Just A Friend – English Lyrics

• By: Biz Markie
• Album: The Biz Never Sleeps

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Biz Markie's iconic hit, "Just a Friend," and explore the real-life heartbreak behind its catchy tune. This song offers a humorous yet poignant look at love, friendship, and deception, showcasing how personal stories can create universally relatable music. Learn about hip-hop culture and storytelling through this unforgettable track.

[English]

Have you ever met a girl that you tried to date

...

But 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
friend /frɛnd/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - feel deep affection for
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information
need /niːd/ A2	verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important noun - a thing that is necessary or desirable
way /weɪ/ A2	noun - a method, style, or manner of doing something
long /lɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - measuring a great distance from end to end
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
talk /tɔːk/ A2	verb - speak in order to give information or express ideas or feelings; converse or communicate by spoken words
tour /tʊr/ B1	noun - a journey for pleasure in which several different places are visited
concert /ˈkɒnsərt/ B1	noun - a musical performance given in public, typically by several performers or of several compositions
strange /streɪndʒ/ B1	adjective - unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain
crime /kraɪm/ B2	noun - an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ B1	noun - the time that is to come
surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B1	noun - an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing
visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ A2	verb - go to see and spend time with (someone) socially
message /ˈmesɪdʒ/ B1	noun - a verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for someone

Key Grammar Structures

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.