Released: April 17, 1990
Songwriter: Q-Tip Ali Shaheed Muhammad Stevie Wonder Larry Mizell Bradley Ridgell Sigidi
Producer: A Tribe Called Quest
[Verse 1: Q-Tip]
As we start trudging
Me and my brothers we be looking and be bugging
Vehicles of life they be rolling and be nudging
Searching for the virgins of life
That be shoving out the door that's crack
The valleys of time, are always on my feet
As least the beat will combine
The calluses and corns with the funky bassline
You don't need Underdog for a nickel shoeshine or the shoes that's phat
But can I get a level on the bass and on the treble?
Footing up and down like a UNLV Rebel
The answer be amongst us 'cause we really dig acoustics
Can't be too much flacking, not too much packing
You must container that at least to dip your hand in rap
Your feet will be infectious so at least realize the fact
The rhythms are inserted and the nurse can be converted
This ain't rock 'n' roll 'cause the rap is in control
If you're a megastar, words will buy you a car
I'd rather go barefooting, for prints I will be putting
All over the earth if we can get there first
Now that we are in it, footprints are being printed
So if you recognize 'em, you can try to size 'em
They'll probably be the ones with the size nine flying
All over the field, you won't have to yield
If you want protection you can hide behind the shield
[Interlude: Jesse Jackson]
And the musician often tries to capture the new thing so that we might have melody and have rhythm as we do our thing
It's rough and tough in this ghetto, a lot of funny stuff going down but you got to walk tall. Walk tall!
[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
You can game on the gallons if you really need to rock
But we walk while we talk as we stomping through the block
Hand in hand 'cross the land as Muhammad cross the fade
It's a Tribe who meanders, precious like a jade
It's a art, Theo arch rhymes the ground placed upon
The mind will unwind, it will soft to beyond
Catch the track, track by track, get a map to track a trail
You will find yourself behind for a map does not prevail
See the levels peaking as the rhythms keep-a screeching
A Quest, oh yes a Quest, inside the jam I will keep preaching
The point, oh yes the point, because it's close but yet so far
The liveliness is mean as we scoot across the star
We are bulging, I'm indulging in a rat-a-tat-tat
Explanation for the line is that the rhythm is phat
Keep it wild, wide and deep, you could dig it in a Jeep
But dig it in the ground because the footprint now
[Interlude: Jesse Jackson]
Walk tall!
[Verse 3: Q-Tip]
If there's a storm that's brewing, it won't keep us from doing
Our thing as we start swinging, travelling is bringing
Joy inside the domes as we hit the road to Rome
A chair is not a chair, a house is not a home
Because my skin is brown, yo I'm gonna do the town
Rub it in the face and rub my feet all through the place
When you get your finger on the music it'll linger
Sing a song o' sixpence, sing it like a singer
A Nubian, a Nubian, a proud one at that
Remember me, the brother who said "Black is black"
You can come while we Quest, I don't play, I don't jest
Get emotions off your chest, we are Black, we been blessed
Making moves, making motions, flowing like an ocean
The walking will continue, we know that we will bring you
The times that you have waited, more anticipated
Be gone but not for long because the feet will stay strong
As we start trudging
Me and my brothers we be looking and be bugging
Vehicles of life they be rolling and be nudging
Searching for the virgins of life
That be shoving out the door that's crack
The valleys of time, are always on my feet
As least the beat will combine
The calluses and corns with the funky bassline
You don't need Underdog for a nickel shoeshine or the shoes that's phat
But can I get a level on the bass and on the treble?
Footing up and down like a UNLV Rebel
The answer be amongst us 'cause we really dig acoustics
Can't be too much flacking, not too much packing
You must container that at least to dip your hand in rap
Your feet will be infectious so at least realize the fact
The rhythms are inserted and the nurse can be converted
This ain't rock 'n' roll 'cause the rap is in control
If you're a megastar, words will buy you a car
I'd rather go barefooting, for prints I will be putting
All over the earth if we can get there first
Now that we are in it, footprints are being printed
So if you recognize 'em, you can try to size 'em
They'll probably be the ones with the size nine flying
All over the field, you won't have to yield
If you want protection you can hide behind the shield
[Interlude: Jesse Jackson]
And the musician often tries to capture the new thing so that we might have melody and have rhythm as we do our thing
It's rough and tough in this ghetto, a lot of funny stuff going down but you got to walk tall. Walk tall!
[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
You can game on the gallons if you really need to rock
But we walk while we talk as we stomping through the block
Hand in hand 'cross the land as Muhammad cross the fade
It's a Tribe who meanders, precious like a jade
It's a art, Theo arch rhymes the ground placed upon
The mind will unwind, it will soft to beyond
Catch the track, track by track, get a map to track a trail
You will find yourself behind for a map does not prevail
See the levels peaking as the rhythms keep-a screeching
A Quest, oh yes a Quest, inside the jam I will keep preaching
The point, oh yes the point, because it's close but yet so far
The liveliness is mean as we scoot across the star
We are bulging, I'm indulging in a rat-a-tat-tat
Explanation for the line is that the rhythm is phat
Keep it wild, wide and deep, you could dig it in a Jeep
But dig it in the ground because the footprint now
[Interlude: Jesse Jackson]
Walk tall!
[Verse 3: Q-Tip]
If there's a storm that's brewing, it won't keep us from doing
Our thing as we start swinging, travelling is bringing
Joy inside the domes as we hit the road to Rome
A chair is not a chair, a house is not a home
Because my skin is brown, yo I'm gonna do the town
Rub it in the face and rub my feet all through the place
When you get your finger on the music it'll linger
Sing a song o' sixpence, sing it like a singer
A Nubian, a Nubian, a proud one at that
Remember me, the brother who said "Black is black"
You can come while we Quest, I don't play, I don't jest
Get emotions off your chest, we are Black, we been blessed
Making moves, making motions, flowing like an ocean
The walking will continue, we know that we will bring you
The times that you have waited, more anticipated
Be gone but not for long because the feet will stay strong
more tracks from the album
People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm: 25th Anniversary Edition
- I Left My Wallet in El Segundo
- Footprints (Remix)
- Can I Kick It? (J. Cole Remix)
- Youthful Expression
- Push It Along
- Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts)
- Go Ahead in the Rain
- Pubic Enemy
- Mr. Muhammad
- Ham ‘N’ Eggs
- Bonita Applebum
- Description of a Fool
- After Hours
- Footprints
- Luck of Lucien
- Can I Kick It?
- Bonita Applebum (Pharrell Williams Remix)
From the albums
A Tribe Called Quest popular songs
- We the People....
- Electric Relaxation
- Scenario
- Can I Kick It?
- Check the Rhime
- Buggin’ Out
- Bonita Applebum
- Jazz (We’ve Got)
- The Space Program
- Award Tour
- Dis Generation
- Conrad Tokyo
- Excursions
- Hot Sex
- The Donald
- Kids...
- Find a Way
- Solid Wall of Sound
- Oh My God
- Butter
- Sucka Nigga
- Whateva Will Be
- The Killing Season
- Melatonin