Released: January 1, 1990

Songwriter: KRS-One

Producer: Pal Joey

[Intro, KRS-One]
You know, that's why, man, I've been telling you all the time, and you know, love, that word 'love' is a very serious thing, and if you don't watch out, I tell you that

(Love's gonna get you, love's gonna get you, love's gonna get you)

Because a lot of people out here, they say, "I love my car" or "I love my chain", or, or, "I'm just in love with that girl over there", so for all the people out there that fall in love with a material item, we're gonna pump the beat a little something like this:

[Verse 1]
I'm in junior high with a B plus grade
At the end of the day I don't hit the arcade
I walk from school to my mom's apartment
I got to tell the suckas everyday "Don't start it!"
'Cause where I'm at if you're soft you're lost
To stay on course means to roll with force
A boy named Rob, is chillin' in a Benz
In front of my building with the rest of his friends
I give him a pound, oh I mean I shake his hand
He's the neighborhood drug dealer, my man
I go upstair and hug my mother
Kiss my sister, and punch my brother
I sit down on my bed, to watch some TV
*machine gun fire* Do my ears deceive me?
Nope, that's the fourth time this week
Another fast brother shot dead in the street
The very next day while I'm off to class
My moms goes to work cold bustin' her ass
My sister's cute but she got no gear
I got three pairs of pants and with my brother I share
See there in school, see I'm made a fool
With one and a half pair of pants you ain't cool
But there's no dollars for nothing else
I got beans, rice, and bread on my shelf
Everyday I see my mother strugglin'
Now it's time, I've got to do something
I look for work I get dissed like a jerk
I do odd jobs and come home like a slob
So here comes Rob, his gold is shimmery
He gives me two hundred for a quick delivery
I do it once, I do it twice
Now there's steak with the beans and rice
My mother's nervous but she knows the deal
My sister's gear now has sex appeal
My brother's my partner and we're gettin' paper
Three months later we run our own caper
My family's happy everything is new
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?

[Hook]
That's why, (love's gonna get you)
(love's gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)
You fall in love with your chain
You fall in love with your car
Love is gonna sneak right up and snuff you from behind
So I want you to check the story out, as we go down the line
(love's gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)
(Let us move on)

[Verse 2]
Money's flowin', everythin' is fine
Got myself an Uzi and my brother a nine
Business is boomin' everything is cool
I pull about a G a week; fuck school!
A year goes by and I begin to grow
Not in height but juice and cash flow
I kick up my feet and begin to watch TV
'Cause now I got other people workin' for me
I got a 55 inch television, you know
And every once in awhile I hear "Just Say No"
Or, the other commercial I love
Is when they say, "This is your brain on drugs"
I pick up my remote control and just turn
'Cause with that bullshit I'm not concerned
See me and my brother jump in the BM
Drivin' around our territory again
I stop at the light like a superstar
And automatic weapons cold sprayed my car
I hit the accelerator scared as shit
And drove one block to find my brother was hit
He wasn't dead but the blood was pourin'
And all I could think about was war and
Later I found that it was Rob and his crew
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?

[Hook]
You know, that's why, (loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
That word "Love" is very, very serious
Very addictive
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
(Let us move on)

[Verse 3]
My brothers out of it, but I'm still in it
On top of that I'm in it to win it
I can't believe that Rob would diss me
That faggot, that punk, he's soft a sissy
I'm drivin' around now with three of my guys
The war is on and I'm on the rise
We rolled right up to his favorite hang out
Said "Hello" and then the bullets rang out
Some fired back so we took cover
And all I could think about was my brother
Rob jumped up and began to run
Bustin' shots hopin' to hit someone
So I just stopped, and let off three shots
Two hit him and one hit a cop
I threw the gun down and began to shout
"Come on I got him, it's time to break out!"
But as we ran there were the boys in blue
Pointin' their guns at my four man crew
They shot down one, they shot down two
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?

[Hook]
Thats why, (loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)(love's gonna get you)
(Let us move on)

[Outro, KRS-One]
You know, a lot of people believe that that word "Love" is real soft, But when you use it in your vocabulary like you're addicted to it, It sneaks right up and takes you right out

So, for future reference, remember, it's alright to like or want a material item, But when you fall in love with it, and you start schemin' and carrying on for it, just remember:
It's gonna get you!

Boogie Down Productions

Coming from and named after the “Boogie Down” Bronx, BDP originally consisted of rapper KRS-One (the “Blastmaster”), DJ Scott La Rock, and the “human TR-808”, beat-boxer D-Nice (all pictured above). The personnel and subject matter would change over the years of the group’s existence. They would move from being gangster rap pioneers with their classic debut album, 1987’s Criminal Minded to a more positive and Afrocentric focus on later albums like the 1990 release Edutainment.

While BDP is no longer extant, group leader KRS-One continues to release albums, perform, and even write books.