In this song, Beyoncé says that no matter how rich and famous she becomes, you can’t ever take the South out of her. She makes several references to things people associate with the American South, like collard greens and cornbread (two types of food popular in the South).
It’s a good song to learn some slang and informal words and phrases, but it’s also an interesting look at the culture of the American South. Just remember that many of the things mentioned are stereotypes—and stereotypes are things that people say are true about a group of people, but they might not be true for everyone (for instance, not every Southerner likes collard greens).
- I slay: This slang phrase means you’re very amusing, cool or impressive. “Slay” literally means “kill.” In English slang, when you’re doing something well, you can say “I’m killing it!” with a positive tone. In the case of “I slay,” you’re so good at something, you’re killing it!
- Corny: This word actually has nothing to do with corn (the vegetable). Something corny is either overused or overly-emotional. A joke can be corny if it’s very obvious, and so can a romantic moment.
- Cocky: If someone is being very sure of themselves in an arrogant or overly-confident way, they’re being cocky.
- Formation: The way something is arranged, usually used as a military term (when soldiers line up, they’re getting into formation).
- Trick: A trick is something meant to fool someone, like a magic trick. In slang, this word is a very impolite term for a woman who teases or tries to fool or impress someone.
Find the lyrics here. Read along to some Beyonce today.