Change Clothes – English Lyrics

• By: JAY-Z, Pharrell

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of sophisticated swagger with JAY-Z and Pharrell's "Change Clothes"! This iconic track from "The Black Album" is a masterclass in modern hip-hop, blending smooth R&B vibes with sharp lyrical storytelling about ambition and style. Learning the language through this song offers a glimpse into American slang and cultural references related to fashion, success, and confidence. Its catchy hook and laid-back flow make it a special and engaging piece for any language learner eager to understand contemporary English and cultural nuances in music.

[English]

(crowd cheering)

- Jay-Z, is it true that this is your last album?

- Yeah, absolutely.

You know, but it's not sad.

Time of celebration, you know,

going in, we'll have a good time.

- All right.

- Comin' in?

- Love to.

- Nope!

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Uh, uh ♪

♪ Bounce is back ♪

♪ Uh, uh ♪

♪ Yeah, your boy is back ♪

♪ I know y'all missed the bounce ♪

♪ You need to bounce for the sexy, you know ♪

♪ Ha, ha, uh, let's get it in ♪

♪ Yeah ma, your dude is back, made back roof is back ♪

♪ Tell the whole world the truth is back ♪

♪ You ain't got to argue about who could rap ♪

♪ 'Cause the proof is back, just go through my rap ♪

♪ New York, New York, yeah, where my troopers at ♪

♪ Where my hustlers, where my (censored) at ♪

♪ I don't care what you do for stacks ♪

♪ I know the world glued you back to the wall ♪

♪ You gotta brawl to that ♪

♪ I been through that, been shot at ♪

♪ Gotta keep it peace like a Buddhist ♪

♪ I ain't a New Jack, nobody goin' Wesley Snipe me ♪

♪ It's less than likely, move back ♪

♪ Let I breathe Jedi Knight ♪

♪ The more space I get, the better I write ♪

♪ Oh, never I write, but, if, ever I write ♪

♪ I need the space to say whatever I like, now just ♪

♪ Change clothes and go ♪

♪ You know I stay fresh to death ♪

♪ I brought you from the projects ♪

♪ And I'ma take you to the top of the globe, so let's go ♪

♪ Exchange numbers and go ♪

♪ Uh huh yeah, uh ♪

♪ Now girl I promise you, no substitute ♪

♪ Just me ♪

♪ And I ain't gonna tell you again ♪

♪ Let's get ghost in the phantom ♪

♪ You could bring your friend, we could make this a tandem ♪

♪ You could come by yourself and you could stand him ♪

♪ Best believe I sweat out weaves ♪

♪ Give Afro puffs like R.A.g.e. ♪

♪ You get if you could move it ♪

♪ Back it on up like a U-Haul truck ♪

♪ Then run and tell them thugs you heard HOV knew ♪

♪ He and the boy for real make beautiful music ♪

♪ He is to the East coast what Snoop is ♪

♪ To the West coast what Face is to Houston ♪

♪ Young HOV in the house, it's so necessary ♪

♪ No bra with the blouse, it's so necessary ♪

♪ No panties and jeans, that's so necessary ♪

♪ Now why you fronting on me, is that necessary ♪

♪ Do I to you look like a lame ♪

♪ Who don't understand a bra with a mean shoe game ♪

♪ Whose up on Dot Dot Dot and Vera Wang ♪

♪ Ma are you insane, let's just ♪

♪ What you want me to do ♪

♪ Change clothes and go ♪

♪ You know I stay fresh to death ♪

♪ I brought you from the projects ♪

♪ And I'ma take you to the top of the globe ♪

♪ So let's go ♪

♪ Exchange numbers and go ♪

♪ Uh huh yeah, uh ♪

♪ Now girl I promise you, no substitute ♪

♪ It's just me ♪

♪ Uh, uh ♪

♪ Sexy, sexy ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Uh huh ♪

♪ Sexy, sexy ♪

♪ So necessary right ♪

♪ Uh huh ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Sexy, sexy ♪

♪ That's right, it's a groove ♪

♪ Uh, uh ♪

♪ Sexy, sexy ♪

♪ Bring it back ♪

♪ Young HOV in the house, it's so necessary ♪

♪ No bra with that blouse, it's so necessary ♪

♪ No panties and jeans, it's so necessary ♪

♪ Why you fronting on me ♪

♪ Let's go to my hotel cause this don't go well ♪

♪ With those S Dots, gotta stay fresh ma ♪

♪ Ma, I don't shop what the rest by ♪

♪ Oh no ma, please respect ma ♪

♪ Jiggy this is probably purple label ♪

♪ Or that BBC or it's probably tailored ♪

♪ But y'all (censored) acting way too tough ♪

♪ Throw on a suit get it tapered up, and let's just ♪

