So basically, there are four locations in the song.  1) In the car, 2) outside of the apartment building, 3) upstairs in the hall outside of the apartment, 4) inside the apartment.  You could maybe argue for a 5) in the apartment’s bathroom.  And each time that I chord rolls around, we move into a new location.  It’s not precisely timed.  Sometimes its a line or two early, sometimes late.  But I still find it pretty convincing.

The business with the “dialogue” is a little less convincing.  In my mind, I associate the V chord with dialogue, and the I chord with the narrated sections of the song.  Unfortunately, if you go over the song carefully it turns out that really a LOT of it is dialogue.  Still, there are certain lines where you can hear Ghostface putting on a voice — where the “dialogue” is marked as such — and these begin to suggest a pattern.  But if it is there, again, it’s not precise:  the “dialogue” line “Damn, she look pretty old Ghost” comes just a bit before the V chord, etc.  I’ve put the lines I find significant in quotes and italics below.  Perhaps my choices are arbitrary, but you can make up your own minds.

———

Yeah, what’s the deal? What’s the deal y’all?
I need y’all n**** to buckle up one time

I:  In the car.

Fasten your seatbelts, I’m a take y’all on some real s***
This Theodore s***, y’all n**** know what time it is and s***
Y’nah mean? It’s real motherfuckin’ s***, you know

[song proper begins]

Yo, making moves back and forth uptown
60 dollars plus toll is the cab fee
Wintertime bubble boost,
goose, clouds of smoke
Music blastin’ and the Arab V blunted
Whip smelling like fish from 125th

V

Throwin’ ketchup on my fries, hitting baseball spliffs
Back seat with my leg all stiff
“Push the f***** seat up!” tartar sauce on my S Dot kicks
Rocks is lit while I’m poppin’ the clips

I:  Outside of the apartment building

I’m ready for war, got to call the Cuban guys
Got the Montana pulled in front of the store
Made my usual gun check, safety off, come on Frank,
The moment is here, take your f**** hood off, and tell the driver to stay put
F*** them n**** on the block they shook, most of them won’t look
They frontin’, they no crooks and f*** up they own juks
Look out for Jackson 5-0 cause they on foot
Straight ahead is the doorway, see that lady with the shopping cart
She keep a shottie cocked in the hallway.
“Damn she look pretty old Ghost.” She work for Kevin, she ’bout seventy seven
She paid her dues when she smoked his

V

brother in law at his bosses’ wedding
Flew to Venezuela quickly when the big fed stepped in
3 o’clock, watch the kids, third floor, last door
You look paranoid that’s why I can’t juks with you.
Why?

I:  Inside the building, outside of the apartment

Why you behind me leery?
Shakey Dog stutterin’, when you got the bigger cooker on you
You a crazy m************, small Hoodie dude
Hilarious move, you on some Curly, Moe, Larry s***
Straight parry s***, Krispy Kreme, cocaine, dead bodies, jail time you gon’ carry it
Matter of fact, all the cash, I’m a carry it
Stash it in jelly and break it down at the Marriott
This is the spot, yo son your burner cocked?
These fuckin’ maricons on the couch watchin’ Sanford and Son
Passin’ they rum, fried plantains and rice
Big round onions on a T-bone steak, my stomach growling yo I want some

V

Hold on, somebody’s comin’, get behind me, knocked at the door
Act like you stickin’ me up, put the joint to my face
Push me in quickly when the b**** open up
Remember you don’t know me, blast him if he reach for his gun
“Yo, who goes there?”

I: Inside the apartment

“Tony!” “Tony, one second homie,
No matter rain, sleet or snow you know you suppose to phone me.”
Off came the latch, Frank pushed me into the door
The door flew open, dude had his mouth open
Frozen, stood still with his heat bulgin’
Told him Freeze! lay the fuck down and enjoy the moment
Frank snatched his gat, slapped him, asked him
Where’s the cash, coke and the crack? Get to spoken and fast
His wife stood up speakin’ in Spanish, big tittie b**** holdin’ the cannon
Ran in the kitchen, threw a shot, then kick in the four fifth
Broke a bone in her wrist and she dropped the heat
“Give up the coke!” But the b**** wouldn’t listen

V

I’m on the floor, like “Holy s***!” Watchin my man Frank get busy
He zoned out, finished off my man’s wiz
He let the pitbull out, big head Bruno with the little shark’s teeth chargin’
Foamin’ out the mouth, I’m scared

I: In the bathroom? (Admittedly, this one’s a little weak).

Frank screamin’, blowin’ shots in the air
Missin’ his target, off the Frigidare, it grazed my ear
Killed that b******** pit, ran to the bathroom, but first
Frank put two holes in the doorman’s Sassoon
The coke’s in the vacuum[?], got to the bathroom, faced his bad moves
The big one had the centipede stab wound
Frank shot the skinny dude, laid him out
The bigger dude popped Frankie boy, played him out
To be continued…

———————–

If I’m right about all of this, the form of the lyrics is just as strophic as the form of the music.  But instead of being based on rhyme scheme and repeated lines – you know, the stuff pop music form is generally based on – it’s based on the type of language and the subject matter.  And this, to me, is way more exciting than the mere fact that he goes on for three minutes in a row.

Can anyone think of any other songs that work this way?  (Credit where due, Carolyn Abbate describes a somewhat more complicated one from Gotterdammerung in Unsung Voices, but I’m looking for pop music, and hip-hop in particular.)