Hard Out Here Lyrics
I suppose I should tell you what this bitch is thinking
You'll find me in the studio and not in the kitchen
I won't be bragging 'bout my cars or talking 'bout my chains
Don't need to shake my ass for you 'cause I've got a brain
If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut
When boys be talking 'bout their bitches, no one's making a fuss
There's a glass ceiling to break, uh-huh, there's money to make
And now it's time to speed it up 'cause I can't move at this pace
[Pre-Chorus]
Sometimes, it's hard to find the words to say
I'll go ahead and say them anyway
Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits
It's hard, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
[Chorus]
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here
[Verse 2]
If you're not a size six, then you're not good-looking
Well, you better be rich or be real good at cooking
You should probably lose some weight
'Cause we can't see your bones
You should probably fix your face or you'll end up on your own
Don't you want to have somebody who objectifies you?
Have you thought about your butt? Who's gonna tear it in two?
We've never had it so good, uh-huh
We're out of the woods
And if you can't detect the sarcasm, you've misunderstood
Sometimes, it's hard to find the words to say
I'll go ahead and say them anyway
Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits
It's hard, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
[Chorus]
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here
[Post-Chorus]
A bitch, a bitch, a bitch
Bitch, bitch (bitch)
A bitch, a bitch, a bitch
Bitch, bitch (Ah)
A bitch, a bitch, a bitch
Bitch, bitch
A bitch, a bitch, a bitch
Bitch, bitch
[Bridge]
Inequality promises that it's here to stay
Always trust the injustice 'cause it's not going away
Inequality promises that it's here to stay
Always trust the injustice, 'cause it's not going away
Sometimes, it's hard to find the words to say
I'll go ahead and say them anyway
Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits
It's hard, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
[Chorus]
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here for a bitch
It's hard for a bitch (For a bitch)
For a bitch, it's hard
It's hard out here
(Bitch)
About
“Hard Out Here” is the lead single from Lily Allen’s third studio album Sheezus. The song’s lyrics deal with the exploitation of the female figure and misogyny in the music industry.
In a review by The Rolling Stone magazine the song was referred to as a “feminist anthem through and through” and commended it for tackling “tired gender roles and expectations to double standards regarding sex and appearance for men and women”.
The video, which received 2.2 million views within two days of upload, received a large amount of criticism for inappropriate use of black dancers which Lily refused to apologise for and replied with the following:
If I could dance like the ladies can, it would have been my arse on your screens; I actually rehearsed for two weeks trying to perfect my twerk, but failed miserably. If I was a little braver, I would have been wearing a bikini too, but I do not and I have chronic cellulite, which nobody wants to see.
However in 2016 Lily apologised for her failure to recognise cultural appropriation with regards to feminism in an interview with Radio One DJ Annie Mac.
I was guilty of thinking ― assuming ― that there was a one-size-fits-all where feminism is concerned.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In a track by track interview about the “Sheezus” album, Lily said the following about “Hard out Here”.
On “Hard out Here” I didn’t necessarily set out to achieve anything with it, as with any song it just started off.
In fact I think we were listening to The Chemical Brothers “Salmon Dance” in the studio and that kind of set the pace for the tempo. I think even maybe there’s a rapper on that song and I was trying to imitate his flow almost in a certain way.
I don’t know where kitchen came from but it came from somewhere, thinking rhymes with kitchen and then it went from there. We sat for ages trying to think of a chorus, and I remember having written down “Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits it’s hard it’s hard out here for a bitch”.
Thinking “There’s no way Greg’s going to go for this” going into the booth and singing it and him being literally on the floor in hysterical laughter, and me thinking “It’s too much I’ll do it again” and he was like there’s absolutely no way you are changing this.
That’s the story of hard out here.
- 1.Sheezus
- 2.L8 CMMR
- 3.Air Balloon
- 4.Our Time
- 9.URL Badman
- 10.Silver Spoon
- 11.Life for Me
- 12.Hard Out Here
- 14.Who Do You Love?
