Lyrics & Translation
"Just a Friend" by Biz Markie is an iconic hip-hop track from 1989 that offers a humorous yet relatable narrative about romantic frustration. Its memorable, off-key chorus is instantly recognizable, making it a fantastic song for English language learners to practice listening comprehension and pronunciation in a fun, lighthearted context. The song's storytelling nature and repetition of key phrases make it an accessible and enjoyable way to engage with everyday English expressions and a classic piece of hip-hop culture.
[English]
Have you ever met a girl that you tried to dateBut a year to make love she wanted you to wait?
Let me tell ya a story of my situation
I was talkin' to this girl from the U.S. nation
The way that I met her was on tour at a concert
She had long hair and a short miniskirt
I just got onstage drippin', pourin' with sweat
I was walkin' through the crowd and gues who I met
I whispered in her ear, "Come to the picture booth
So I can ask you some questions to see if you are a hundred proof"
I asked her her name, she said blah-blah-blah
I took a couple of flicks and she was enthused
I said, "How do you like the show?"
She said, "I was very amused"
I started throwin' bass, she started throwin' back mid-range
But when I sprung the question, she acted kind of strange
Then when I asked, "Do ya have a man," she tried to pretend
She said, "No I don't, I only have a friend"
Come on, I'm not even goin' for it
This is what I'm goin' sing
You, you got what I need but you say he's just a friend
And you say he's just a friend, oh baby
You, got what I need but you say he's just a friend
But you say he's just a friend, oh baby
You, got what I need but you say he's just a friend
But you say he's just a friend
So I took blah-blah's word for it at this time
I thought just havin' a friend couldn't be no crime
'Cause I have friends and that's a fact
Like Agnes, Agatha, Germaine, and Jacq
Forget about that, let's go into the story
About a girl named blah-blah-blah that adored me
So we started talkin', gettin' familiar
Spendin' a lot of time so we can build up
A relationship or some understanding
How it's gonna be in the future we was plannin'
Everything sounded so dandy and sweet
I had no idea I was in for a treat
After this was established, everything was cool
The tour was over and she went back to school
I called every day to see how she was doin'
Every time that I called her it seemed somethin' was brewin'
I called her on my dime, picked up, and then I called again
I said, "Yo, who was that?" "Oh, he's just a friend"
Don't gimme that, don't even gimme that
Jus' bust this
You, you got what I need but you say he's just a friend
And you say he's just a friend, oh baby
You, got what I need but you say he's just a friend
But you say he's just a friend, oh baby
You, got what I need but you say he's just a friend
But you say he's just a friend
So I came to her college on a surprise visit
To see my girl that was so exquisite
It was a school day, I knew she was there
The first semester of the school year
I went to a gate to ask where was her dorm
This guy made me fill out a visitor's form
He told me where it was and I as on my way
To see my baby doll, I was happy to say
I arrived in front of the dormitory
Yo, could you tell me where is door three?
They showed me where it was for the moment
I didn't know I was in for such an event
So I came to her room and opened the door
Oh, snap! Guess what I saw?
A fella tongue-kissin' my girl in the mouth
I was so in shock my heart went down south
So please listen to the message that I say
Don't ever talk to a girl who says she just has a friend
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
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friend /frɛnd/ A1 |
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girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1 |
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love /lʌv/ A1 |
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tell /tel/ A1 |
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need /niːd/ A2 |
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way /weɪ/ A2 |
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long /lɔːŋ/ A2 |
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time /taɪm/ A1 |
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talk /tɔːk/ A2 |
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tour /tʊr/ B1 |
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concert /ˈkɒnsərt/ B1 |
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strange /streɪndʒ/ B1 |
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crime /kraɪm/ B2 |
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future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ B1 |
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surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B1 |
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visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ A2 |
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message /ˈmesɪdʒ/ B1 |
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Key Grammar Structures
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But a year to make love she wanted you to wait?
➔ Inversion (emphatic)
➔ Normal word order would be: "She wanted you to wait a year to make love." The inversion, placing "a year to make love" at the beginning, emphasizes the length of time she wanted him to wait. This is used for dramatic effect, common in storytelling and poetry/song.
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I just got onstage drippin', pourin' with sweat
➔ Present participle as adjective / reduced relative clause
➔ "Drippin'" and "pourin'" are present participles used as adjectives describing the speaker. It's a stylistic choice for brevity. It is similar to "I was drippin', and I was pourin'." or "I was drippin' sweat and pourin' with sweat.
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So I can ask you some questions to see if you are a hundred proof
➔ Subjunctive mood (implied)
➔ The phrase "to see if you are a hundred proof" implies a condition or possibility. While the subjunctive isn't explicitly used with "are," the intention is similar to "to see if you *were* truly honest/genuine". "Hundred proof" means genuine. While "are" is correct, the implication contains the idea of a hypothetical scenario. The conditional sentence "if you *were* a hundred proof, then ..." is implicit.
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You, you got what I need but you say he's just a friend
➔ Relative Clause with "what"
➔ "What I need" is a relative clause acting as a noun. "What" functions as both the relative pronoun and the object of the verb "need". It represents the thing that he needs.
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I thought just havin' a friend couldn't be no crime
➔ Double Negative (non-standard)
➔ The phrase "couldn't be no crime" is a double negative. In standard English, it should be "couldn't be a crime" or "could be no crime." Double negatives are common in some dialects and non-standard English. In standard English the two negatives cancel each other, implying that it could be a crime.
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To see my girl that was so exquisite
➔ Relative Clause (defining)
➔ "That was so exquisite" is a defining relative clause that modifies "my girl." It provides essential information to identify which girl he is referring to. Without this clause, the meaning wouldn't be precise. It specifies that he is referring to the girl who was so exquisite.
