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Rap Meanings


Wonder Woman vs Stevie Wonder Meanings

Wonder Woman:

Wonder Woman fly, I'm about to tell you why:

(One of Wonder Woman's superpowers is the ability to fly. "Fly" can also be a slang term for cool, and Wonder Woman will explain why she is "fly" in her verses.)

Princess Diana, but this lady don't die!

(Wonder Woman's real name is shared by the late Diana, Princess of Wales who died in a car crash in 1997 and was also referred to by the name "Lady Di". Wonder Woman makes a pun on this nickname and states that, unlike the Princess, she will not die. Incidentally, Gal Gadot (who plays Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe) has also stated that her portrayal of Wonder Woman was inspired by Princess Diana. )

My rhymes are signed, sealed, and delivered on time!

(Referencing Stevie Wonder's album Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Wonder Woman states that she delivers her lyrics quickly and efficiently.)

You a bald has-been; I'm in my amazon prime!

(Wonder Woman insults Stevie Wonder by pointing out his receding hairline and for being past his prime while claiming she is still in hers. Wonder Woman is effectively immortal and does not age past her prime. Additionally, this is a follow-up to the previous line, as Amazon Prime, a delivery service, guarantees fast shipping that is signed, sealed, and delivered on time. This also references Wonder Woman's Amazon origins..)

I'll tell you what I say! You bit your style from Ray!

(Wonder Woman claims that Stevie Wonder stole, or "bit", his musical and physical style from jazz musician Ray Charles (as explained in the following line). Like Wonder, Charles was also a blind African-American singer-songwriter who made music on most of Wonder's genres. She introduces this by referencing Charles' song "What'd I Say?".)

The grin and the shades and the King Cobra head sway!

(Wonder Woman lists traits that she believes Stevie Wonder stole from Ray Charles, such as his smile and sunglasses when performing, as well as the "head sway" (a movement that one makes where they sway their head back and forth in a similar manner to a cobra) that Wonder makes whilst performing. This also references the "bit" part last verse.)

Gods made me out of clay, then they broke the mold!

(Wonder Woman refers to her birth in which she was literally formed out of clay by her mother, Hippolyta, and given life and superhuman powers by the Greek Gods. While not being the first female superhero, Wonder Woman was created in a distinctly proto-feminist perspective and was illustrated to represent female leadership, which was considered a breakthrough in the genre of superhero comic books, thus demonstrating the phrase, "break the mold".)

I'm like Geena Davis, in a justice league of my own!

(Geena Davis played a main role in the 1992 baseball film A League of Their Own. The Justice League is the superhero group that Wonder Woman is a part of. She makes a pun, comparing herself to Davis because they are both associated with leagues. She may also be playing on the phrase "in a league of their own", suggesting that she is out of Stevie Wonder's league. This is also a play on the previous line because if the gods broke the mold they used to create her, then Wonder Woman would be unique, making her in a league of her own. Finally, it could also reference the Static Shock episode A League of Their Own, which, ironically, features every member of the Justice League except Wonder Woman and Superman.)

I just called to say that you need to ditch the hair beads!

(Wonder Woman references yet another one of Stevie's songs, "I Just Called to Say I Love You", while insulting his braided hair.)

Lookin' like the Predator after some chemotherapy!

(Stevie Wonder sports dreadlocks, but he is also balding. Wonder Woman makes fun of this by comparing his appearance to the Predators, the eponymous alien species from the Predator film franchise, who also sport a similar hairstyle. At the same time, she states that Stevie Wonder is going bald like he went through chemotherapy, or treatment for cancer patients, since he is losing his hair.)

But don't be scared, I let bats down easy,

(Wonder Woman and Batman were briefly in a romantic relationship before they agreed to just stay friends. Wonder Woman calls Stevie a bat (a flying mammal commonly referred to as being blind, hence the phrase, "being as blind as a bat"), while also saying she won't let his defeat be too harsh.)

So you don't gotta worry 'bout a thing, Little Stevie!

(Wonder Woman references another Stevie Wonder song, "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing". She also mockingly calls him "Little Stevie", which was his stage name when he was a young performer. She also looks down and back up again, suggesting she may also be mocking his penis size.)

Stevie Wonder:

I feel like this is the beginning, (ohhh!)

(This is a reference to the lyrics of Wonder's song "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", "I feel like this is the beginning." Wonder also sings the line similar to the tune in his song.)

But you have sucked for a few thousand years!

(A continuation of the lyrics, "Though I've loved you for a million years," Wonder parodies these lyrics to relate them more to his opponent, who he says has "sucked" for the 5,000 or so years she has been alive.)

(Hey!) I'm a man who comes from a higher ground,

(Wonder says that he comes from a better background than Wonder Woman, referencing his song, "Higher Ground".)

(Hoo!) And I say DC is a whole step down!

(Wonder continues his previous line by concluding that DC Comics, the publisher of Wonder Woman comic books, is below him. This is also a reference to how, in music, the note 'C' is one tone below the note 'D'.)

