Flashing. Lights.

She don't believe in shooting stars
But she believes in shoes and cars
Wood floors in a new apartment
Couture from the store's departments

You more like 'love to start shit'
I'm more of the
Trips to Florida
Order the hor douvres, view of the water
Straight from a page of your favorite author

And the weather's so breezy
Man, why can't life always be this easy?
She in the mirror dancing so sleazy
I get a call like 'Where are you, geezy?'

And try to hit you with the Ol-Wu-Wopte
Till I got flashed by the paparazzi
Damn, these niggas got me
I hate these niggas more than a Nazi

As I recall, I know you love to show off
But I never thought that you would take it this far
But what do I know?
(Flashing lights)
What do I know?

I know it's been a while, sweetheart
We hardly talked
I was doing my thing

I know it was foul baby
Ay, babe, lately you been all on my brain

And if somebody woulda told me a month ago Frontin' though
Yo, I wouldn't wanna know

If somebody woulda told me a year ago it'll go
get this difficult

Feeling like Katrina with no FEMA
Like Martin with no Gina
Like a flight with no visa
FIrst class with the seat back I still see ya

In my past you on the other side of the glass
Of my memory's museum

I'm just saying, hey Mona Lisa
Come home you know you can't Rome without Caesar

As I recall, I know you love to show off
But I never thought that you would take it this far
What do I know?
(Flashing lights)
what do I know

As you recall, you know I love to show off
But you never thought that I would take it this far
What do you know?
(Flashing lights)
What do you know?



Lyrics submitted by strykerchick

Track duration: 04:04


Flashing Lights (feat. Dwele) song meanings
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71 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's pretty clear that the man in the song cheated on his girlfriend and now this is his explanation for it. He says that the other woman was more material and easier to get along with, while the girlfriend was too jealous and controlling. When he was exposed, she found out and left him. Now he thinks about her every day and wants her to come back to him.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    She don't believe in shooting stars
    But she believes in shoes and cars
    Wood floors in a new apartment
    Couture from the store's departments

    His mistress is simple, doesn't need real love, and only believes in tangible things, like money.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    You more like 'love to start shit'
    I'm more of the
    Trips to Florida
    Order the hor douvres, view of the water
    Straight from a page of your favorite author

    He's telling his girlfriend that she starts drama and that she's hard to deal with. He explains why it was so easy to like this new girl because they were similar; he liked expensive vacations and relaxing with her.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    And the weather's so breezy
    Man, why can't life always be this easy?
    She in the mirror dancing so sleazy
    I get a call like 'Where are you, geezy?'

    Life is simple with this girl, without his girlfriend causing drama. The woman he's with is seductive and sexy. She is dancing for him when his girlfriend calls to check up on him.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    And try to hit you with the Ol-Wu-Wopte
    Till I got flashed by the paparazzi
    Damn, these niggas got me
    I hate these niggas more than a Nazi

    The man tries telling his girlfriend that he'll see her soon (Kanye explains in his blog that that's what Ol-Wu-Wopte means), but before he knows it his affair is captured by the paparazzi (hence the flashing lights). He hates the photographers because they caught him in the act and now the girlfriend is going to be able to see what he's done. Even though he's angry he knows he can't take it out on her because he was wrong for doing it, and he knows he has hurt her.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    As I recall, I know you love to show off
    But I never thought that you would take it this far
    But what do I know?
    (Flashing lights)
    What do I know?

    So here... I'm not sure if this part means that she left him and now she's trying to make him jealous... or if he's implying that she's actually the one who called the paparazzi on him... But either way he seems to have underestimated her and now he feels bad for what he did.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    I know it's been a while, sweetheart
    We hardly talked
    I was doing my thing
    ---
    I know it was foul baby
    Ay, babe, lately you been all on my brain

    He's saying "I know we grew apart. I was busy living my life, doing my thing. I know I hurt you and I regret it, but lately you're the only thing I can think about.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    And if somebody woulda told me a month ago Frontin' though
    Yo, I wouldn't wanna know
    ---
    If somebody woulda told me a year ago it'll go
    get this difficult

    He says if someone had told him it would happen like this, h wouldn't have listened. If someone had said he would get this distant from his girlfriend that he would want to cheat on her, he wouldn't have believed them.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    Feeling like Katrina with no FEMA
    Like Martin with no Gina
    Like a flight with no visa
    First class with the seat back I still see ya

    This is a disaster that he doesn't know how to deal with. Nothing is working, and no matter what he does he can't get her out of his head.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    In my past you on the other side of the glass
    Of my memory's museum
    ---
    I'm just saying, hey Mona Lisa
    Come home you know you can't Rome without Caesar

    There's too much between him and his girl. It's like the memory of her is foggy. Maybe he tried to block it out because he knows he hurt her. He calls her Mona Lisa (in reference to the aforementioned museum) and tells her he wants her home because they are better together.

