OutKast

Lyrics

[Intro: André 3000]
One, two
One, two, three, yeah!

[Verse 1: André 3000]
Inslumnational, underground
Thunder pounds when I stomp the ground (Woo!)
Like a million elephants or silverback orangutans
You can't stop the train
Who want some? Don't come unprepared
I'll be there, but when I leave there
Better be a household name
Weatherman tellin' us it ain't gon' rain
So now we sittin' in a drop-top, soakin' wet
In a silk suit, tryin' not to sweat
Hit somersaults without the net
But this'll be the year that we won't forget
The 1-9-9-9 Anno Domini, anything goes
Be what you wanna be as long as you know
Consequences are given for livin'
The fence is too high to jump in jail
Too low to dig, I might just touch hell—hot!
Get a life, now they on sale
Then I might cast you a spell
Look at what came in the mail
A scale and some Arm & Hammer
Soul-gold grill and a baby mama
Black Cadillac and a pack of Pampers
Stack of questions with no answers
Cure for cancer, cure for AIDS
Make a nigga wanna stay on tour for days
Get back home, things are wrong
Well not really, it was bad all along
Before you left adds up to a ball of power
Thoughts at a thousand miles per hour
Hello, ghetto, let yo' brain breathe
Believe there's always mo', ow!
[Chorus: André 3000 & Morris Brown College Gospel Choir]
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah! (Yeah, ha, ha, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah! (Yeah, oh-ah)
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah! (Ha, ha, ha, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah!

[Verse 2: Big Boi]
Uno, dos, tres, it's on
Did you ever think a pimp rock a microphone?
Like that there, boy, and will still stay street
Big things happen every time we meet
Like a track team, crack fiend dyin' to geek
OutKast bumpin' up and down the street
Slant back Cadillac, 'bout five niggas deep
75 MC's freestylin' to the beat
'Cause we get crunk, stay drunk, at the club
Shoulda bought an ounce, but you copped a dub
Shoulda held back, but you throwed a punch
'Posed to meet your girl but you packed a lunch
No D to the U to the G for you
Got a son on the way by the name of Bamboo
Got a little baby girl, four-year—Jordan
Never turned my back on my kids, for them
Should've hit it, quit it, rag-top
Before you re-up, get a laptop
Make a business for yourself, boy, set some goals
Make a fat diamond out of dusty coal
Record number four, but we on a roll
Hold up, slow up, stop, "Control"
Like Janet, Planet, Stankonia's on ya
Moving like Floyd, comin' straight to Florida
Lock all your windows, then block the corridors
Pullin' off my belt 'cause a whipping's in order
Like a three-piece fish 'fore I cut your daughter
Yo quiero Taco Bell, then I hit the border
Pitty-pat rappers tryna get to five
I'm a microphone fiend tryin' to stay alive
When you come to ATL, boy, you better not hide
'Cause the Dungeon Family gon' ride, ha-ha!
[Chorus: André 3000 & Morris Brown College Gospel Choir]
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah! (Ah, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah! (Ah, yeah)
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah! (Y'all over, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah!

[Break: Morris Brown College Gospel Choir]
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah!
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah!
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah!
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah!

[Bridge: André 3000, Big Boi]
André
B-I-G
B-O-I
Bob, bob, bob, bob
OutKast
South of Georgia

[Outro: André 3000 & Morris Brown College Gospel Choir]
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top (One, two, one, two, three, let's go!)
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival

OutKast is one of the most innovative and influential hip-hop duos of all time, responsible for some of the most groundbreaking and genre-defying albums in music history. Their fourth album, Stankonia, which was released in 2000, marked a significant shift in their sound and style, as they mixed more overtly political and social commentary with their usual sense of humor, inventiveness, and musical experimentation.

The lead single from Stankonia, "B.O.B.," stands as one of the most electrifying and dynamic tracks in the duo's catalog, a fierce and frenzied blast of psychedelic funk, rock, and rap that showcases OutKast's skills as lyricists, storytellers, and musicians.

About B.O.B.

"B.O.B." is an acronym for "Bombs Over Baghdad," but the song is much more than a protest against war and violence. Instead, it's a complex and multi-layered critique of social and cultural conditions in the ghetto, addressing issues like poverty, racism, police brutality, and the alienation and frustration of black youth.

The song's lyrics are dense, poetic, and full of references to history, politics, and pop culture, drawing on everything from Malcolm X and Huey P. Newton to kung fu movies and video games. The verses are woven together in a stream-of-consciousness style that's both disorienting and exhilarating, reflecting the chaos and urgency of the world that OutKast is describing.

But what truly makes "B.O.B." so memorable and powerful is its music. The track opens with a frenzied drumbeat and a distorted guitar riff that sounds like it's been lifted from a heavy metal song, before exploding into a barrage of synths, horns, and bass that ebbs and flows in intensity. The production, courtesy of OutKast members André 3000 and Big Boi, is intricate, adventurous, and unpredictable, incorporating elements of funk, soul, punk, and even classical music.

The result is a song that's both chaotic and cohesive, raw and refined, abrasive and beautiful. It's a sonic tour de force that captures the spirit of late 90s and early 2000s hip-hop, when the genre was at its most experimental and boundary-pushing.

Despite its complexities and innovations, "B.O.B." was also a commercial success, reaching #69 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and earning a platinum certification. It was widely acclaimed by critics and fans alike, with publications like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork ranking it among the best hip-hop songs of all time.

But perhaps the most remarkable thing about "B.O.B." is its enduring relevance and resonance. Nearly two decades after its release, the song still sounds fresh, urgent, and vital, its themes and messages as timely and urgent as ever. It's a testament to the power of OutKast's artistry and vision, and a reminder of why they remain one of the most beloved and revolutionary acts in music history.

• Release Date: September 19, 2000
• Artist: OutKast