Only A Member Of The Beyhive Could Finish All Of These Beyonce Lyrics

by Candace Winters
– on Sep 01st
in Entertainment

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter was always destined to be a star. She may have come from humble beginnings in the hip-hop rappin’ Girls Tyme, but Bey was always destined to be a star, child.

Queen Bey’s musical catalogue is super ubiquitous – every radio round the world knows her ‘cause that’s where she be – but only true members of the Beyhive will be able to master this lyrical quiz. The ones who always have a Beyoncé song on their mouth like (like) liquor and who show up in hordes on social media to defend their queen when necessary.

Sure, everyone knows her singles – even the ones that didn’t burn up the charts still claim prime real estate on the pop culture landscape.

(***Flawless failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100, but even people living under a pop cultural rock still knew that Bey woke up like this.)

While this quiz covers most of her solo singles, knowing a few catchy hooks or even a chorus or two will not be enough to pass. That honor is reserved for only the most dedicated members of the Beyhive, the ones who possess the encyclopedia-like knowledge of her lyrics required to claim a high score on this one.

Do we have the biggest fan in the hive? Prove it, and earn a spot by her side.

Question 1

Such a funny thing for me to try to explain

That I’m feeling you and my body doesn’t complain How I’m feeling and my pride is the one to blame How I’m feeling you and your body is the one to blame That I’m feeling you and my life will never be the same

What we gonna do right now is take you back, way back, back into time. Or, at least to 2003 when Beyoncé dropped her debut album, Dangerously in Love. The lead single, Crazy in Love, was an instant classic and went to number-one in the United States and the United Kingdom. VH1 called it the greatest song of the 2000s decade and Rolling Stone dubbed it the greatest song of the 21st century, so far. Bey’s just getting started, but can you finish the lyrics?

Question 2

Picture us dancing real close in a dark, dark corner of a basement party

Every time I close my eyes, it’s like nobody’s left but you and me Every time I close my eyes, I feel your body pressed against me Every time I close my eyes, it’s like everyone left but you and me Every time I close my eyes, it feels like true paradise to me

Guys, remember Sean Paul? Remember when he and Beyoncé collaborated on the third single off the Dangerously in Love album and it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States for nine weeks and was her longest-running single as a solo artist (until Irreplaceable in 2007) and was certified platinum by both the Australian Recording Industry Association and the Recording Industry Association of America? Remember all the belly dancing on the beach in the music video? Remember the rest of these lyrics?

Question 3

You’re so controlling you say that love me, but you don’t

Your family told me one day I would see it on my own Your boys they told me all day you’ve been creeping on the low Your mama told me one day I’d end up all on my own Even your very best friend tried to warn me on the low

All the ladies, if you feel me, help me sing it out. Bey and company wrote Me, Myself and I with the ladies in mind, hence the intro. Sometimes, after a bad breakup we need to be reminded that we can count on our inner voice to guide us in the right direction. Visionary that she is, Bey decided to play the events of the song’s music video (which depicted the aftermath of a bad break) in reverse – an ironic twist that made for a gorgeous visual.

Question 4

I wanna hear you say my name, boy; if you can reach me

You can make me say your name You can feel my burning flame You will never feel the same We don't have to play no games

Even though it would be years before Bey would really show us her naughty side with the surprise release of BEYONCÉ, who among us wasn’t feeling herself whenever Naughty Girl came on the radio in the spring of 2004? As the fourth and final single from the Dangerously in Love album, Naughty Girl peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and reached the top ten in New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Question 5

Ladies, let ‘em check up on it; watch it while he check up on it

Stick it, stop it, work it, cop it, check on me tonight Twerk it, pop it, dip it, stop it, check on me tonight Dip it, cop it, never stop it, check on me tonight Dip it, pop it, twerk it, stop it, check on me tonight

Despite the music video’s hot pink palette and her starring role as Xania in the movie, Bey’s single Check on It was never actually featured on the Pink Panther sequel’s soundtrack. Instead, it ended up being featured on Destiny’s Child’s greatest hits album, #1’s. Still, the song was a hit, reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, scoring the Queen her third number-one single as a solo artist and an MTV VMA for Best R&B Video.

