Wailin' – English Lyrics

• By: Outkast

Lyrics & Translation

Step into the deep South with Outkast's "Wailin'", a powerful track from their landmark album "ATLiens". This song offers a rich opportunity to learn English through its intricate lyricism, showcasing the distinctive slang and poetic expressions of Southern hip-hop. Its themes of authenticity, self-respect, and defiance provide a meaningful context for language learners, while the unique blend of funky, spacey production and raw storytelling makes it a compelling and special piece of music to explore.

[English]

Wailin'

Wailin'

In the zone like Keyser Soze, always the usual suspect (wailin')

No check, all I got in this game is my respect

And southern pride I be, checkin' my fuckin' head (wailin')

Scared, lookin' up in your face, boy I see dead

If you test like SAT, then I guess that we may be (wailin')

Enemies in the P's freestyles be freebies

I be that wrong nigga to fuck with, wouldn't I? (Wailin')

Wouldn't I be the wrong one to try? Never eating chicken thighs

Only the twenty piece mojo, flow zone like Flo Jo (wailin')

I wanted to figure out, just how low could yo' hoe go

The beat hit like Beat Street, Krush Groove and Breakin' (wailin')

Never bakin', rebukin' Satan, we had you waitin'

For the second coming funny how time flies when you're rhymin' (wailin')

La-Fa-Ce records, I think they got that perfect timin'

To be doper than Saddam believe the Nation of Islam (wailin')

Fuck the police and the dogs, sniffin' that dope up out yo' car

I think they overstep they boundaries (wailin')

Uh, OJ, not guilty, that's how they found he

Mm, yeah (wailin')

Mm, mm-mm

Mm, yeah (wailin')

Mm, mm

Mm, yeah (wailin')

Mm, mm

Mm, yeah (wailin')

Mm

I felt the pressure like sun shinin' (wailin'), while raining at the same time

I kept on rhymin', not complainin'

Storm bringing cats and dogs my catalog be the size of golf balls (wailin')

Throw up your daisy dukes, I'm hazardous to all you boss hogs

And Roscoe P. Col' people, who could boost my locomotive (wailin')

But enough of that everyone can rap unless they ain't supposed to

I use my gift of gab to boast and brag in every rhyme I (wailin')

Compose won't y'all get sick of that

'Cause I know I do when I hear those

Flows that ain't hip hop, you find that shit in the gift shop (wailin')

But to each his own, my speech is gone

Keep that shit up outta my zone

Long as you happy then I'm happy (wailin')

Even if you just hate my fuckin' guts go 'head and damp me

Cause I'm gon' damp you anyway and then go home

And pray for yo' ass later (wailin') 'cause we might need you in this war

I'm wailin' on you traitors like that

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wail /weɪl/ B1	verb - to cry loudly, often in grief or pain
zone /zoʊn/ A2	noun - an area or region that is distinct in some way
respect /rɪˈspɛkt/ A2	noun - a feeling of admiration toward someone or something verb - to admire or consider someone with regard
pride /praɪd/ A2	noun - a feeling of deep satisfaction derived from one's own achievements
enemies /ˈɛnəmiz/ B1	noun - people who are opposed or hostile to someone
freestyle /ˈfriːstaɪl/ B2	noun - an improvised rap performance without pre‑written lyrics
flow /floʊ/ B2	noun - the smooth, continuous movement of words or music verb - to move smoothly and continuously
beat /biːt/ A2	noun - a rhythmic unit in music; a regular pulse verb - to strike repeatedly
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured period during which something happens verb - to schedule or arrange for a particular moment
rhyme /raɪm/ B2	noun - a correspondence of sounds between words, especially at the end of lines verb - to compose or use words that rhyme
police /pəˈlis/ A2	noun - the civil force of a country responsible for maintaining law and order
dogs /dɔɡz/ A1	noun - domesticated carnivorous mammals kept as pets or for work
pressure /ˈprɛʃər/ B1	noun - the force exerted on an object or the feeling of stress
storm /stɔːrm/ B1	noun - a violent weather condition with strong wind and rain verb - to attack or criticize someone vigorously
hazardous /ˈhæzərdəs/ C1	adjective - dangerous, likely to cause harm
rap /ræp/ B2	noun - a musical style with spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics verb - to perform rap music
gift /ɡɪft/ A2	noun - something given voluntarily without payment
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - armed conflict between nations or groups
traitor /ˈtreɪtər/ B2	noun - a person who betrays a friend, cause, or principle