    *Side note: To all of the people who think he meant to say Cleopatra, no. Cleopatra never had a thing with Caesar. She and Mark Antony were lovers. Caesar was happily married to a woman named Portia.

    Caesar is most likely another museum reference.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    As you recall, you know I love to show off
    But you never thought that I would take it this far
    What do you know?
    (Flashing lights)
    What do you know?

    He closes by repeating that he can't believe she took it this far, but accepts it because he pushed the boundaries first.

    So yeah, this is my interpretation. let me know if you found it interesting or if you liked it or if you hated it, whatever. :)



    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Flag mckenzienovaon May 04, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it yeezy not beezy or geezy.

    Yeezy - Kanye's stage name like Hove is another stage name for Jay-Z

    excellently executed self deprecation. he's rhyming about the struggles he has mixing business with pleasure - girls approach Kanye on a business level where he's a world class producer and extremely successful but they're let down when they discover that personally, he is quite different. Another introspective struggle with himself. badtimes - i wouldn't wanna struggle with him.
    Flag Godzukion January 23, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song is amazing, sullen and blurry yet poetic. Reminds me of middle school.
    I think Kanye is talking about his ex and why he broke up with her (because she was a show-off).
    Meanwhile, he's dealing with the obnoxious paparazzi, and feels lonely because his girlfriend is gone.
    Flag AwayFromSirenson November 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think its clear what it means although everyones interprets songs to their own movement. It transcribes my life perfectly. His girl was a little materialistic so much so that she would Sell her body for these nice things. So I never thought you would take it this far... Shes a stripper. I know you love to show off. Flashing lights? Obvious... Just flat out depressing, however ironically my fav song at the moment. My ex who always use to hate on hooker strippers herself became one plain heartbreaking and then decided to press charges against me because she has an anxiety disorder and I had to calm her down in the past. Girls, own your deeds. If you got drugged up and crashed a car dont blame someone else. Just let it go. And Love yourself before start blaming the world. I tried to help her. I still love her even though the thought of us being together makes me sick. I made a promise and ill keep it to the day I die.
    Flag iusetoknowon October 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:is this song about his ex, Amber Rose? or maybe a different ex?

    in the lyrics, he's talking about a girl who's into material things, a fast-paced lifestyle, and a bit vindictive (You more like 'love to start shit').

    Kanye seems to be having an existential struggle between 2 Kanyes (in MOST of his songs, actually):
    * one Kanye loves the attention, the fast-paced lifestyle, the money, the fame, celebrity, and all that comes with it... the POWER.
    * the other Kanye comes from a modest, work-hard-for-what-you-get background (which is the work ethic that got him to the top), and therefore despises the downside to fame, namely the intrusion of privacy, backstabbers, starf*ckers, etc. he would rather chill by the ocean with his lady in Florida, in intimacy and privacy, than parade around L.A. with her getting photographed together by the paparazzi.

    he still holds a candle for this ex, b/c he feels she can hang on his level and really understand him deep down inside. she could match his intensity and creativity, and she was an equal to him in many ways... the Gina to his Martin.

    however, the intensity and power inside her, that formed the basis of their mutual attraction, was what eventually crushed him. it sounds like she took it too far by setting him up for a downfall by the paparazzi (flashing lights). he must've crossed her, and she wasn't having it, and let HIM have it!
    Flag BarryRiffson June 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:so lyrical i <3 it!
    Flag Greenytion August 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:As to the whole "Mona Lisa" part, you have to listen to the lyric before it...

    "First class with the seat back I still see ya

    In my past you on the other side of the glass
    Of my memory's museum

    I'm just saying, hey Mona Lisa
    Come home you know you can't Rome without Caesar"

    He refers to her as the Mona Lisa because of the museum reference he makes. As for the Rome part, it's just his word play on the word "roam".
    Flag Gloomicalon June 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this track...my favorite on the album
    Flag Hurleysmith26on April 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Very simple. First part all about the chick he sneaking around with. But he is talking to his wifey.. comparing the three differences. Him/His Wife/and Side Chick. Then he got bagged by media, and it makes him upset like knowing what the Nazi'z did..

    Chorus like a tranisition of leaving the side chick, beacuse she an't about nothing...

    Second part all about missing his wifey..

    End of Story..
    Flag kom3nycon April 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about a girl he dated, but the girl only used him to get the paparazzi. So she could get noticed. Flashing lights, like the flash of a camera.

    That's what I think :]
    Flag Connnoron September 08, 2009   Link

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