♪ Change clothes and go ♪

♪ You know I stay fresh to death ♪

♪ I brought you from the projects ♪

♪ And I'ma take you to the top of the globe ♪

♪ So let's go ♪

♪ Exchange numbers and go ♪

♪ Uh huh yeah, uh ♪

♪ Now girl I promise you, no substitute ♪

♪ It's just me ♪

♪ Uh uh ♪

♪ Sexy, sexy ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Sing along ♪

♪ Yeah, sexy, sexy ♪

♪ Turn your radio up ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Sexy, sexy ♪

♪ Put your hands in the air if you in the club ♪

♪ Uh ♪

♪ Snap your fingers now ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Uh uh ♪

♪ Your boy is back ♪

♪ Uh uh ♪

♪ The bounce is back ♪

♪ Uh uh ♪

♪ HOV is back ♪

♪ Haha ♪

♪ Peace ♪

(instrumental music fading)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	verb - to make or become different
clothes /kloʊz/ A1	noun - items worn to cover the body
fresh /frɛʃ/ A2	adjective - newly made or obtained; not stale
projects /ˈprɒdʒɛkts/ B1	noun - a series of housing units for low-income families
exchange /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to give something and receive something else in return
numbers /ˈnʌmbərz/ A1	noun - symbols used for counting
substitute /ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt/ B1	noun - a person or thing acting in place of another
phantom /ˈfæntəm/ B2	noun - a ghost or apparition
tandem /ˈtændəm/ C1	noun - an arrangement in which two people act together
necessary /ˈnɛsəsɛri/ A2	adjective - required or needed
fronting /ˈfrʌntɪŋ/ B2	verb - to act or speak falsely to impress others
tailored /ˈteɪlərd/ B2	adjective - made or adjusted to fit a particular person
bounce /baʊns/ A2	verb - to move quickly or energetically
hustlers /ˈhʌslərz/ B2	noun - people who work hard to achieve success, often in a competitive or challenging environment
troopers /ˈtruːpərz/ B1	noun - soldiers or loyal supporters
Jedi /ˈdʒɛdaɪ/ C1	noun - a member of a fictional order of warriors in the Star Wars universe

Key Grammar Structures

• You know, but **it's not** sad.

  ➔ Contraction (it's = it is) and negation with "not"

  ➔ The contraction "it's" shortens "it is". "Not" negates the adjective "sad".

• You know, going **in**, we'll have a good time.

  ➔ Preposition of direction "in" and future tense (will have).

  ➔ "In" indicates movement towards a place or a state. "We'll" is a contraction of "we will", expressing future action.

• You ain't **got to** argue about who could rap

  ➔ Auxiliary verb phrase expressing lack of necessity ("got to" - similar to "have to")

  ➔ "Got to" in this context means "don't have to" or "needn't", implying that arguing is unnecessary.

• Gotta keep it peace like a Buddhist

  ➔ Informal contraction "gotta" (got to) and simile.

  ➔ "Gotta" is a casual form of "got to" and the phrase uses a simile ("like a Buddhist") to compare maintaining peace.

• I ain't gonna tell you again

  ➔ Informal, double negative construction

  ➔ "Ain't" is an informal negative contraction. The phrase employs a double negative (ain't...again), although the meaning is negative (I won't tell you again).

• You **could** bring your friend, we **could** make this a tandem

  ➔ Modal verb "could" (possibility/permission) and future tense implication.

  ➔ "Could" expresses possibility or permission. The context implies a future action or scenario.

• Best believe I sweat out weaves

  ➔ Figurative language and phrasal verb "sweat out".

  ➔ "Sweat out" here is used figuratively to mean to remove or eliminate something, possibly with effort. The whole line employs a metaphor to emphasize the idea.

• Young HOV in the house, it's so necessary

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement with "it's" and use of "necessary"

  ➔ The phrase uses the contraction "it's" (it is), and the adjective "necessary" emphasizes the importance of the statement.

• Why you fronting on me

  ➔ Present continuous tense "are...ing" (you are fronting).

  ➔ This uses the present continuous tense to ask why someone is acting a certain way or pretending. It conveys a sense of immediacy.