I've been spitting out hits since both Fingertips,

(Stevie Wonder's first number-one hit single was "Fingertips", which consisted of two parts. Since then, Wonder has produced more than 30 US top ten hits. Both parts of the songs also used harmonica for majority of the recording, meaning Stevie literally spits out hits since he has to do so when he blows into the harmonica.)

So use the tip of your fingers and read my lips!

(Braille is a series of raised dots which help blind people read by feeling the bumps with their fingertips. Wonder makes a play on the phrase "read my lips", meaning to focus on what someone says, because, as he is blind, reading to him is feeling braille.)

Now how you gonna talk about a bat being blind? (Why?)

(Stevie goes back to Wonder Woman's previous line about comparing him to a bat.)

You need to echo-relocate to the fourth of July

(Because bats hunt at night, they use a sonar known as echolocation to navigate and identify objects around them. Stevie says that Wonder Woman needs to use echolocation to relocate herself to the 4th of July, Independence Day in the USA. He explains why in the next line.)

Because you're Ms. Independent, or at least you try,

(Wonder Woman has been called a powerful feminist icon by many throughout the years, and Wonder says that it would indeed make her a strong, independent woman were it not for what he explains in the next line.

But your first story is you, running off with a guy!

(Wonder states that Wonder Woman's first story arc consisted of her "running off" on a mission to Earth with Steve Trevor, which would counter the point about her not needing a man's help to get her job done.)

(Okay!) Now let me tell the truth 'cause I know you got the lasso!

(One of Wonder Woman's weapons is the Lasso of Truth, which prevents the person trapped in it from telling lies.)

You got that wack flow! Suffering Sappho!

("Suffering Sappho!" is also one of Wonder Woman's famously extravagant exclamations, and refers to the ancient Greek poet Sappho, who lived in the late 7th century BC. Stevie uses it against Wonder Woman by criticizing her "wack" or poor flow.)

I'm the ceremony master blaster with the bars,

("MC" is a term meaning "Master of Ceremonies", and Stevie makes a pun on this using his song "Master Blaster" and reversing the word order in the original phrase. He claims that he has "bars" or good lyrics.)

And I got more Grammys than your panties got stars!

(A Grammy Award is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry, with Stevie Wonder winning twenty-two Grammys within 1973-2006. Stevie compares his extraordinary number of awards to the the swathes of stars on Wonder Woman's tight-fitting panties.)

Wonder Woman:

Well, I'm a woman who wonders what you're thinking!

(Wonder Woman makes a pun on her superhero pseudonym and tells Stevie Wonder that it was a poor choice facing her.)

Some of your records make me wish you started drinking!

(Stevie Wonder practices Teetotalism, i.e. not drinking alcohol at all. Wonder Woman says that, had Stevie been an alcoholic, it would explain some of his performances on certain songs. This line could also reference Stevie's song "I Wish", as well as the anti-drink and drive commercial he wrote a song for.)

Even if I stick to the best selections,

(Wonder Woman says that even if she was to select some of Stevie's best songs, the following line would still apply.)

Your YouTube videos raise some vision questions!

(Wonder Woman states that Stevie's music videos contain odd artistic choices, and could be said to "lack vision". Also, in 2014, Stevie Wonder performed the song "Hey Jude", by the Beatles, along with band member Paul McCartney. Footage of the performance showed McCartney knocking over a microphone stand, which Wonder—albeit accidentally—caught when extending his arm. Said footage sparked controversy over the legitimacy of Wonder's disability, arguing that he had faked his blindness.[1])

Stevie Wonder:

Your ignorant questions could never cause as much pain

(Stevie Wonder begins to explain that the pointless questions Wonder Woman asks would not be as thought-provoking as the one he is about to consider. This is also a fourth wall break referencing T-Pain, who portrayed Stevie in the battle)

As never knowing how stupid you look in your airplane!

(Wonder Woman owns an invisible plane which can fly undetected when travelling at supersonic speeds. Stevie Wonder says that this concept is unbelievable and would make Wonder Woman look dumb for how she would be sitting in midair while moving. Due to his blindness, it bothers him that he'll never get to see how ridiculous this would look like.)

You're a misguided, C-minus-on-the-Bechdel-Test joke,

(The Bechdel Test is a method used to assess a show for its representation of females as more than just sex objects. Stevie Wonder claims that Wonder Woman would not due well on a test like this, as she isn't the feminist icon that she pretends to be.)

And my worst song is better than your best TV show!

(There have been several attempts at portrayals of Wonder Woman on TV. The most successful is arguably the 1975-9 series starring Lynda Carter. Stevie says that even when his talent is at his worst, it is better than that show.)

Wonder Woman:

Look, I don't wanna judge a Talking Book by its cover,

(To judge a book by it's cover means to prejudge somebody or something by appearance alone. Talking Book is an album released by Stevie Wonder, and "You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover" is a song by him.)

But of the vegan buffet, you're a Full-Time Lover,

(Stevie Wonder has been a vegan since the 1970s, and Wonder Woman references his song "Part-Time Lover." A full-time lover at a buffet is a fat joke.)

