Double Dutch Bus – English Lyrics

• By: Frankie Smith

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of early hip-hop and funk with Frankie Smith's 'Double Dutch Bus'! This iconic 1981 hit is not just a catchy tune with a unique groove, but also a fascinating example of linguistic innovation with its famous 'izzle' slang. Through its playful lyrics and call-and-response sections, you can explore colloquial English and the rhythmic patterns of early rap, making it a fun and engaging way to learn about American street language and musical trends.

[English]

Give me a HO if you've got your funky bus fare... HO HO HO

There's a double dutch bus comin' down the street

Moving pretty fast

So kinda shuffle your feet

Get on the bus and pay your fare

And tell the driver that you're

Goin' to a Double Dutch Affair

Fe Fi Fo Fum

Well I'll be darn here it comes

The Double Dutch Bus is on the street

You'd better get off the curb

Move your feet

Bus fare trans-pass

That's the way my money lasts

Ain't got no car to get around

When I go to work I've gotta go downtown

Now I've missed my train

That's a darn shame

When I'm running late no sleep's to blame

If you've gotta wife you know I'm right

Gotta special man well I can understand

Uptown, downtown everybody's getting down

Say uptown say downtown

Well I've missed my bus I know I'm late

I've gotta do something I know I hate

I'm gonna walk to work fifteen blocks

I already got a hole in my socks

Go ahead and laugh that's okay

Cause what I really wanna say

I got bad feet my corns hurt

To top it off I'm late for work

Let me tell you what I say

When I'm dealing with the funky sidewalk

Let me show you how to walk

When I gotta do my funky walk

Let me tell you what I say

When I'm dealing with the funky sidewalk

I say, sssshh-sugar

Hilzi, gilzirls! Yilzall hilzave t' milzove ilzout the wilzay silzo the gilzuys can plilzay bilzasket-bilzall

I say wizzat? Nizzo-izzo wizzay

Yizzall bizzetter mizzove

I say wizzat? Willze illzain't millzovin'

Shillzu-gillzar! Bilzzaby

Willze illzare plizzayin' dizzouble dizzutch

Dizzouble dizzutch

...

Dizzouble dizzutch

Willze illzare plizzayin' dizzouble dizzutch

Dizzouble dizzutch

Dizzouble dizzutch

...

Millze cillzan sillzome plilzay dilzzouble dilzutch

...

Hilzzoo?

My gizzirl

Brillzing her izzin

Izzo kizzay

Izzall rizzight

Izzo kizzay

Izzall rizzight! Nizzow wizzee wilzzo-izzo-zee

...

Bip, bomp, bam alakazam

But only when you're grooving

With the Double Dutch Man

Put on your skates don't forget your rope

Cause I know I'm gonna see you

At my Double Dutch Show

Rebecca, Lolita, Veshawn and Dawn

Everytime you do the Double Dutch you really turn it on

Bilzarbra, Mitzery, Milzetty, Kilsan

...

Titzommy, Kitzerrance, Kilzommy that's my man

Come on get on my Double Dutch Bus

(The Double Dutch Bus)

Let me hear you say do that

(Do that)

Let me hear you say Do that again

(Do that again)

Let me hear you say do the do

Do the do

Let me hear you say do the do the do

Do the do the do

Do the do, do do do do do

Do the do, do do do do do

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bus /bʌs/ A1	noun - a large motor vehicle carrying passengers by road, typically one serving the public on a fixed route
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
feet /fiːt/ A1	noun - plural of foot; the lower extremity of the leg below the ankle
fare /feər/ A2	noun - the money paid for a journey on public transport
driver /ˈdraɪvər/ A2	noun - a person who drives a vehicle
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
work /wɜːrk/ A1	noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. verb - be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or result.
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of connected railroad cars moved by a locomotive or by integral motors
wife /waɪf/ A1	noun - a married woman
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being
blocks /blɑːks/ A2	noun - a solid piece of material (such as wood or stone) with one or more flat faces
hole /hoʊl/ A2	noun - an opening through something
socks /sɑːks/ A2	noun - a covering for the foot and ankle or leg
corns /kɔːrnz/ B2	noun - a painful area of thickened skin on the foot, typically on the toe, caused by pressure
rope /roʊp/ B1	noun - a length of strong cord made by twisting together strands of natural or synthetic fibers
show /ʃoʊ/ A2	noun - a public entertainment or performance
skates /skeɪts/ B1	noun - boots or shoes with blades or wheels attached, used for gliding over ice or a surface
laugh /læf/ A2	verb - make the sounds and movements of the face and body that express amusement or happiness noun - an instance of laughing

Key Grammar Structures

• Give me a HO if you've got your funky bus fare...

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1)

  ➔ Uses the structure "if + present simple, will/imperative + base form". It expresses a real possibility. Here, "if you've got your funky bus fare" is the condition and "Give me a HO" is the result.

• Ain't got no car to get around

  ➔ Double Negative (Non-Standard English)

  ➔ "Ain't got no car" is a double negative. Standard English would be "I don't have a car" or "I haven't got a car". This usage is common in some dialects but is generally considered grammatically incorrect in formal settings.

• When I'm running late no sleep's to blame

  ➔ Inversion (Emphasis)

  ➔ The phrase is constructed such that "no sleep's to blame" is emphasized. A more standard word order would be "no sleep is to blame". The inversion adds a slight poetic or emphatic effect.

• If you've gotta wife you know I'm right

  ➔ Ellipsis and Contraction

  ➔ "gotta" is a contraction of "got to", and the subject "you" is implicitly understood after "wife": "If you've gotta wife, (you) know I'm right". Ellipsis makes the sentence more conversational.

• Cause what I really wanna say

  ➔ Informal Contraction/Pronunciation

  ➔ "Cause" is an informal contraction of "because". "Wanna" is the contraction of "want to". This type of informal language is common in music, especially in genres like hip-hop and funk, for stylistic reasons.

• Let me tell you what I say When I'm dealing with the funky sidewalk

  ➔ Indirect Question

  ➔ "What I say" functions as the object of the verb "tell". It is not a direct question but a statement referring to the speaker's saying something. The structure is "Let me tell you + what + subject + verb".

• Hilzi, gilzirls! Yilzall hilzave t' milzove ilzout the wilzay silzo the gilzuys can plilzay bilzasket-bilzall

  ➔ Slang and Phonetic Spelling

  ➔ This line is heavily stylized with slang and phonetic respellings to mimic a particular accent or dialect. It's not grammatically standard but relies on phonetic pronunciation. For example: girls -> gilzirls, You all -> Yilzall, have to -> hilzave t', move -> milzove, out -> ilzout, way -> wilzay, so -> silzo, the -> the, guys -> gilzuys, play -> plilzay, Basket-ball -> bilzasket-bilzall. This is a stylistic choice that prioritizes sound and rhythm over strict grammatical correctness.

• My gizzirl Brillzing her izzin

  ➔ Phonetic Spelling and Non-Standard Grammar

  ➔ This line uses phonetic spelling and non-standard grammar. "gizzirl" for "girl", "Brillzing" for "Bringing", and "izzin" for "in". The overall phrase is grammatically incomplete but conveys a clear meaning in the context of the song's playful language.

• Everytime you do the Double Dutch you really turn it on

  ➔ Use of "Everytime" as a conjunction

  ➔ "Everytime" is used as a single word conjunction meaning "each time" or "whenever". Standard English would typically use "every time" (two words) as the conjunction. In the song, this is done for stylistic effect.