[Verse 1]
I was driving home on the boulevard late one night
When I spied a guy over on the corner, bummin' all alone
Now, as I passed him by, I heard him holler out, "hey"
I slowed down to see what he said
He hollers, "By any chance are you going my way?"
I say, "Why sho', baby, hop on in and give me a cigarette"
Just then he reached down in his pockets
And that was the moment I regret

[Chorus]
He hollered, "Reach for the sky"
I said, "But I don't understand, sir"
"Don't try no monkey business
I've got a stopper in my hand"

[Verse 2]
And then, he says, "Look-here, you see this here I got in my hand?
This is a thirty-eight pistol, built on a fourty-five frame
Shoots tombstone bullets and a ball and chain"
He said, "Now, I'm not trying to shake you up
But I just want you to know
If the cops start to crowd me any
You going to be the first to go
So, now look-here, don't even look back
You just drive on just like isn't nothing happening"
That's what he told me
He wouldn't even let me look back at nothing
He say when I get to that red light
He wanted me to go to my left and then jump back to my right
He says, "Now, I want you to drive up in that alley
Uh-uh, not in that alley, that, that one over there
And cool it behind that liquor store and keep a sharp
Lookout at all times while I sneak in that back door"
That's what he told me
He say keep my foot on the gas and always be on guard
Because when he come running out there with all that money
He wanted me to mash on it real hard
He said, now, don't let him come out over there
And find me a double-cross
Because he's murder when the heat's on
[Chorus]
He hollered, "Reach for the sky"
I said, "But I don't understand, sir"
"Don't try no monkey business
I've got a stopper in my hand"

[Verse 3]
Ooh-wee, while I was sitting there just tremblin'
A spotlight hit me dead in the face
The cop pulled up behind me and said
"Move up a little bit, man, for we want to take your place"
And then this guy come running out of the store
With the money in his hand and said, 'Oh, there you are!'
Ha, he made a mistake in the dark
And ran and leaped in the police car
When they put the handcuffs on him
I said, "Child, you crime have outgrew him," and then they said
"Yeah, we going to put him so far back in jail this time
Until they going to have to pump air into him'