About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
SHOOT lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Lauderhill taught me the oldest game in the world Three shapes, one hand
Verse 1
Bus stop on 441, two kids settle it, fists in the air One throws rock like his daddy did, loses bus fare and the chair Barber on Sistrunk holding scissors all day, say the sharpest man eats Landlord glide by in a paper-white coupe, folder of leases Granddaddy slam dominoes, calloused hands, knuckles like gravel Say the block respect rock till the county come with a gavel Heat off the asphalt, rain at three, Route 18 crawling north
Pre-chorus
Count it off, one for the rent, two for the judge, three for the cut Hand behind your back now, hold it, don't show 'em nothing yet
Chorus
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot One, two, three, what you throw is the truth Threw rock my whole life, got the scars to prove Then a page with a stamp took the roof off the room Paper beat rock when the lease got signed Scissors took the paper when my cousin crossed the line Rock, paper, scissors, shoot Watch the wrist, not the hand, it'll tell you the move
Verse 2
Now the paper got weight, $1,850 taped at eye level Eviction in Helvetica, fourteen days, signed by a man I never met I been swinging since Miramar, strong back, short check Bench press the building, the building still owned by a pen Strongest man in Broward still fold when the paper come in
Pre-chorus
Count it off, one for the rent, two for the judge, three for the cut Hand behind your back now, steady, they reading you, switch it up
Chorus
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot One, two, three, what you throw is the truth Threw rock my whole life, got the scars to prove Then a page with a stamp took the roof off the room Paper beat rock when the lease got signed Scissors took the paper when my cousin crossed the line Rock, paper, scissors, shoot Watch the wrist, not the hand, it'll tell you the move
Post-chorus
pound, rock, slap, paper, snap, shoot Watch the wrist, watch the wrist
Verse 3
Beat drop low, just me and the mirror in a Pembroke Pines motel Eight years of rock, same throw, same loss, and I finally could tell It was never strength they was beating, it was knowing what I'd do I'm predictable as summer rain, three o'clock, coming through The mirror threw paper, I flinched
Verse 4
So I learned the paper game, notary stamp, blue ink, read it twice LLC out of Sunrise, I cut clauses like a barber cut lines Cousin came back hand out, I played scissors, snip, goodbye Hurt like a sprained wrist, but a leech leave when you slice New notice on the door, certified mail went back with a counterclaim Rock when they think I'll fold, paper when they bring the force Took I-95 to the courthouse, threw a shape they never saw
Pre-chorus
Count it off, one for the rent, two for the judge, three for the cut Hands up out the shadows now, show 'em what you built when it was rough
Chorus
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot One, two, three, what you throw is the truth Threw rock my whole life, got the scars to prove Then a page with a stamp took the roof off the room Paper beat rock when the lease got signed Scissors took the paper when my cousin crossed the line Rock, paper, scissors, shoot Watch the wrist, not the hand, it'll tell you the move
Post-chorus
Rock for the body, slap, paper for the mind Scissors for the circle, keep it tight, keep it tight
Verse 5
Now my nephew on the porch in Opa-Locka throwing rock every round I grab his wrist soft, like granddaddy did, slow it down Strength is a season, strategy is a year, precision is a life Don't throw what you are, throw what they can't read The game ain't the hand, baby, the game is the eyes
Outro
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
Inside the recording
Lauderhill taught me the oldest game in the world Three shapes, one hand
Count it off, one for the rent, two for the judge, three for the cut Hand behind your back now, hold it, don't show 'em nothing yet
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.