Question 6

Seems like you’re everywhere it’s true; gotta be having déjà vu

'Cause in my mind you're already here; baby I see you everywhere ‘Cause in my mind I want you here; get on the next plane, I don’t care 'Cause in my mind I want you here; baby I feel you everywhere 'Cause in my mind I need you here; boy you can trust I feel you there

Déjà Vu, the lead single off the B’day album generated its fair share of controversy. In spite of the music critics who unfavorably compared it to Bey’s first solo single, Crazy in Love (philistines, the lot of them) and five thousand fans who signed an online petition demanding that her record label order a reshoot of the accompanying music video (all banned from the hive), Déjà Vu was still a bona fide hit, making it to the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Question 7

And keep talking that mess, that’s fine; but could you walk and talk at the same time

And it's time I called you a cab; so, remove your bags, don't you call me back And it's my name that is on that bag; I called you a cab don't you come back And it’s my name that is on that jag; so remove your bags let me call you a cab And it's my name that is on that bag; I called you a cab ain't no need to lag

Like the second (or third, depending on where you live) single off the B’day album, Bey is Irreplaceable. The best-performing single on the album gave the Queen her fourth number one hit and it stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for an impressive ten consecutive weeks. We’ll just skip right past the songwriting controversy surrounding the hit song – because we all know that Bey deserved that co-writer credit, like she does on all of her songs – and instead focus on the fun fact that the music video introduced us to her all-female band, Suga Mama.

Question 8

Tell me how should I feel, when I know what I know; and my female intuition telling me you a dog

People told me 'bout the flames, I couldn't see through the smoke People told me 'bout your games, but the truth made me choke People told me bout your lies, but the truth made me choke People told me 'bout the flames, but you hid in the smoke

Sometimes an angry Beyoncé is the best Beyoncé. Even though Bey’s criminally underrated single off the B’day album, Ring the Alarm, couldn't outperform the record-setting Irreplaceable (it didn’t crack the top ten and peaked at the number eleven spot), it still made for some amazing performances on the Beyoncé Experience World Tour and at the MTV Video Music Awards. And, no – the lyrics weren’t inspired by Jay-Z’s relationship with Rihanna. Bey put those rumors to rest in a Seventeen magazine interview.

Question 9

He said, I’m worth it, his one desire

I know things about him you shouldn't read about I showed him things you wouldn't want to read about I know things about him you wouldn't want to read about He showed me things you wouldn't want to read about

When Bey teamed up with Shakira for the Latin-infused collaboration, Beautiful Liar, it was no surprise that the single ended up being a hit, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Unlike prior pop music collaborations that served a pair of women singing about a trifling, no-good man (cough, The Boy is Mine, cough), Bey and Shakira’s track takes on a more empowering tone as the chorus finds the two ladies deciding that their “beautiful liar,” is not worth the drama

Question 10

I can do for you what Martin did for the people

Ran by the man but the women like the wind blow Ran by the man but the women keep the tempo Ran by the man but the women make the thing go Ran by the man but the women keep the info

Add Beyoncé to just about anything and it’s a total upgrade. Like say, a Coldplay performance at the Super Bowl. (Come at me.) While her B’day single, Upgrade U might not have performed as well on the charts as most of her other singles (it peaked at 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, yikes), smart Beyhive residents are always down for a collabo between Bey and hubby Jay-Z. Imagine this track as the T.I. collabo that it almost was – her chemistry with Hov is infinitely better, no?

