Album: Best Of Kurtis Blow

The Breaks

Clap your hands, everybody,
If you got what it takes,
'Cause I'm Kurtis Blow and I want you to know
That these are the breaks,

Brakes on a bus, brakes on a car,
Breaks to make you a superstar,
Breaks to win and breaks to lose,
But these here breaks will rock your shoes,
And these are the breaks,
Break it up, break it up, break it up!

If your woman steps out with another man,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And she runs off with him to Japan,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And the IRS says they want to chat,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And you can't explain why you claimed your cat,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And Ma Bell sends you a whopping bill
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
With eighteen phone calls to Brazil,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And you borrowed money from the mob,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And yesterday you lost your job,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Well, these are the breaks,
Break it up, break it up, break it up!

Throw your hands up in the sky,
And wave 'em 'round from side to side,
And if you deserve a break tonight,
Somebody say all right!
(All right)
Say ho!
(Ho!)
You don't stop,
Keep on, somebody scream!
(Owwwww!)
Break down!

Breaks on a stage, breaks on a screen,
Breaks to make your wallet lean,
Breaks run cold and breaks run hot,
Some folks got 'em and some have not,
But these are the breaks,
Break it up, break it up, break it up,
Break down!

To the girl in brown, stop messing around,
(Break it up, break it up)
To the guy in blue, whatcha gonna do?
(Break it up, break it up)
To the girl in green, don't be so mean,
(Break it up, break it up)
And the guy in red, say what I said,
(Break it up, break it up)
Break down!

Brakes on a plane, brakes on a train,
Breaks to make you go insane,
Breaks in love, breaks in war,
But we got the breaks to get you on the floor,
And these are the breaks,
Break it up, break it up, break it up,
Break down! Yo!

Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it!
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it!
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it!
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it!

You say last week you met the perfect guy,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And he promised you the stars in the sky,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
He said his Cadillac was gold,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But he didn't say it was ten years old,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
He took you out to the Red Coach grill,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But he forgot the cash and you paid the bill,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And he told you the story of his life,
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But he forgot the part about--his wife! Huh! Huh!
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Well, these are the breaks!
Break it up, break it up, break it up,
Break down! Ya!