# What is Jamie Foxx saying in "Gold Digger"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332 "2005-11-03T18:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/1 "2005-11-03T18:57:10Z")
Since he has become the zombie Ray Charles, I like to think that he is saying “every morning, it’s time to feed” (on the living), but I can’t figure out what he’s really saying. ---
**Author:** ![Blackclaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/2 "2005-11-03T19:42:18Z")
And why does that Kanye West guy get so much credit for the song. Foxx actually sings in it. West just talks. Heck I can talk.\* \*(This old fuddy duddy statement brought to you by yet another upcoming birthday. But yes, I am kinda serious. I just don’t see what the big deal is about West’s “work” in this song.) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/3 "2005-11-03T19:57:49Z")
Because West is the guy who actually put the song together and such. ---
**Author:** ![BigDummy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@BigDummy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDummy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/4 "2005-11-03T20:10:18Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > Since he has become the zombie Ray Charles, I like to think that he is saying “every morning, it’s time to feed” (on the living), but I can’t figure out what he’s really saying. Most of the things I’ve checked have him saying “She take my money/well I’m in need” You mean the part at the beginning, right? ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/5 "2005-11-03T20:18:01Z")
> [@BigDummy](#): > > Most of the things I’ve checked have him saying > “She take my money/well I’m in need” > You mean the part at the beginning, right? Yeah, that’s the part I mean. Makes sense to me, although I like my version better 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/6 "2005-11-03T20:20:35Z")
> [@Blackclaw](#): > > And why does that Kanye West guy get so much credit for the song. Foxx actually sings in it. West just talks. Heck I can talk.\* Well, it wouldn’t be a very good song with just the Foxx singing part. A little repetitive. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/7 "2005-11-03T21:13:38Z")
If I remember the liner notes from _Late Registration_ correctly, the only part Foxx does is a small bit at the beginning. The sample playing during the song is actually Ray Charles himself. I don’t suppose anyone has the liner notes handy to prove/disprove that, do they? ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/8 "2005-11-03T21:15:31Z")
P.S. - **awldune** , your interpretation of the lyrics has caused me fits of barely suppressed laughter here at the office. I generally find misheard lyrics funny, but when they involve zombies, that just pushes it over the top! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/9 "2005-11-04T00:06:26Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > The sample playing during the song is actually Ray Charles himself. I don’t suppose anyone has the liner notes handy to prove/disprove that, do they? I don’t, but when I read the OP I assumed he was mishearing a verse from “I Got a Woman,” and it sounds like that’s what happened. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/10 "2005-11-04T00:36:06Z")
I have the CD at home. I’ll check if I remember. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/11 "2005-11-04T02:23:10Z")
The main part is “She give me money/when I’m in need”, which is indeed from Ray’s “I Got a Woman”. It’s later cut into something like “I got a/need”. The beginning of the song is Foxx doing a version of the same song with new lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/12 "2005-11-04T02:47:37Z")
> [@](#): > > And why does that Kanye West guy get so much credit for the song. Foxx actually sings in it. West just talks. Heck I can talk.\* > > \*(This old fuddy duddy statement brought to you by yet another upcoming birthday. But yes, I am kinda serious. I just don’t see what the big deal is about West’s “work” in this song.) Part of Kanye’s appeal is making it look easy. It’s like Tom Petty’s songwriting; you see his lyrics and you think anybody ought to be able to write songs like that, but they obviously can’t. He has a lot of fun with rhythm and lyrics, and the simplicity of his style helps bring that out. He must be doing something right, to have two albums in a row that have not only gone double platinum, but have been [highly endorsed by the uber-music-snobs at Pitchfork Media](http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/w/west_kanye/late-registration.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/13 "2005-11-04T03:52:00Z")