Question 11

If I were a boy, I would turn off my phone

Tell everyone I lost it; so they'd think that I was sleeping alone Tell everyone I got it; I don't care that I'm not sleeping alone Tell everyone it's broken; so they won't know I picked up someone Tell everyone it’s broken; so they’d think that I was sleeping alone

If Beyoncé were a boy, she would be the best boy ever. Or maybe she would be the worst; the lyrics are kind of ambiguous on that point. But what’s not ambiguous is how well If I Were a Boy performed, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number one on the US Hot Digital Songs chart (Bey’s fourth number one, thank you very much) before ultimately getting certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Question 12

I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips

I'm doing my very on thing Got me tigher than my Dereon jeans What you think don't bother me Got me bodied like I used to sing

We all knew that Bey had the potential to become a legend when she dropped her first solo single, Crazy in Love. She cemented her status as an icon when she gave us the gift of Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It). Its infectious hook and the black and white Fosse-inspired visuals made the accompanying video an instant classic and bodysuits a thing. The track won three Grammys in 2010, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four non-consecutive weeks and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, making it one of the bestselling singles of all time.

Question 13

I ain’t worried doing me tonight

A little sweat never hurt nobody A little sweat never hurt my body A little dancing never hurt nobody A little dancing never hurt my body

If it ain’t the six-minute extended mix of Get Me Bodied, then it don’t play in the Beyhive. Get Me Bodied, of course, was the sixth and final single off the B’day album and while it didn’t exactly tear up the charts, the track was unescapable in the club scene in the summer of ’07. (The good ones, at least.) How could it not? Bey practically commanded us to pat our weaves, pose for the camera (click, click) and do the Naomi Campbell walk.

Question 14

See you gotta work it out; a brother gotta work it out

Child, blow your horn now; come on, child, blow your horn now Yeah, blow your horn now; come on, yeah, blow your horn now Ow, blow your horn now; come on, ow, blow your horn now Chad, blow your horn now; come on, Chad, blow your horn now

Work It Out feels like a forgotten single, doesn’t it? A relic of the early aughts, Work It Out appeared on the Austin Powers in Goldmember soundtrack (and international versions of Dangerously in Love). And while it’s easy to forget Work It Out, less easy is Bey’s star-turn as Foxxy Cleopatra, a secret agent and totally believable love interest for Mike Meyers’ titular Austin Powers. This one could very well be the question that separates the perma-hive residents from the visitors. Finish these lyrics.

Question 15

Listen, I am all alone at a crossroads

I'm not at home in my own home I'm all alone in my own home I need to find my own home I need to roam from my own home

Bey should have received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Deena Jones in Dreamgirls. She didn’t even get credit for her work on the Oscar-nominated original song from film, Listen, even though she is officially one of the song’s four writers. Apparently, per Academy rule number 16, only three major contributors to a song are eligible for honors and the executive committee determined that Bey’s contribution was the smallest. Sigh. At least she got a nod at the Golden Globes.

Question 16

I’ma be like a jolly rancher that you get from the corner store

I'ma be like a dust bunny sweep me up off the floor I'ma be like a waffle cone that's dripping down to the floor I'ma be like a lucky penny pick me up off the floor I'ma be like a dancing queen reigning over the dance floor

Try to imagine a better Suga Mama than the Queen Bey. Actually, don’t. It’s impossible. Suga Mama is, of course, more than just a track on the B’day album, it’s also the name of Bey’s all-female 10-piece backing band. Suga Mama, the band, was born of Bey’s vision to have a lot of women on stage playing instruments to inspire girls everywhere to play instruments. Suga Mama, the song, wasn’t officially released as a single, but it earned praise from music critics who found it to be one of the better tracks on B’day.

Question 17

Stop the track, lemme state facts

I got to get my limo ride to wait right here I told you, let me take a minute to get my things I told you, gimme a minute and I'll be right back Limo's in the driveways and my boy's in back

If a diva is a female version of a hustler, then Queen Bey is one of the biggest divas of all time. Certainly, she’s had a number of lucrative side gigs from big-brand endorsements like L’Oreal and Pepsi in addition to her fashion lines House of Dereon (a Mama Tina collabo) and Ivy Park. But if we’re working with the conventional definition of a diva, then – I’ma let you finish, but Sasha Fierce is the best diva of all time.