And a part-time father, from what I've discovered!

(Wonder Woman says that Stevie doesn't take his role as a father seriously, and he acts like it's only a part-time job.)

Nine different kids with five different mothers!

(Stevie has nine children from five different partners, meaning he barely has time for any of them.)

Stevie Wonder:

You couldn't walk in my shoes, so stick to your re-boots

(Stevie says that she can't ever understand his experiences, or "walk in his shoes", and tells her to stick to the red boots she wears. This is also a pun, as the Wonder Woman comics and the DC Universe as a whole has been rebooted many times.)

With plots so thin even I can see through!

(Stevie states that despite being blind, he can see how predictable and boring the plots are from Wonder Woman's reboots.)

It's not a superstition; I believe you got dissed!

("Superstition" is the title of the most well-known Stevie Wonder song. Stevie says that there is no question that Wonder Woman has been dissed.)

Not even your tiara's coming back from this! (Yeah! Haha!)

(Wonder Woman's tiara can also be used as a boomerang, which usually comes back to her after she uses it as a weapon. Stevie Wonder says that Wonder Woman cannot come back from his disses, following his previous line.)

Scrapped lyrics and lyric ideas

Wonder Woman:

It's the double W, looking so fly!

(This lyric is what developed into the lyric, "Wonder Woman fly, I'm about to tell you why:" 'WW' are Wonder Woman's initials and her signature logo. W also means win.)


Worst thing about being blind, you can't see how hot I am

(Wonder Woman says that the worst thing about Stevie being blind is the fact that he can't see her attractiveness.)


Those beaded dreadlocks fill me with dread,

That you'll smack me in the face with your ??? head!

(These lyrics are what developed into the lyric, "I just called to say that you need to ditch the hair beads!" Wonder Woman fears that Stevie will end up smacking her with his [???] dreadlocks.)


If you get a call going, you'll talk my ear off

(This could be a reference to Wonder’s song, "I Just Called to Say I Love You".)


Making waves with your Frank Ocean comments

(When Stevie was asked about Frank Ocean, a fellow musician that cites him as a major influence, and who had recently revealed that his "first love" was a man, he stated that he thought that some people who believe they are homosexual are confused. As this was a controversial statement, he "made waves", which also makes a pun on Ocean's name.)


Tell you what I say, you stole your whole shit from Ray,

(This lyric is what developed into the lyric, "I'll tell you what I say! You bit your style from Ray!", originally electing for a much vulgar delivery of the line.)

From his shades to his grin to his cobra head sway

(This lyric is what developed into the lyric, "The grin and the shades and the King Cobra head sway!")


Haven't written a braid joke yet - could I have an extension?

(Hair extensions are methods of lengthening one's hair with additional hair. Wonder Woman makes a pun asking if she could extend her verse and make fun of Stevie's hair.)


What's going on with your hair? I'm not certain.

(Wonder Woman questions Stevie's choice of hair style.)

It's like you're permanently walking through a beaded door curtain!

(This lyric is what developed into the lyric, "I just called to say that you need to ditch the hair beads!" Stevie's hairline and braids make it look like he is walking through a beaded door curtain and the beads are dragging across his head.)


You look like the Predator on chemo

(This lyric is what developed into the lyric, "Lookin' like the Predator after some chemotherapy!")


  • Harm this harmonica player - (Stevie plays harmonica in a number of his songs.)
  • Small wonder/Little Stevie - ("So you don't gotta worry 'bout a thing, Little Stevie!" Small Wonder is also the name of a sitcom from the 80s.)
  • Put up your dukes, sir - (Wonder Woman challenges Stevie to a fist fight. This is also a reference to the Stevie Wonder song "Sir Duke.")
  • Superhero/superstition (Superwoman) - (Superwoman and Superstition are both Stevie Wonder songs. Wonder Woman is a superhero also played by Superwoman.)

Stevie Wonder:

  • Bechdel test (You're gonna fail - you couldn't? pass?) - ("You're a misguided, C-minus-on-the-Bechdel-Test joke,")
  • Amazon Prime - ("You a bald has-been; I'm in my amazon prime!")
  • Double D's under your double W's - (Double D's are a large breast size, and double W's are found on Wonder Woman's chest plate.)
  • Plane? To me, E'THING is invisible! - ("As never knowing how stupid you look in your airplane!" Wonder Woman has an invisible plane and Stevie is blind.)
  • Lass with a lasso - ("(Okay!) Now let me tell the truth 'cause I know you got the lasso!")
  • The wonder twins in your wonder bra - (Refers to Wonder Woman's breasts. A Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere. The Wonder Twins, a.k.a. Zan and Jayna, are characters from the cartoon show Super Friends, in which Wonder Woman appeared as part of the main cast.)
  • …you can't spot, like a cheetah - (The Cheetah is a major adversary of Wonder Woman. Cheetahs are animals with spots.)
  • A whole step down from me: D.C. - ("(Hoo!) And I say DC is a whole step down!")

References

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