What's wrong? What are you afraid of?
The Love Below

She stays alone, never sheds a single tear
She stays in the coolest moods, clearly woman of the year
She and all her girlfriends, they go out dressed to win
She comes back to the cooler side of town
but she lives in my lap

[Chorus]
She lives in my lap [Repeat: x6]
Forever my fiance
She lives in my lap
Don't need no chain
She lives in my lap
I'll get the courage one day

Make me want you, make me miss you
make me wonder where you are, then forget you
Girl remind me, just who we are
We're oh so close, but yet so far

Baby why are you acting like this?
I don't care about any of them
I care about you!
Baby I Love you!

You've got me open wide (I love you)
Just Come inside (baby)
It's yours (it's yours)
I'm yours (I'm yours)
For sure (for sure)
Play baby play

[Chorus: Repeats]



Lyrics submitted by hottscubbard

Track duration: 04:27

"She Lives in My Lap" as written by Dino D. Hawkins, Adrian Miller, Eric Vidal, Nick Vidal, Y

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP, A SIDE MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


She Lives in My Lap song meanings
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  • 0
    Song Meaning:She is a Saxophone
    Flag sensimanon May 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Grand song. Huge influence from Prince's "She's Always in My Hair" on the B-Side of "Raspberry Beret." It's a great reference for what this song could be about.

    "She Lives In My Lap" is a glimpse of a strained relationship. The mental battles that a person goes through in any long term romance. Our protagonist (3000) understands that he has his girlfriend/love interest (Dawson) "under his thumb." Knowing that, he feels overtly secure in the relationship, letting her roam across town with her girlfriends "dress to win."

    She's so much "his," that he wants her to roam free so he can remember what it is to miss her, want her, and worry about her fidelity towards him. His passion is dying for her as she obliges to anything he says. This is apparent based on her being "forever his fiance," meaning that they'll be committed (marriage) when he's ready. These two are "oh so close," because she's so much "his," but "yet so far," due to his dying passion for her.

    From time to time, our protagonist loses some of his security, and acts up. Again, she's willing to do anything to make him happy based on the love interest's monologue in the interlude. Once his ego is replenished as she reassures her commitment to him, he knows that he'll continue this selfish cycle based on the section after the interlude, as he sings "I'm yours" repeatedly, only to end with "play let it play," which means he'll continue this.

    To understand this more throughly, think of a time when you've had the "upper hand" in a romance. A time when your partner was so committed to you, that you've uncovered every part of that person, as your passion for them dissipates each day you see them. You really start to stop caring what they do because you know they'll come back to you; almost like a dog. The moment that person starts to act differently from the usual adoration that you receive from them, you starts to worry a bit, and act up. Once you're reassured that they're "still in your lap," your feelings don't really change, as you continue to not care.

    Andre 3000 does a great job depicting the course of a romance through this entire album, as each song is a snapshot of small parts of a relationship. The attraction, the sex, the adoration, the contemplativeness,etc. He does a great job summing it all up by telling the audience his entire romantic history in the "A Life in The Day of Benjamin Andre." Cheers to that album.
    Flag StankYouVeryMuchon April 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think that this song is basically about him being with a woman only for sex at first, and then gradually starting to fall in love with her.He starts to be affected by their relationship, as loose as it may be, and in the second verse she has to convince him to stay with her, and tells him she loves him. or at least, thats what I think its about...
    Flag colormeclearon December 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Also it doesnt refer to his dead love that was just in the movie. The song came out long before the movie
    Flag ImfromSEAon January 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Its "dont leave dont stay" not dont need no chain
    Flag ImfromSEAon January 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:The song is about a gun...the song ever since Idlewild has confused people...just think about a pistol...she lives in my lap...she and all her girlfriends dressed to win...she stays alone...never sheds a tear...the song is about a relationship with a pistol and the thoughts and hazards..that come with it...lol...
    Flag alltymer1on January 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song reminds me of my current situation so I figured I'd check the meaning of it to make sure I wasn't totally off with my interpretation of Mr. 3k's work.
    Flag freakyd32on December 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Fuego was on point then Visionpoet wrapped it up so I guess I don't need to say much. This song is so deep and still one of my favorites to this day. Andre 3k is definately speaking on a conflict between his mind and heart in a relationship that is um almost at a stagnant point because of his fears/insecurities with opening up completely because she pretty much has him open already.
    Flag freakyd32on December 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Fuego is dead on in his assessment. This is a really deep song. To truly understand it, you have to listen to it in context with the rest of "The Love Below." I've heard so many people pass the song off as Andre calling this girl a booty call/jump off. It's way more complicated than this. Look at the name. "She Lives In My Lap." A lot of people take it at face value thinking "lap" is referring to his legs. In fact, it's the other lap meaning he's referencing. Lap as in a track lap. As in a circle. As in a cycle. He has this girl spinning around and around going in HIS cycle. The song is about loving someone, but being too afraid to commit to them. It's a battle between his heart (love) and his head (insecurities). The intro gives it away:

