Released in 1993, “It Was A Good Day” is probably Ice Cube’s biggest hit … recorded at the peak of his career as a rapper.
Unlike so many of the more aggressive “shoot ‘em up” gangsta rap anthems (including many other songs by Ice Cube), this song’s focus on a relatively mundane day in the hood was a catchy contrast.
“No smog,” indeed.
Enjoy …
ICE CUBE: “IT WAS A GOOD DAY”
Just wakin up in the mornin gotta thank God
I don’t know but today seems kinda odd
No barkin from the dog, no smog
And momma cooked a breakfast with no hog (damn)
I got my grub on, but didn’t pig out
Finally got a call from a girl I wanna dig out
(Whassup?) Hooked it up for later as I hit the do’
Thinkin will I live, another twenty-fo’
I gotta go cause I got me a drop top
And if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop
Had to stop, at a red light
Lookin in my mirror and not a jacker in sight
And everything is alright
I got a beep from Kim, and she can fuck all night
Called up the homies and I’m askin y’all
Which park, are y’all playin basketball?
Get me on the court and I’m trouble
Last week fucked around and got a triple double
Freakin niggaz everyway like M.J.
I can’t believe, today was a good day (shit!)
Drove to the pad and hit the showers
Didn’t even get no static from the cowards
Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me
Saw the police and they rolled right past me
No flexin, didn’t even look in a nigga’s direction
as I ran the intersection
Went to $hort Dog’s house, they was watchin Yo! MTV Raps
What’s the haps on the craps?
Shake ‘em up, shake ‘em up, shake ‘em up, shake ‘em
Roll ‘em in a circle of niggaz and watch me break ‘em
with the seven, seven-eleven, seven-eleven
Seven even back do’ Lil’ Joe
I picked up the cash flow
Then we played bones, and I’m yellin domino
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central L.A.
Today was a good day (shit!)
Left my nigga’s house paid (what)
Picked up a girl been tryin to fuck since the 12th grade
It’s ironic, I had the brew she had the chronic
The Lakers beat the Supersonics
I felt on the big fat fanny
Pulled out the jammy, and killed the punanny
And my dick runs deep, so deep
So deep put her ass to sleep
Woke her up around one
She didn’t hesitate, to call Ice Cube the top gun
Drove her to the pad and I’m coastin
Took another sip of the potion hit the three-wheel motion
I was glad everything had worked out
Dropped her ass off and then chirped out
Today was like one of those fly dreams
Didn’t even see a berry flashin those high beams
No helicopter looking for a murder
Two in the mornin got the Fatburger
Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
And it read, “Ice Cube’s a pimp” (yeah)
Drunk as hell but no throwin up
Half way home and my pager still blowin up
Today I didn’t even have to use my A.K.
I got to say it was a good day (shit!)
Previously …
The Afghan Whigs – “Gentleman”
Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”
Beck – “Loser”
Ben Folds Five – “Rockin’ The Suburbs”
Billy Ward & The Dominoes – “Sixty Minute Man”
The Black Crowes – “Wiser Time”
B.O.B. – “Nothing On You”
Coolio – “Fantastic Voyage”
Cypress Hill – “Rock Superstar”
The Cure – “Burn”
Death Cab For Cute – “Expo 86?
Elvis Costello – “Every Day I Write The Book”
Eminem (ft. Rihanna) – “Love The Way You Lie”
Filter – “One (Cover)”
Foo Fighters – “Times Like These”
Foo Fighters – “My Hero”
The Fray – “The Great Beyond (Cover)”
James – “Born of Frustration (Live)”
Janet Jackson – “When I Think Of You”
Joy Division – “New Dawn Fades”
Kesha- “Your Love Is My Drug”
Katie Melua - “Just Like Heaven (Cover)”
Killers – “Shadowplay (Cover)”
Lady Ga Ga/ Beyonce – “Telephone”
Led Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come/ Black Mountain Side”
Led Zeppelin – “Misty Mountain Hop”
LL Cool J – “Mama Said Knock You Out”
Metric – “Help I’m Alive”
Midnight Oil – “Dreamworld”
Monster Magnet – “Negasonic Teenage Warhead”
The National – “All The Wine”
Naughty By Nature – “O.P.P.”
Nena – “99 Luftballoons”
New Order – “Regret”
Nine Inch Nails – “Piggy”
Nine Inch Nails – “Hand That Feeds”
Nirvana – “Rape Me”
One Republic – “All The Right Moves”
The Outfield – “I Don’t Need Her”
Outkast – “Rosa Parks”
Outkast – “Gasoline Dreams”
Owl City – “Hot Air Balloon”
Parliament-Funkadelic – “Give Up The Funk”
Panic At The Disco! – “Karma Police” (Cover)
Pavement – “Range Life”
Pearl Jam – “Alive”
Pretenders – “Back On The Chain Gang”
Queen – “Somebody To Love”
R.E.M. – “These Days”
Sarah McLachlan – “Building A Mystery”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Geek, U.S.A.”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Age Of Innocence”
The Smiths – “Headmaster Ritual”
Soundgarden – “Outshined”
The Spin Doctors – “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”
Stevie Wonder – “I Believe (When I Fall In Love This Time It Will Last Forever)”
Sting – “Fortress Around Your Heart”
Teenage Fanclub – “Hang On”
Tom Petty – “The Waiting”
Twilight Singers – “The Twilite Kid”
U2 – “Until The End Of The World”
U2 – “Where The Streets Have No Name”
The Verve – “Lucky Man”
The Waitresses – “I Know What Boys Like”
Weezer – “Put Me Back Together”
The Who – “Baba O’Riley”
Wu-Tang Clan – “C.R.E.A.M.”
Yeasayer – “Ambling Alp”
***
