Faces – English Lyrics

• By: RUN DMC

Lyrics & Translation

Discover a different side of the legendary RUN DMC with their song 'Faces.' This track offers a unique opportunity to explore the language of early '90s hip-hop as the group navigates social commentary and personal reflections. For language learners, the song provides a glimpse into the evolving slang and lyrical styles of the era, all while telling a story of the diverse 'faces' of the world. It's a special track as it marks the first time the iconic DJ Jam Master Jay picks up the mic to deliver a verse.

[English]

♪ In your face all the time. ♪

♪ All in your face when I'm kickin' my rhyme, ♪

♪ all these faces in front of me ♪

♪ Face to face with Run DMC ♪

♪ Run DMC ♪

♪ Faces ♪

♪ Faces ♪

♪ Faces ♪

♪ Faces ♪

♪ Knucklehead's in my face for a second ♪

♪ but I move the crowd and I reckon ♪

♪ that a sucker might jump and try to fake, ♪

♪ so kill that noise and get out my face ♪

♪ And let a real MC collect dollars ♪

♪ The truth doin', few come from Hollis, Queens ♪

♪ And by all means necessary ♪

♪ My vocabulary is very extensive and expensive, ♪

♪ So hard it'll put you in intensive care. ♪

♪ Proceed with caution, ♪

♪ all them suckers get lost in the sauce when, ♪

♪ Faces, ♪

♪ Just start speakin' on faces, ♪

♪ and leaving traces, other races be mocked, ♪

♪ and the sparks fly day and night dark and light. ♪

♪ Different types of, ♪

♪ Faces Ahh, faces, faces ♪

♪ Faces, ♪

♪ and everywhere you go you see ♪

♪ Faces, ♪

♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ Faces. ♪

♪ Break, as we come back on, as we come back on, ♪

♪ On your face I place this rhyme, ♪

♪ in this room, you're facing you're doom, ♪

♪ You got punched in the face, ♪

♪ as soon as you heard this tune. ♪

♪ I race at a pace with no shoelaces ♪

♪ To racist faces, placing disgraces, ♪

♪ Taste the bass of the racial facial, ♪

♪ Disgraceful, tasteless, racist faces, ♪

♪ Get out my face, don't base, ♪

♪ don't waste my time, ♪

♪ my brother, I'm not colorblind. ♪

♪ I walk the face of the earth, ♪

♪ Face death, ♪

♪ face the best and I'll test. ♪

♪ Rip, lip or trip won't shut up or let up. ♪

♪ Get out my face or we can go head up, (Damn,D), ♪

♪ No, no, yo! They don't understand me, ♪

♪ in this land where they always try to ban me. ♪

♪ Hyping the stereotype of a face, ♪

♪ and that's the problem with the human race. ♪

♪ Haste makes waste no trace of the faces, ♪

♪ we're all the same, but with different tastes. ♪

♪ Faces, yeah D, and everywhere I go, I see, ♪

♪ Faces, faces sweating and they sweatin' face, ♪

♪ Faces, around, around the world, international face, ♪

♪ Faces, yeah, now bust it. ♪

♪ Yo, I took a look in the face of a girl. ♪

♪ The way she look that day, must say, ♪

♪ Somethin' 'bout the way my afro's growin', ♪

♪ Well is it funky? (Yeah), Well okay. ♪

♪ Is she jockin' my 'fro or my fame? ♪

♪ Do she want me because of my name? ♪

♪ I like the ladies sweet and serious. ♪

♪ Not those 'hos that plays the game, ♪

♪ on every Tom, Dick and Harry, ♪

♪ Shawn, Jerry, John, Nick, Curly, Moe and Larry. ♪

♪ You thinkin' you'll marry? Well you're crazy? ♪

♪ My baby you won't carry. ♪

♪ 'Cause I like a girl that's low-key, ♪

♪ That's how it's gotta be to be with me, ♪

♪ and I'll take her to all the exotic places. ♪

♪ The name of this jam is called Faces. ♪

♪ Faces, (yeah) so many faces, ♪

♪ Faces, and everywhere I go I see, ♪

♪ Faces, everywhere you go you see, ♪

♪ Faces, international faces, I'm a afro, ♪

♪ and I'm outta here. ♪

(singer ad libbing)

(music fades)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot verb - to manage or operate
kickin' /ˈkɪkɪn/ A2	verb - to strike with the foot
rhyme /raɪm/ A2	noun - correspondence of sound between words verb - to have or express a rhyme
move /muːv/ A2	verb - to change position
reckon /ˈrekən/ B1	verb - to think or suppose
sucker /ˈsʌkər/ B1	noun - a foolish or gullible person
collect /kəˈlekt/ B1	verb - to gather or accumulate
extensive /ɪkˈstensɪv/ B2	adjective - covering a large area or range
expensive /ɪkˈspensɪv/ B2	adjective - costing a lot of money
caution /ˈkɔːʃən/ B2	noun - carefulness
intensive /ɪnˈtensɪv/ B2	adjective - requiring or using great concentration
traces /treɪsɪz/ B2	noun - a very small quantity
mocked /mɒkt/ B2	verb - to make fun of
proceed /prəˈsiːd/ B2	verb - to begin or continue a course of action
racial /ˈreɪʃəl/ C1	adjective - relating to race
disgrace /dɪsˈɡreɪs/ C1	noun - loss of respect
stereotype /ˈstiːriətaɪp/ C1	noun - a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing
waste /weɪst/ B1	verb - to use or expend something carelessly

Key Grammar Structures

• In your face all the time.

  ➔ Present Simple tense - used for habitual actions.

  ➔ The phrase ''in your face'' suggests being confrontational.

• Let a real MC collect dollars.

  ➔ Imperative form - giving commands or instructions.

  ➔ The phrase ''let a real MC'' implies permission for someone credible to act.

• My vocabulary is very extensive and expensive.

  ➔ Adjective usage - describing nouns.

  ➔ The words ''extensive'' and ''expensive'' describe the quality of the 'vocabulary'.

• Get out my face.

  ➔ Imperative form - used for giving direct commands.

  ➔ The phrase ''get out'' indicates urgency and demand for space.

• I walk the face of the earth.

  ➔ Present Simple tense - indicating a general truth.

  ➔ The phrase ''walk the face of the earth'' expresses existence.

• Different types of faces.

  ➔ Plural nouns - indicating more than one.

  ➔ The word ''faces'' shows variety.

• I like the ladies sweet and serious.

  ➔ Adjective coordination - using 'and' to combine adjectives.

  ➔ The adjectives ''sweet'' and ''serious'' describe the type of ladies preferred.