What better way to enjoy the weekend that with the humorous upbeat work of the Long Island hip hop trio, from their second album De La Soul Is Dead (1991)? Produced by Prince Paul, alongside Dave, Maseo and Posdnuos it features A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and R&B singer Vinia Mojica, who all contributed to the writing and lyrics of this ode to the 1970s fad of rollerskating in parks and all the social politics that go with it, and characterises the band's easy, flowing rapping style and expert sampling. Tracks skilfully used here are: I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl) by Instant Funk, Ebony Jam by Tower of Power, Good Times by Chic, Evil Vibrations by The Mighty Ryeders, Saturday in the Park by Chicago, Grease by Frankie Valli, Light My Fire by Young-Holt Unlimited, plus a touch of the theme from the Woody Woodpecker Show!
Girl meets boy on Thursday night
Boy was high, girl fly like kite
They hold hands until next day
Boy then lets go, hit his way
Boy rules butt, brags to his boys
Erection brings bad boy joys
Boy thinks of that big fat back
Big black fat love, big black fat
Girl calls boy to stand him up on Saturday
Saturday
Saturday, it's a Saturday
It's a Saturday, it's a Saturday
Saturday, it's a Saturday
Saturday, it's a Saturday
Back once more with the wallop in the score
Must I ride and rip, should I make you rock your hip
Reviver of a roller-boogie in a rink
And sure to make you think about the times
To scope fun instead of fights
(But diving from a piece of metal sure to take your life)
Yo, slip your butt to the fix of this mix
Toss that briefcase, it's time to let loose
Cause you've worked like heck to get the week in check
So unfasten that noose around your neck
Connected like a vibe from the wheel to the foot
Come on everybody dig the funky output
Five days you work
One whole day to play
Come on everybody, wear your rollerskates today
It's Saturday, Saturday …
And from the rappers' breakthrough debut album of 1989, 3 Feet High And Rising, brilliant self-deprecating humour about their appearance, but defiance to be themselves, with a beautifully dry delivery and simplicity. Sampling? Choice selections! (Not Just) Knee Deep by Funkadelic (1979), Rapper Dapper Snapper by Edwin Birdsong (1980, Funky Worm by the Ohio Players (1973), The Original Human Beatbox by Doug E. Fresh (1985, and Gonna Make You Mine by Loose Ends (1986):
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Tell me, mirror, what is wrong?
Can it be my de la clothes
Or is it just my de la song?
What I do ain't make-believe
People say I sit and try
But whan it comes to being de la
It's just me myself and I
It's just me myself and I
It's just me myself and I
It's just me myself and I …
Proud, I'm proud of what I am
Poems I speak are plug two type
Please oh please let plug two be
Himself, not what you read or write
Right is wrong when hype is written
On the soul, de la that is,
Style is surely our own thing
Not the false disguise of showbiz
De la soul is from the soul
And this fact I can't deny
Strictly from the dan called stuckie
And from me myself and I …
Glory, glory hallelu
Glory for plugs one and two
But that glory's been denied
By kizids and dookie eyes
People think they dis my person
By stating I'm darkly pack
I know this so I point at q-tip
And he states, 'black is black'
Mirror mirror on the wall,
Shovel chestnuts in my path
Please keep on up with the nuts
So I don't get in aftermath
But if I do I'll calmly punch them
In the fourth day of July
'Cause they tried to mess with
Third degree, that's me myself and I …
Want to suggest songs for Song of the Day or to say anything about it? Does this song make you think of something else? Then feel free to comment below, on the contact page, or on social media: Song Bar Twitter, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube. Please subscribe, follow and share.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...