Pyramids

Frank Ocean English

Watch YouTube Listen & Learn

Chorus

Oh, oh, oh, ohSet the cheetahs on the looseOh, oh, oh, ohThere's a thief out on the moveOh, oh, oh, ohUnderneath our legion's viewOh, oh, oh, ohThey have taken Cleopatra

Bridge

Run, run, run, come back for my glory (Cleopatra, Cleopatra)Bring her back to me (Cleopatra, Cle-o-patra, Cleopatra)Run, run, run, the crown of our pharaoh (Cleopatra, Cleopatra)The throne of our queen is empty (Cle-o-patra, Cleopatra)

Verse 1

We'll run to the future, shining like diamondsIn a rocky world, rocky-ky worldOur skin like bronze and our hair like cashmereAs we march to the rhythm on the palace floor, ah-oohChandeliers inside the pyramids tremble from the forceCymbals crash inside the pyramids, voices fill up the halls

Chorus

Oh, oh, oh, oohSet the cheetahs on the looseAyy, ayy, ayyThere's a thief out on the moveOh, oh, oh, oohUnderneath our legion's viewAyy, ayy, ayyThey have taken Cleopatra, Cleopatra

Verse 2

The jewel of Africa, jewelWhat good is a jewel that ain't still precious?How could you run off on me? How could you run off on us?You feel like God inside that goldI found you laying down with Samson and his full head of hairI found my black queen, Cleopatra, bad dreams, Cleopatra

Chorus

Oh, oh, woahRemove her, send the cheetahs to the tombOh, oh, woahOur war is over, our queen has met her doomOh, no moreShe lives no more, a serpent's in her roomOh, no moreHe has killed Cleopatra, Cleopatra

Verse 1

Big sun coming strong through the motel blindsWake up to your girlFor now, let's call her Cleopatra, CleopatraI'll watch you fix your hairThen put your panties on in the mirror, CleopatraThen your lipstick, CleopatraThen your six-inch heels, catch herShe's headed to the pyramid

Chorus

She's working at the pyramid tonightWorking at the pyramid, ayyWorking at the pyramid tonight, oh yeahWorking at the pyramid, oh-ahWorking at the pyramid tonight, yeahWorking at the pyramid, ohWorking at the pyramid tonightWorking at the pyramidWorking at the pyramid tonight

Verse 2

Pimpin' in my convosBubbles in my champagne, let it be some jazz playingTop floor motel suite, twisting my cigarsFloor model TV with the VCRGot rubies in my damn chainWhip ain't got no gas tank, but it still got woodgrainGot your girl working for meHit the strip and my bill's paid, that keep my bills paidHit the strip and my bill's paid, keep a nigga bills paid

Chorus

She's working at the pyramid tonightWorking at the pyramid, ayyWorking at the pyramid tonight, ayyWorking at the pyramid, oh-ahWorking at the pyramid tonight, yeahWorking at the pyramid, oohWorking at the pyramid tonightWorking at the pyramid

Verse 3

You showed up after work, I'm bathing your bodyTouch you in places only I knowYou're wet and you're warm just like our bathwaterCan we make love before you go?The way you say my name makes me feel like I'm that niggaBut I'm still unemployedYou could say it's big, but you take itRide cowgirlBut your love ain't free no more, babyBut your love ain't free no more

Chorus

She's working at the pyramid tonightWorking at the pyramid, ayyWorking at the pyramid tonight, oh yeahWorking at the pyramid, that's rightWorking at the pyramid tonight, yeahWorking at the pyramid, oohWorking at the pyramid tonightWorking at the pyramidWorking at the pyramid tonight

Guitar Solo: John Mayer & Frank Ocean

Air guitarOh, oh

What the song means

The song contrasts ancient Egyptian grandeur with modern exploitation. Part I depicts Cleopatra's theft and death; Part II reimagines "Cleopatra" as a contemporary sex worker. Frank Ocean uses this parallel to critique how women's bodies remain commodified across time, stripped of agency and humanity by systems of power and male desire.

Learn a word

jewel — a precious stone or valued person

Here it refers to Cleopatra as Africa's most precious treasure, emphasizing her worth and beauty.

Song info

Release date: 2012-06-08
Album: channel ORANGE
Written by: Frank Ocean, Malay, Taylor Johnson
Produced by: Frank Ocean, Malay, Om’Mas Keith

Frank Ocean

1 song