Black Thought is writing, producing, and co-starring in the broadway musical ‘Black No More’ based on the book written by George Schyuler in 1931.
The song reveals the mindset behind the protagonist in the play, a black man named Max Fisher, who has decided he is finished with the black experience...
[Verse 1: Black Thought (as Max "Matthew" Fisher)]
Yellow money, yellow women, yellow taxis
The smell of the city that's coming at me
Pepper head heffers in New York are never happy
Rule of threes, the main thing that attracts me is
Yellow sapphire, yellow diamonds, and gold
If loving her was the "bing", I guess I'm out on parole
Out of control, I was too sad to try to console
I took my hair out of my durag, went out on a stroll
To hail a taxi, a jitney, a cabbie, a gypsy, a hack
Someone to get me down 125th street
Out on the corner lookin' for a driver to lift me
To the height of a high yellow mama to kiss me
That old man mini's probably gonna to miss me
But that's ancient history I'm trying to get tipsy
Some middle mystery mix might come whistlin' dixie
And drunk from corn liquor or some bootleg whiskey
In Harlem black girls are too high saditty now
I need somebody brand new to New York City now
I need a mama who walk, talk, and look pretty now
And if I could get the milk for free, why would I buy the cow before my
[Hook]
Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow
Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow
Yellow money, yellow woman, yellow taxi
[Verse 2: Black Thought (as Max "Matthew" Fisher)]
Uh, Look
Whoever said black don't crack was wrong
I need me a saffran jawn to go platinum blonde
Matter fact, big blue eyed Anglo-Saxon swan
With the forked-tongue or horns like a Capricorn
I need an amazon viking who's physically striking
She could start off yellow then deliberately lighten her skin
Until it's brightened and visibly whitened
I mean, the polar opposite of Cicely Tyson
If you need a black lover you can go 'head, brother
I won't mess with anything less than cornbread color
Of the flesh, she might see a tan but only in summer
She's my number one and one is still the loneliest number
Without my hello, mellow, yellow amber waves of grain
I hope you're able to love me 'cause I've been raising Cain
And God don't like no ugly, so I'ma change the game
Should I even change my name? Nothing stays the same after
[Hook]
Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow
Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow
Yellow money, yellow woman, yellow taxi
[Verse 3: Black Thought (as Max "Matthew" Fisher)]
Ayo, the smell of the city that's coming at me
Yellow taxis taking me to my yellow honey
Exactly, look at me smellin' the yellow money
With my charm on my arm, I dare you to take her from me
I'ma make her love me, ayo bunny, listen to me (Ahem)
I beg borrow and steal to cop a meal
And dress with superior zest and proper zeal
I should say my middle name is "Let's make a deal"
Because gettin' something for free in life is not for real
Last name Good, first name is Dr. Feel
If you're uptown, let me know how much time you got to kill
If you're in for a thrill and got a couple dollar bills
We will give your money back if your dreams are not fulfilled
Me and my ominous lads was on Lennox Ave
The threads we were wearin' cost an arm and a leg, don't laugh
Pulled up at the honky tonk in a cab
I said, "Baby, don't worry, I'm payin' the tab"
When I dug in my pocket for the gusto
Dug in my pocket for the gusto
When I dug in my pocket for the gusto
I had big bills and nothing low, I had
[Hook]
Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow
Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow
Yellow money, yellow woman, yellow taxi
Uh, Yellow women, yellow taxi
[Bridge]
Check it out
Now around this point Bunny his best friend
His home girl, she walks up, right
She looks him up and down
Shakes her head and says
[Verse 4: Woman responding to Max Fisher]
Boy, you're actin' funnier than Groucho and Harpo Marx
But you're a shark who comes with lots of cargo
Raisin' hell up in Harlem, blowin' money like Chicago
Lookin' for you a Lillian Gish or Greta Garbo
To come between us when you're darker than Uncle Remus
Actin' like being green is the ultimate inconvenience
Like you're some kind of genius, you're hoping to find you
An octoroon, a quadroon, a mulatto, or mongrel
What does it take to remind you there's an ax held above you?
And Max, I hate to tell you but she'll probably never love you
But heaven knows you're wildest desires, I'm not denying so go on
Try some candies and pluck you a dandelion
But yellow teeth for tarter, yellow eyes is jaundice
That's a fine performance but you're not an Adonis
Even if you find yourself an Aphrodite or Athena
You'll never see Nefertiti or the true queen of Sheba
With your yellow money
Yellow was written by Black Thought.