Question 18

Hit me like a ray of sun; burning through my darkest night

You're the only one I want; think I'm addicted to your light You're the only one I want; love light shines so bright You're the only one I want; I need your shining light You're the only one I want; want to bask in your shining light

Can you see her halo? The Queen with the voice of an angel gifted us with Halo, from the I Am… side of I Am… Sasha Fierce, and in return received a Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America; Best Song honors at the MTV Europe Music Awards; the distinction of having more top-ten singles than any other female artist in the first decade of the new millennium; and our undying love and affection for ever and ever. Amen.

Question 19

Usually I'm humble; right now I don't choose

Come home with me, or you will have the blues You can leave with me, or you can have the blues You can give it to me, or you can choose to lose You can leave with me, or you will always lose

Nobody ever accused the Knowles-Carters of being too modest. The pair can’t help it; they walk like this ‘cause they can back it up. Bey tells us all about it on Ego from the I Am… Sasha Fierce deluxe edition. Bey is so supremely confident on this track that she treated us to her completely unpolished vocals, accompanied only by a piano, and of course, she sounded absolutely amazing. She always sounds absolutely amazing. With all that talent, who wouldn’t have an ego?

Question 20

Them hustlas keep on talkin'; they like the way I'm walkin'

You say you want me? Press record I'll let you film me I know that you want me; so press record I'll let you film me You feelin' up on me; so, press record I'll let you film me I'm feelin' you on me; boy press record and film me

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that Bey always scores the best features for her remixes, and this was particularly evident when she teamed up with Lady Gaga for the Video Phone extended remix. The accompanying video was shot under tight security and features Gaga doing her best Beyoncé impression. According to the Lady, she earned the nickname, “Gee-yonce” while she was learning the choreography. Her efforts paid off; the Video Phone music video earned five nominations at the 2010 MTV VMA’s including Best Pop Video, Best Female Video and Best Collaboration.

Question 21

Boy, don't even try to touch this; boy, this beat is crazy

This is how they made me; Houston, Texas, baby This is how they made me; I'm from Texas, baby This is how they made me; reppin' Houston, baby This is how they made me; hands up, Texas, baby

If there were any question about who runs this mother, Bey most assuredly put them to rest with the lead single from her fourth studio album, 4. Female empowerment is at the core of Bey’s brand, and she’s released a number of songs in service of a message of girl power such as, Independent Women with Destiny’s Child and Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), but none were as direct and in your face as Run the World (Girls).

Question 22

Honey, honey, I can see the stars all the way from here

I can see the glow on the window pane Glowing like a bubbly champagne The glow feels like a pop of champagne Can't you see the glow on the window pane?

Do you remember where you were when you found out that Beyoncé was pregnant with Blue Ivy Carter? Of course, you do; Bey could not have possibly picked a more high-profile setting for her birth announcement than the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards where she revealed her spectacularly round baby bump to the entire world at the end of a spectacular performance of Love on Top. Wonderfully reminiscent of New Edition’s best tracks, Love on Top garnered Bey her second highest debut as a solo artist and a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Question 23

Still love the way he talk; still love the way I sang

Still love the way he number one up in the game Still love the way he rock all black nothin' changed Still love the way he rock black diamonds in that chain Still love the way I rock this blonde mane

Who doesn’t use the classic Boyz II Men track, Uhh Ahh, to countdown from ten? If you didn’t before, you might after hearing Bey’s infectious single, Countdown. The fourth single from 4 utilized clever sampling and was accompanied by an instantly classic music video that featured a very pregnant Beyoncé in a variety of bright, beautifully-styled scenes. Countdown was included on a number of publications’ year-end music countdowns of the best songs of 2011, including The Village Voice, Rolling Stone and The Guardian.

Question 24

Cigars on ice, cigars on ice

Feeling like an animal with these cameras all up in my grill Feeling like a star with all these cameras all up in my grill Feeling like an animal love all these cameras all up in my grill Feeling like I want you, don't care 'bout the cameras all up in my grill

2013 was the year that we found out that some really crazy things can go down when wants to have a good time. Thankfully for us (and most assuredly for hubby Jay-Z), she channeled it all into the first single from her surprise self-titled fifth album, BEYONCÉ. Drunk in Love featured some of the most suggestive lyrics we had seen from the Queen until that point, but frankly, it was refreshing to hear the new, brazen Bey. Finish these lyrics.