This is completely irrelevant to the thread, but **awldune** , you wouldn’t happen to go to/have gone to UNC, would you? ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/14 "2005-11-04T07:23:44Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > If I remember the liner notes from _Late Registration_ correctly, the only part Foxx does is a small bit at the beginning. The sample playing during the song is actually Ray Charles himself. I don’t suppose anyone has the liner notes handy to prove/disprove that, do they? You’re correct. > [@DoctorJ](#): > > The main part is “She give me money/when I’m in need”, which is indeed from Ray’s “I Got a Woman”. It’s later cut into something like “I got a/need”. > > The beginning of the song is Foxx doing a version of the same song with new lyrics. The thing that always bothered me about the song is that the sample they have of Ray Charles from “I Got a Woman” is a positive song about a girl. Yet, Kanye used that sample in a song about golddiggers. It makes no sense. [Here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/2147424256/Gold_Digger) are the lyrics to Golddigger, and the lyrics to [“I Got A Woman”](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/I-Got-a-Woman-lyrics-Ray-Charles/4AB2C7FFADE53EA348256C24000BBE25). While Ray is singing “she gives me money”, Kanye is talking about the woman being a golddigger. He should have had Jaime Foxx do the hook too, so it would make sense, and be consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Blackclaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/15 "2005-11-04T13:53:25Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > Well, it wouldn’t be a very good song with just the Foxx singing part. A little repetitive. True, but instead of having Kanye talking over the music, someone else could have sung and then it would be like an actual song. > [@](#): > > Part of Kanye’s appeal is making it look easy. It’s like Tom Petty’s songwriting; you see his lyrics and you think anybody ought to be able to write songs like that, but they obviously can’t. > > He has a lot of fun with rhythm and lyrics, and the simplicity of his style helps bring that out. Well then he’s really good at making it look easy, too good at it actually. To be honest, I don’t think I could do as good a job. I don’t have a very clear speaking voice, But I suspect any voice over announcer could do it. Kanye just doesn’t have much in the way of delivery. > [@](#): > > He must be doing something right, to have two albums in a row that have not only gone double platinum, but have been highly endorsed by the uber-music-snobs at Pitchfork Media. I’m such a snob that I don’t think that what’s popular actually represents a good sample of good music. I have to believe that, else it’s me that has no taste and that can’t be right. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/16 "2005-11-04T14:07:23Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > Since he has become the zombie Ray Charles, I like to think that he is saying “every morning, it’s time to feed” (on the living), but I can’t figure out what he’s really saying. I have no idea what is said in the song, I just have to agree that the OP is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/17 "2005-11-04T17:19:13Z")
Glad everyone enjoyed my version 😃 I actually like it better with Ray as a vampire, but that doesn’t jive with the ‘morning’ part. Maybe “Until the morning, it’s time to feed”? > [@MilTan](#): > > This is completely irrelevant to the thread, but awldune, you wouldn’t happen to go to/have gone to UNC, would you? Yup. Didn’t know you were a Doper, Mil. Obviously you’re a lurker like me. It would really blow my mind if there were another **awldune** in the world, since it isn’t a reference to anything. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/18 "2005-11-05T00:07:21Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > Yup. Didn’t know you were a Doper, Mil. Obviously you’re a lurker like me. > > It would really blow my mind if there were another **awldune** in the world, since it isn’t a reference to anything. Yeah, I figured. For some reason, I thought it was a reference to something, so I wasn’t quite sure. I must congratulate you on your significantly higher “days as a member” to “posts” ratio. ---
**Author:** ![party\_store](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@party\_store](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/party_store)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/19 "2005-11-05T03:24:02Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by Blackclaw_ > True, but instead of having Kanye talking over the music, someone else could have sung and then it would be like an actual song. Do you have some sort of remix, Blackclaw? Because there is nowhere in that song that Kanye could be said to be talking. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332/20 "2005-11-05T07:45:49Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > …Kanye is talking about the woman being a golddigger. … Actually, he ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger 😉 Sorry, I couldn’t resist. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-jamie-foxx-saying-in-gold-digger/329332.md?page=2)