[Intro – Guitar feedback, drum count-in, scratching] "One, two! One, two, three, four!" HEY! "Yo, who's got the keys to the van?" "Nobody!" "Who's got the beer?" "Nobody!" "Who's got the money?" "MAN, JUST PLAY THE SONG!" [Full band crashes in] [Verse 1 – MC 1] Well, I woke up late with a headache and a half Put my sneakers on backwards and I started to laugh Got a pocket full of quarters and a head full of steam And a brand-new attitude that's a little too extreme I'm a sidewalk superstar, a boulevard brat Got a baseball cap tilted and a hole in my hat I'm the neighborhood menace, the local disgrace Got a stupid little grin and a criminal face Not a criminal, exactly, just a public nuisance Got a reputation for excessive exuberance My mother says I'm hopeless, my father says I'm dumb But the whole damn neighborhood knows where I'm coming from! [Chorus – All MCs, shouted] ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) Turn it up, turn it loose Everybody's got an attitude! ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) From the avenue down to the alleyway We're gonna rock this mother till the break of day! [Verse 2 – MC 2] I got a skateboard, a milk crate and a shopping cart A broken guitar and a questionable heart Got a forty-dollar jacket that I bought for five And a busted pair of headphones keeping me alive I'm the king of the curb, the duke of the street Got a funky little rhythm in my two left feet I don't play basketball, but I own the court Got banned from the bowling alley for a criminal sport! Now the cops roll by and they give us the eye We give 'em a wave and a sarcastic reply The neighbors complain that we're making a racket So we put another speaker in the back of the jacket! [Chorus – All MCs] ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) Turn it up, turn it loose Everybody's got an attitude! ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) From the avenue down to the alleyway We're gonna rock this mother till the break of day! [Instrumental Break – Distorted guitar riff, scratching, explosive drum fills] [MC 3 – Spoken] "Yo, I got a question." "What's louder than a freight train?" [MC 1] "Your mother!" [MC 2] "Your mother!" [MC 3] "That's right, and she's coming down the block!" [Verse 3 – MC 3] I'm a walking disaster with a license to chill Got a half-eaten sandwich and a pocketful of bills Got a funky little haircut and a brand-new tattoo It says 'Momma's Boy' but the spelling ain't true I'm a teenage nightmare in a grown man's shoes Got nothing to lose and a whole lot to prove I got style, got class, got absolutely no cash And a dangerous addiction to the breakfast hash! I'm the reason that the neighbors keep their windows shut I'm the reason that the landlord's got his head in a rut I'm the reason that the fire escape's falling apart But I got a funky little beat and a whole lotta heart! [Bridge – Half-time punk breakdown] We don't need no invitation! We don't need no reservation! We don't need no explanation! WE JUST NEED AMPLIFICATION! [All MCs] HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! [Verse 4 – Trading bars, increasingly frantic] MC 1: Got a pair of dice and a busted Walkman! MC 2: Got a stolen road sign and a bad suntan! MC 3: Got a skateboard deck and a pocket of lint! MC 1: Got a bad attitude and a permanent squint! MC 2: We don't need permission, we don't need a plan! MC 3: We don't need a permit, we're the neighborhood band! ALL: Got a whole lotta noise and a whole lotta nerve! If you don't like the party, get off the curb! [Final Chorus – Full band, shouted gang vocals] ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) Turn it up, turn it loose Everybody's got an attitude! ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) ROCK THE BLOCK! (HEY! HEY!) From the avenue down to the alleyway We're gonna rock this mother till the break of day! [Outro – Guitar feedback and scratching] "Yo, we outta here!" "Who's driving?" "Not me!" "Who's got the keys?" [Silence] "...Aw, man." [Final guitar chord] [End]