Question 25

Pretty hurts

Shine the light, makes you feel the worst Nothing's right, everything's worse Every light makes you feel the worst Shine the light on whatever's worse

Beyoncé is an absolutely beautiful woman (not to mention a veteran of the child beauty pageant circuit), so she knows the dangers of pursuing physical perfection better than just about anybody. That’s what made her fourth single from BEYONCÉ, Pretty Hurts, so resonant and relevant. One listen and you just knew that in spite of her picture perfect media image, Beyoncé got it. Perfection is an illusion, even when she’s the one holding up the mirror. Finish these lyrics, Beyhive.

Question 26

Drop the base, mane, the bass get lower

Label say speed it up, I just go slower They say speed it up, I just go slower Radio say speed it up, I just go slower 'Ye say speed it up, I just go slower

Hey, Ms. Carter. Bey delivered some of her most assertive lyrics on BEYONCÉ’s Partition. To call the song’s concept and verses suggestive would be a major understatement. It even turns the name of a scandalized political intern (you know exactly who) into a verb. Nobody ever accused the Knowles-Carters of not having chemistry, and Partition confirmed it. Let’s just say that things can get crazy in the backseat when they’re in the limousine. There’s no way that their chauffeurs don’t have to sign an iron-clad non-disclosure agreement.

Question 27

You wake up, flawless; post up, flawless

Run around in it, flawless Come round in it, flawless Take a ride in it, flawless Ride round in it, flawless

Opening ***Flawless with a clip from a losing performance on Star Search when she but a little Bey in Girls Tyme, was clever, including a sample of “We Should All Be Feminists,” a Ted Talk given by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was an absolute stroke of genius. These are the kind of creative decisions that truly showcase Bey’s artistic vision. Despite the fact that ***Flawless wasn’t officially released as a single, it still left an indelible mark on the pop culture landscape – we all owe Bey for entering “I woke up like this,” into the lexicon – and the remix served as a kind of confessional about that infamous Solange elevator kicking incident.

Question 28

I dream it, I work hard, I grind til I own it

I twirl on them haters, albino alligators I flex on them haters; albino alligators I forget all them haters; albino alligators Don't mind all them haters; albino alligators

It’s hard to overstate Lemonade’s significance. Bey’s sixth studio album and accompanying visuals were nothing short of a major cultural event. Lemonade introduced us to the most overtly political Bey we had ever seen, and the lead single, Formation became an anthem for these woke times. Like most political art, Formation wasn’t without its fair share of controversy – Bey faced allegations of anti-police sentiments – but the track also gave us lyrical gems about hot sauce, Red Lobster and, of course, slaying all day.

Question 29

Looking at my watch, he shoulda been home

Today I want to forget the night I put that ring on Today I want to forget but my mind stays on Today I regret the night that we became one Today I regret the night I put that ring on

Lemonade gave us more than a glimpse into Bey’s personal politics, it also gave us a glimpse into the notoriously private star’s marriage after allegations of Jay-Z’s infidelity proved to be true. The album’s second single, Sorry tackled the cheating head-on and was absolutely unapologetic in its delivery. Like every great Beyoncé single, Sorry included several lines that were destined to live on in the cultural lexicon forever including “I ain’t sorry,” “boy, bye,” and, of course, “He better call Becky with the good hair.”

Question 30

What's worse? Looking jealous or crazy? Jealous or crazy?

Or not being treated like a lady, treated like your lady Or like, being walked all over lately, walked all over lately Or like, being treated like a baby, treated like a baby Or not having someone who will chase me, someone who will chase me

The visual of Bey gleefully walking down the street in a canary yellow Robert Cavalli gown singing Hold Up while wielding a baseball bat was instantly iconic and inspired a number of parodies, most notably (and hilariously) by Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The track landed on several publications’ best songs of 2016 lists including Slant, Pitchfork and The Village Voice, and for good reason. On an entire album filled with iconic songs and visuals, Hold Up captured the essence of Lemonade.

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