    [Intro: Rosario Dawson]
    [laughter]
    What's wrong? What are you afraid of?
    The Love Below

    "What are you afraid of?" Then it's followed by "The Love Below" which means in this context a deeper love.

    [Verse 1: Andre 3000]
    She stays alone, never sheds a single tear
    She stays in the coolest moods, clearly woman of the year
    She and all her girlfriends, they go out dressed to win
    She comes back to the cooler side of town
    but she lives in my lap

    Again, if you listen to the entire CD, you know that "cooler side of town" is a metaphor for himself. He calls himself "Ice Cold" so the cooler side of town means she's coming to see him. The first verse is discussing how strong she is, how powerful she is. She and all her girlfriends are phenomenal women. Yet, through all of this, she STILL comes back to him. She can't shake him. She's woman of the year, but can't get out of his lap/cycle/circle.

    [Chorus: Andre 3000]
    She lives in my lap [repeat 6X]
    Forever my fiance
    She lives in my lap
    Don't leave, don't stay.
    She lives in my lap
    I'll get the courage one day

    Forever my fiance gives it away. Forever the one I COULD possibly settle down with, IF he gets the courage. Don't leave (I love you), Don't stay (I can't commit).

    Verse 2: Andre 3000]
    Make me want you, make me miss you
    make me wonder where you are, then forget you
    Girl remind me, just who we are
    We're oh so close, but yet so far

    This is Andre talking about how complicated the situation is. He loves her. He wants her. But his insecurities make him just want to forget all about her. They're so close, IF he could just get his insecurities under wraps.

    Baby why are you acting like this?
    I don't care about any of them...
    I care about you!
    Baby I Love you!

    Again, more evidence of his insecurities. He's sabotaging this love. He's sabotaging his own feelings because he's insecure.

    [Adblibs]
    I had a woman down for me...
    Now Im realizing that I love her?

    It's important to realize what song the adlibs came from. For those who don't know, the adlibs are from Geto Boy's "My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me." More evidence of the mind vs heart complications.

    Andre 3000 went DEEP with this track, and the beat matched the energy. There aren't too many artists who actually dig deep with concepts and match it with the lyricism. Props to Dre 3k. Hope this cleared things up.
    Flag Visionpoeton November 06, 2009   Link
  • +1
    Memory:The scratches in the song are from the Geto Boys, My minds playing tricks on me. He saying "I HAD A WOMAN DOWN FOR ME..." This is one of my favorites! This is a song about complicated love... Hes having a arguement w/ his own self about staying or not but in the end shes forever his. Also Im taking that its about a departed loved one (listen to the scratches, then Rosario Dawson (the female voice) comes in to haunt him, but brings a memory of the good times (at the begining where shes laughing). Ive always loved this song, but after my boyfriend pasted, this song has a deeper meaning. This is Andre 3000 at his best
    Flag eidas5891on October 17, 2009   Link

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