"Parents Just Don't Understand" is the second single from American duo
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of the rapper and actor Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and the turntablist Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff).
Active from 1986 to 1994 an ...
's second studio album, ''
He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper'' (1988). In the song, the
Fresh Prince details his problems with his parents, whom he feels do not understand the challenges of being a teenager.
The song was released as a single in spring 1988 by
Jive and peaked at number 12 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100. It won a
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality Rapping, rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after ...
at the
1989 Grammy Awards, one of the two songs to do so before the award was discontinued in 1991. The song was referenced several times in the
television show
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...
''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...
'' and was ranked number 96 on
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's "100 Greatest Songs of
Hip Hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
". It was also featured in the movies ''
The Parent Trap'' (1998),
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001) ''
Malibu's Most Wanted'' (2003) and ''
Jersey Girl'' (2004).
Composition and lyrics
In the first verse, the
Fresh Prince recounts the time he went to the
Gallery Mall with his family to buy clothes for the upcoming school year. His mother buys him clothes that do not align with his personal tastes, including
bell-bottoms
Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg.
History Naval origins
In the early 19th century, when standardised uniforms for British ratings in the ...
and a plaid shirt with a butterfly collar. On the first day of school, the Prince attempts to fake being sick, with no success. Forced to wear the clothes that his mother chose for him, the Prince is met with ridicule from his schoolmates.
In the second verse, the Prince recounts the time he took the family
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...
out for a drive while his parents were on vacation, despite not yet having a
driver's license
A driver's license, driving licence, or driving permit is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, ca ...
. He picks up an attractive young girl and takes her to
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
. When the Prince shows off the car's speed, he is pulled over by the police, and finds out that the girl he picked up was a
tween runaway. The Prince is arrested and his parents have to cut their vacation short to bail him out; they angrily assault him on the way home.
Critical reception
Jack Barron from ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' wrote, "Over a hip-bone-quaking bass and horns that blow harder than a hurricane The Fresh Prince tells a domestic tale that halfway through turns into a nightmare when his mom buys him zits for his birthday and dresses him in flares. Mind you he's his own worst enemy, making typical mistakes like stealing his parents' car to impress his girlfriend and striking out until he gets arrested by the police for not having a licence.
..Wack it up the next time you have an argument with your ma and pa."
Notable cover versions
Lil' Romeo,
3LW, and
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's '' All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', '' ...
recorded a cover for the ''
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' soundtrack in 2001. T-Squad covered the song in 2007 on their only album ''T-Squad''.
T-Squad - Parents Just Don't Understand
/ref>
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...
) sang part of the song in the cold open of season 2 episode 1 of '' Parks and Recreation'', " Pawnee Zoo" in 2009.
Track listing
* 7-inch vinyl
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" – 4:13
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Instrumental) – 4:06
* 12-inch vinyl
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" ( Danny D Mix) – 6:20
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Original 7" Version) – 5:13
# "Live at Union Square, November 1986" – 4:03
* American 12-inch vinyl
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Extended Mix) – 5:27
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Single Edit) – 4:13
# "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Instrumental) – 4:06
# "Live at Union Square, November 1986" – 4:03
Charts
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Songs about parenthood
1988 singles
1988 songs
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince songs
3LW songs
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance
Music videos directed by Scott Kalvert
Songs written by DJ Jazzy Jeff
Songs written by Will Smith