Ain't I – English Lyrics

• By: Lizzo
• Album: Big Grrrl Small World

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Lizzo's "Ain't I," a powerful and thought-provoking hip-hop track that serves as an ode to black womanhood and self-love. This song offers a rich linguistic experience with its assertive lyrics and references to historical figures like Sojourner Truth. Learning English through "Ain't I" provides a unique opportunity to explore themes of identity, empowerment, and cultural pride, all wrapped in Lizzo's signature blend of rap and soulful expression.

[English]

Uh, uh, uh, I'm in the, I'm in the, I'm in the

I'm in the business of making music, that music business

The fitness, no one can witness cause I

I make that crack music (nigga!), uh

That real Black music (nigga!)

The only singles that I'm dropping are the ones

Flapping at the band of your white briefs

White boys please! Can barely believe

I walk by as they hold they skeets by the seams of they jeans

C.R.E.A.M. get the money, and run it to the hills y'all

Straight into my pocket, tired of the deals dog

Start my own label, keep the leaking sealed off

If you got a big mouth, then you might get peeled off

I'm the only fat-lipped bass, my flipper--vroom!--peel off

Eating flounder, Sebastian's like some bath salts

Munching on his bones, looking at him like "It's yo' fault!"

"Look at what you made me do! Yo, pass the hot sauce"

Looking at the back of Sophia Eris's head

Eating a sammich (but we don't got bread!)

Got a spider ass bite on my head, hangry

Feeling soupy, I brought my fuck in, yo I'm duckin'

Donald, Daffy, Howards, them cowards

Could never throw shots at a super with power

What was Russia without the czars?

What was Henry Ford without the cars?

My grandparents worked at Ford factory

So Henry is nothing without my family tree

And his slave-owning family needed Black blood still

So I think we need a spot up on Henry's will

That would never be the case, in case you ain't keeping up

I'm dishing out cases of that heavy bass

And them bassheads straight from the oppressor's loins

Are giving us our "Free us!" in hella coin

So bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, hip-hop turned crack from the era of crack babies

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, about to give oratories in stadiums and laboratories

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, hip-hop turned crack from the era of crack babies

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, about to give oratories--

(Big GRRRL, Small World!)

...

It don't matter how deep yo' pockets go

They still get they fill, fingers scrape the bottom

It don't matter how deep yo' soul is

They sho' is blinded by the light

It don't matter how deep yo' pockets go

They still get they fill, fingers scrape the bottom

It don't matter how deep yo' soul is

They sho' is blinded by the light!

...

(Crazy!)

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, hip-hop turned crack from the era of crack babies

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, about to give oratories in stadiums and laboratories

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, hip-hop turned crack from the era of crack babies

Bob your head crazy, bob your head crazy

Hip-hop, about to give oratories in stadiums and laboratories

And ain't I a woman? Ain't I a woman? Ain't I a woman?!

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
business /ˈbɪznəs/ A2	noun - a person's work or occupation
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
fitness /ˈfɪtnəs/ A2	noun - the condition of being physically fit and healthy
witness /ˈwɪtnəs/ B1	verb - to see or know something to be true
drop /drɒp/ A2	verb - to let something fall
flap /flæp/ A2	verb - to move up and down or side to side
brief /briːf/ B1	adjective - lasting only a short time
pocket /ˈpɒkɪt/ A1	noun - a small bag sewn into or on clothing
label /ˈleɪbəl/ A2	noun - a piece of paper or other material attached to an object to identify it
leak /liːk/ B1	verb - to let a liquid or gas escape through a hole or crack
oratory /ˈɒrətɔːri/ C1	noun - the art of public speaking
oppressor /əˈprɛsər/ B2	noun - a person who subjects others to unjust treatment
era /ˈɪərə/ B1	noun - a long and distinct period of history
laboratory /læbəˈrætɔːri/ B1	noun - a room or building equipped for scientific experiments
blind /blaɪnd/ A2	adjective - unable to see
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm in the business of making music, that music business

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase 'I'm in the business' uses the present continuous tense to indicate an ongoing action or state, emphasizing Lizzo's current involvement in the music industry.

• The only singles that I'm dropping are the ones

  ➔ Relative pronoun ('that')

  ➔ The relative pronoun 'that' is used to introduce a clause that describes 'the singles,' specifying which singles Lizzo is referring to.

• C.R.E.A.M. get the money, and run it to the hills y'all

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase 'get the money' and 'run it to the hills' are in the imperative mood, giving direct commands or instructions to the listener.

• If you got a big mouth, then you might get peeled off

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 1)

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional sentence, indicating a possible result ('you might get peeled off') based on a likely condition ('if you got a big mouth').

• What was Russia without the czars?

  ➔ Rhetorical question

  ➔ This is a rhetorical question, used to make a point rather than to seek an answer. It emphasizes the importance of the czars to Russia's identity.

• And ain't I a woman? Ain't I a woman? Ain't I a woman?!

  ➔ Tag question

  ➔ These are tag questions, used to seek confirmation or to emphasize a statement. The repetition reinforces the urgency and importance of the question.