Jack Harlow, Gang Gang Gang: the lyrics & meaning

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A powerful message was shared by Jack Harlow in April 2023 through the lyrics of his new song, Gang Gang Gang. The single announces the release of his new album Jackman (you can listen to it here). It caught the spotlight immediately because of its content: a track that talks about the way a famous personality like the rapper needs to deal with the bad conduct of his old friends. Let’s discover more about the lyrics and their meaning: you will also find the complete lyrics at the end.

You can watch the lyric video of Gang Gang Gang below.

Jack Harlow - Gang Gang Gang [Official Lyric Video]

Gang Gang Gang: the lyrics & meaning

Gang Gang Gang talks about how difficult it is to manage our old friendships when the people from our childhood start adopting criminal, immoral behaviors. In the lyrics, Jack Harlow explains that our friends are our gang, and yes, we stand next to them and support them, but if they cross a line, things get different. In that case, the gang, the “bro code,” can no longer exist, and you need to step back from your friendship.

The song begins precisely with Jack Harlow’s interpretation of blind support for the gang:

Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Because it’s
Gang, gang, gang

The problem comes when something bad happens. The two main verses of the song provide two examples: two old friends who have done something wrong (rape, child molesting, things you can’t show understanding for), Marcus and Kevin. Now everybody talks about them, and the rapper cannot believe it: are they really the same friends he spent his childhood with? How can it be?

“A bunch of girls say he raped them in the back of some Target”
“They say he drove ’em back there in his car”
“And then he parked it and the rest is even darker”
Wait, which Marcus? ‘Cause it can’t be—
“Yes, our Marcus”
“The same Marcus we collected Pokémon cards with”

The friends’ names are fictional, but the message Jack Harlow shares in the lyrics of Gang Gang Gang has a precise meaning: our support for the friends of our life has a limit, which is crossed when they do something unacceptable. “It’s family ’til it can’t be, gang ’til it ain’t,” says Jack in the last part of the song. We cannot blindly support our people in every condition: we need to see if they change, if they are different people, and act accordingly.

Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave

The complete lyrics

Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang)
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, oh)

Home for the holidays
My friend pulled me to the side like, “Did you hear about Marcus?”
Our Marcus? “Yeah, our Marcus”
“A bunch of girls say he raped them in the back of some Target”
“They say he drove ’em back there in his car”
“And then he parked it and the rest is even darker”
Wait, which Marcus? ‘Cause it can’t be—
“Yes, our Marcus”
“The same Marcus we collected Pokémon cards with”
The one with perfect grades that has family in New Orleans?
“Yes, that Marcus, he’s got seven rape charges”

Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang)
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, oh)

Home for the holidays
My friend pulled me to the side like, “Did you hear about Kevin?”
Kevin who? “Our Kevin”
What happened? “He got arrested”
“They found a bunch of messages he sent to lil’ kids”
“And apparently, he met up with this ten year old and the now the kid’s sayin’ he got molested”
Molested by who? “By Kevin”
Nah, it’s gotta be a different Kevin
“Look, I’m tellin’ you it’s Kevin, that we’ve known since we were seven”
“The one whose dad’s a reverend”
“The same Kevin we spend every weekend with and call brethren”

Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang)
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, oh)

Truthfully, it’s family ’til it can’t be, gang ’til it ain’t
Twins, but it depends, brothers until somethin’ is uncovered
Dogs until the lifting of the fog
“I always got you,” turns into “Well, I never thought you”
Years of camaraderie suddenly disappear
Almost like you never were here
Unconditional love becomes very conditioned when push comes to shove
And all that talk of takin’ bullets suddenly feels foolish
Pictures with him turn to ad campaigns, you gotta pull it
Feet held to the fire
We hold accountable the ones we hold dear out of morals, but mainly fear
The choice becomes clear
And years of camaraderie suddenly disappear
Almost like you never were here

Almost like you never were here