Paul Revere

Beastie Boys

About Paul Revere

"Paul Revere" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their debut album Licensed to Ill (1986). It was written by Adam Horovitz, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Rick Rubin. It was produced by Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys. The song tells a fictional story of how the Beastie Boys met. Adam Horovitz told how the song evolved from an incident when the Beastie Boys were waiting outside a recording studio for Run-D. M. C., when Joseph Simmons ("Run") suddenly came running down the street screaming incoherently. When he reached the Beastie Boys, he said "Here's a little story I got to tell...". After much confusion, Simmons stated "THAT's the song". The band worked on it from there. In 2007, an artist called Kia Shine released a single called "Krispy" with a similar beat, raising questions about copyright infringement. 


Year:
1997
50 
#1

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Now here's a little story - I've got to tell
About three bad brothers - you know so well
It started way back in history
With Adrock, M.C.A., and me - Mike D.
I had a little horse named Paul Revere
Just me and my horsy and a quart of beer
Riding across the land - kicking up sand
Sheriff's posse on my tail cause I'm in demand
One lonely Beastie I be
All by myself - without nobody
The sun is beating down on my baseball hat
The air is gettin' hot - the beer is getting flat
Lookin' for a girl - I ran into a guy
His name is M.C.A., I said, "Howdy" - he said, "Hi"

He told a little story - that sounded well rehearsed
Four days on the run and that he's dying of thirst
The brew was in my hand - and he was on my tip
His voice was hoarse, his throat was dry - he asked me for a sip
He said, "Can I get some?"
I said, "You can't get none!"
Had a chance to run
He pulled out his shotgun
He was quick on the draw - I thought I'd be dead
He put the gun to my head and this is what he said,

"Now my name is M.C.A. - I've got a license to kill
I think you know what time it is - it's time to get ill
Now what do we have here - an outlaw and his beer
I run this land, you understand - I make myself clear."
We stepped into the wind - he had a gun, I had a grin
You think this story's over but it's ready to begin

"Now I got the gun - you got the brew
You got two choices of what you can do
It's not a tough decision as you can see
I can blow you away or you can ride with me" I said, I'll ride with you if 
You can get me to the border
The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter
I did it like this - I did it like that
I did it with a whiffleball bat
So I'm on the run - the cop's got my gun
And right about now - it's time to have some fun
The King Adrock - that is my name
And I know the fly spot where they got the champagne."
We rode for six hours the we hit the spot
The beat was a bumping and the girlies was hot
This dude was staring like he knows who we are
We took the empty spot next to him at the bar
M.C.A. said, "Yo, you know this kid?"
I said, "I didn't." - but I know he did
The kid said, "Get ready cause this ain't funny
My name's Mike D. and I'm about to get money."
Pulled out the jammy - aimed it at the sky
He yelled, "Stick 'em up!" - and let two fly
Hands went up and people hit the floor
He wasted two kids that ran for the door
"I'm Mike D. and I get respect
Your cash and your jewelry is what I expect"
M.C.A. was with it and he's my ace
So I grabbed the piano player and I punched him in the face
The piano player's out - the music stopped
His boy had beef - and he got dropped
Mike D. grabbed the money - M.C.A. snatched the gold
I grabbed two girlies and a beer that's cold.

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Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys is an American hip hop band from New York City, formed in 1981. For the majority of its career, the group has consisted of three MCs and musicians Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass) and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar). more »

5 fans

Written by: Rick Rubin, Joseph Ward Simmons, Darryl Matthews Mcdaniels, Adam Keefe Horovitz

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Song Composition
"Paul Revere" is composed backward, where the beat was recorded first, then reversed and played backward with the vocals added afterward.
Song Inspiration
The song's title "Paul Revere" is a reference to the American Revolutionary War era figure Paul Revere, known for his midnight ride where he alerted the colonial militia to the approach of British forces.
Release Date
"Paul Revere" is a single from the Beastie Boys' debut studio album, "Licensed to Ill," which was released in 1986.
Track Ranking
The song wasn't released as a single but still managed to land at number 34 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Song Lyrics
The lyrics to the song are a fictional portrayal of how the Beastie Boys met each other.
Co-Written Material
"Paul Revere" is co-written by the Beastie Boys and Run–D.M.C.'s Joseph Simmons, who is also known as Run.
True Statement
A line in the song, "and me, M.C.A., I got a license to kill," foreshadows MCA's (Adam Yauch's) directing career, where he commonly used the alias Nathaniel Hörnblowér. He really had a directing license under that alias.
Censored Version
The song was modified for radio to include horse sounds to cover up some explicit language.
Humorous Aspect
The song is composed with touches of humor, showcasing the Beastie Boys' unique style of combining comedy with rap.
Music Video
Despite the popularity of the song, there is no official music video for "Paul Revere". However, unofficial, fan-made videos can be found on the internet.
Cultural Impact
The song has had a lasting impact on popular culture, being frequently sampled and referenced in various music, movies, and TV shows.

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