Just about everyone has heard of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The original lyrics that were sang when the sitcom would come on are below.
Now this is the story all about how,
My life got flipped, turned upside down,
And I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there,
I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air.
In West Philadelphia I was born and raised
On the playground is where I spent most of my days.
Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin all cool,
And all shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school.
When a couple of guys who were up to no good,
Started makin’ trouble in my neighborhood.
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared,
And said “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in bel Air.”
I whistled for a cab, and when it came near,
The license plate said “fresh” and it had dice in the mirror.
If anything I could say that this cat was rare,
But I thought “Nah forget it, Yo home to Bel Air.”
I pulled up to the house about seven or eight,
and I yelled to the cabby “Yo homes, smell ya later.”
Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there,
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air.
Pretty catchy, no doubt. But, what if we could sing this song using old English…
To begin, this is a tale of how my very existence was twisted and transformed in a most peculiar way. Please have a seat, for I wish to take a moment to relate to you the fascinating odyssey which ultimately led to my reign as the Prince of Bel-Air. I was sired and reared in West Philadelphia. As a lad, most of my time was spent at the neighborhood recreation center where I would laze about and relax in a most charming manner – that is, when I was not engaging my chums in a friendly game of basketball at the schoolhouse. Around this time, two young hooligans had begun to stage a campaign of vandalism and intimidation in my neighborhood. When my mother discovered I had had a bit of an altercation with the ruffians, she insisted I leave town at once and take up lodgings with my aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. As the taxi approached, heeding my beckoning whistle, I could discern the word “FRESH” emblazoned upon its license plate, and took particular note of the pair of plush novelty dice which hung from the rear-view mirror. I was a bit taken aback by these strange omens, but quickly put them out of my mind as I cheerfully called to the driver: “To Bel-Air, my good man!” We arrived safely in Bel-Air at dusk, and as the driver came to a stop in front of the house where I was to live, I left him with the words: “Farewell, sir. Perhaps my nostrils shall delight in your aroma once more!” To be sure, it was a long journey, and as I gazed upon my estate in all its splendor, I knew once and for all that my rightful place was on the throne – as the young scion of the great and mighty kingdom of Bel-Air!
Loved that show. Will Smith is one of my favorite actors to and hands down, the hardest working of them all. Have you ever seen some of his videos on positive thinking? Check them out, will knock you on your rear end. BTW, love West Virginia…am from a town near Wheeling, WV called Mingo Junction, OH (small mill town). Thanks for the post