I Left My Wallet in El Segundo

A Tribe Called Quest

About I Left My Wallet in El Segundo

"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is the debut single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It contains a sample of "Funky" by The Chambers Brothers as the main hook.


Year:
1992
149 
#2

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Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it

I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it

My mother went away for a month-long trip
Her and some friends on an ocean-liner ship
She made a big mistake by leaving me home
I had to roam so I picked up the phone
Dialed Ali up to see what was going down
Told him I pick him up so we could drive around
Took the Dodge Dart, a '74
My mother left a yard but I needed one more
Shaheed had me covered with a hundred greenbacks
So we left Brooklyn and we made big tracks
Drove down the Belt, got on the Conduit
Came to a toll, we paid and went through it
Had no destination, we was on a quest
Ali laid in the back so he could get rest
Drove down the road for two-days-and-a-half
The sun had just risen on a dusty path
Just then a figure had caught my eye
A man with a sombrero who was four feet high
I pulled over to ask were we was at
His index finger he tipped up his hat
"El Segundo," he said, "my name is Pedro
If you need directions, I'll tell you pronto"
Needed civilization, some sort of reservation
He said a mile south, there's a fast food station
Thanks, senor, as I start up the motor
Ali said, "Damn, tip, why you drive so far for?"

(Well describe to me what the wallet looks like)

Anyway a gas station we passed
We got gas and went on to get grub
It was a nice little pub in the middle of nowhere
Anywhere would have been better
I ordered enchiladas and I ate 'em
Ali had the fruit punch
When we finished we thought for ways to get back
I had a hunch
Ali said, "Pay for lunch"
So I did it
Pulled out the wallet and I saw this wicked beautiful lady
She was a waitress there
Put the wallet down and stared and stared
To put me back into reality, here's Shaheed,
"Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?"
I checked for keys and started to step
What do you know, my wallet I forget

Yo, it was a brown wallet, it had props numbers
Had my jimmy hats I got to get it man

Lord, have mercy
The heat got hotter, Ali stars to curse me
I fell bad but he makes me feel badder
Chit-chit-chatter, car stars to scatter
Breaking on out, we was Northeast bound
Jettin' on down at the speed of sound
Three days coming and three more going
We get back and there was no slack
490 Madison, we're here, Sha
He said, "All right, Tip, see you tomorrow"
Thinking about the past week, the last week
Hands go in my pocket, I can't speak
Hopped in the car and torpe'ed to the shack
Of Shaheed, "we gotta go back" when he said
"Why?" I said, "ee gotta go
Cause I left my wallet in El Segundo"

Yeah, I left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
I gotta get, I got-got ta get it

Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Left my wallet in El Segundo
Come on let's go

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A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of MC/producer Q-Tip, MC Phife Dawg aka Phife Diggy (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 1991. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics by the hip hop community. more »

1 fan

Written by: Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Information
"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, an American hip hop group. It was released in 1990 as the second single from their debut album "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm".
Genre
The song falls under the genre of Alternative Hip Hop. It stands out for its unique and creative story-telling style which veers away from the typical hip hop themes of violence and hardcore lyrics.
Music Video
Its music video was directed by Jim Swaffield, who has directed several of the group's videos. It creatively depicts a road trip associated with the storyline of the song.
Mystery
A slightly mysterious fact about this song is that despite the song title, the group had never been to El Segundo when they wrote the song.
Experimentation
This song is notable for blending several unique sampling sources, including contributions from The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, and Tom Waits.
Success
Although not commercially successful as a single, "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" has been highly appreciated in the hip-hop community over the years for its quirky lyrics and relaxing beat.
Influence
The catchy phrase "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" has popped up in other artists' work as well, including artists like the Beastie Boys, showing the cultural influence of this track.
Cover
The song was covered by Vampire Weekend during A Tribe Called Quest’s episode of Takeover on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio show in 2018.
Remix
In 2020, the song was remixed by Vampire Weekend's producer and multi-instrumentalist Ariel Rechtshaid, elevating its chill, laid-back vibe.
Signature Song
Over time, this song has become one of the signature tracks for A Tribe Called Quest, often associated with their distinctive style and sound.

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