Jay-Z – Young Forever

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  Song Meaning:Z did it again. I think it is the greatest song ever written, and some of the most inspiring lyrics of all time. I think they are so inspiring, because at least three times a day i hear about this is how life is supposed to be lived like this, but Jay can organize, and express them in such well written lyrics, that are so soulful, that they must be decoded to figure out, if that made any sense. I think the first verse is about how life should be lived like in a "video" because videos are perfect. I think it also talks about how we can hit "rewind" and our "video" starts over as in no one is every to old to do anything. Thelast part of the verse i feel talks about he doesn't mind, or (care) if he dies because he has made a HUGE impact on not just music but society. He feels life is complete then, which goes against the whole point of the song but it's another good point. He probably meant that being young was important UNTIL he made an impact and now his for lack of a better word *role* is complete, since he is making society better for the next generation. The second verse is also about being a legend, and changing society. It says in the song fear not die, i'll be alive for a million years, and it also says my name shall survive meaning people will listen to his music for years to come, and he will stay on top. Later in the verse it talks about Jay selling drugs, and hustling. I feel the last verse is about people putting down Shawn Carter/Jay-Z, when it says niggas thought I lost it, they be talking bullshit, they nauseous. When it says I will never forfeit meaning he will never give up no matter what people say. I think this is a very inspirational song.

  Flag sand135321on November 09, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Let us dance in style let us dance for a while
  Heaven can wait, we are only watching the sky
  Hoping for the best but expecting the worst,
  are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
  Let us die young or let us live for ever
  we don't have the power but we never say never
  setting in a sand pit
  life is a short trip
  the music for the sad man
  
  These words begin this song and set the tone and the meaning of the entire song. The song is about capturing the essence of youth and what youth means. Those who are forever young, like jay z claims have lived life to the fullest without regret. He will die someday, but his legacy will never die, and therefore when the director yells cut, he will be fine.
  But what he is saying is more to the youth of the ghettos who may feel trapped by their circumstances. Life is short so grab it and take control. I think Jay z wants people to be able to strike a balance between enjoying today and preparing a legacy for tomorrow, which he feels like he has done.
  Some have commented that is may be about dying young. Life in the ghetto is hard and many young black men die young, so he may be have thought in the past that he would die young, and thus reflected upon his life in pictures in order to maintain those memories.
  When my Mother was in her thirties, she use to say to me that she didn't want to live to be real old. She wanted to die before she reached her old age. She passed away at 51 of cancer, and when I hear his song I think of her. I think that she no longer wanted to live when she could not live and experience everything life had to offer and participate fully in the beauty of life and youth. So let us die young or let us live forever. The essence of youth is what he speaks of, and balancing passion for the here today, and the legacy of tomorrow that you will leave behind. That is what he believes make you forever young.

  Flagged maxine4seenon February 09, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:This song is about...dying young. Not living the life and then fading, but straight-up giving up the ghost when you're young.
  
  Obviously a lot of it is about living the life of a drug dealer ("through the darkest blocks, over kitchen stoves, over Pyrex pots" – this part's about cooking crack) and doing bad things to your body.
  
  The dying part, though, is a bit more subtle. People don't "[debate] up in barber shops" (barber shops being the stereotypical place where ghetto lore is passed down) about living people; they do it about dead people. When he says "life is for living not living up tight, see it's somewhere up in the sky, fear not die, I’ll be alive for a million years, bye bye," he's saying that life's not worth living if you're not living it up, the implication being that he's not going to fade out, he's going to straight-up die.
  
  And when "the director yells cut," it's all over.
  
  It's a pretty creepy song, and probably one that's meant with more than a hint of irony (after all, Jay-Z isn't selling crack anymore but he isn't dead either; he obviously didn't make the same choices as the song's character). But make no mistake – this song is about dying young, not being "forever young in your mind," as an earlier commenter put it.

  Flag zboron June 10, 2010   Link

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    I don't think he is talking about a guy selling crack now, I think he is speaking of where he came from, a young crack dealer and where he arrived. He wants to be an inspiration to those who feel trapped by their circumstances

    Flag maxine4seenon February 09, 2011  
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  General Comment:eehh this song is good and all but not my fave or anything u kno dont get it at all but...ehhhh

  Flag lexi0498on June 06, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:eehh this song is good and all but not my fave or anything u kno dont get it at all but...ehhhh

  Flag lexi0498on June 06, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:So we livin' life like a video,
  where the sun is always out and you never get old,
  and the champagne's always cold,
  and the music's always good,
  and the pretty girls just happen to stop by in the hood,
  and they hop their pretty ass up on the hood of that pretty ass car,
  without in a wrinkle in today,
  because there is no tomorrow,
  just a picture perfect day that lasts a whole lifetime,
  and it never ends because all we have to do is hit rewind,
  
  So let's stay in the moment,
  smoke some weed, drink some wine,
  reminisce, talk some shit, forever young is in your mind,
  leave a mark that can’t erase - neither space nor time
  so when the director yells cut I'll be fine,
  i'm forever young...
  
  
  this just brings me back to being 16 rollin with my friends without a care in the world,
  
  
  so if you love me baby this is how you let me know.
  don’t ever let me go, thats how you let me know, baby,
  this is just a great line!
  love ya JAY-Z

  Flag loveinthedarkon May 10, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:PEOPLE. It's smoke some WEED, not week. Everyone who's posted the lyrics has made that mistake.

  Flag darthvegan117on April 23, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:This song is about Jay-Z and his legacy. He's nearly 40 years old he isn't going to be "young forever"; at some point the younger generation is gonna phase him out.

  Flag ALM333on February 12, 2010   Link

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  Song Meaning:"May the best of your todays, be the worst of your tomorrows, but we ain't even thinking that far, you know what I mean?" Is what he says about one minute into the song.
  
  It means "may every day be better than the one before, but tomorrow isn't even important in the big scheme of things"
  
  My friend showed me this song, I'm so glad that he did =)
  

  Flag 13579on November 07, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:mf28, I agree with some of your comments, but not with others. My opinions:
  
  
  So we livin' life like a video,
  
  I dont think hes saying "we're supposed to be living our lives the same way we view people in a movie or in a music video", I think hes just saying he or they are living the good life, the kind of good life that is depicted in music videos or movies.
  
  where the sun is always out and you never get old,
  and the champagne's always cold,
  and the music's always good,
  and the pretty girls just happen to stop by in the hood,
  and they hop their pretty ass up on the hood of that pretty ass car,
  (more dialogue based on previous explanation)
  without in a wrinkle in today,
  because there is no tomorrow,
  just a picture perfect day that lasts a whole lifetime,
  
  I think thats all self explanatory. I dont think hes saying "because this is the way we view those movies/music videos, and is the way we should live our live". hes just describing the perfect worry free life everyone dreams about.
  
  and it never ends because all we have to do is hit rewind,
  
  I dont know if hes talking about human evolution. I think he is still describing this perfect life where we dont age, can press rewind whenever we want...etc etc. That sentance goes with whats above.
  
  So let's stay in the moment,
  smoke some week, drink some wine,
  reminisce, talk some shit, forever young is in your mind,
  
  You dont mention anything about this part, but its important. I think he is saying you have the ability to be forever young, its in your mind.
  
  leave a mark that can’t erase - neither space nor time
  so when the director yells cut I'll be fine,
  
  I agree with your comments on this part.
  
  Fear not when, fear not why,
  fear not much while were alive,
  life is for living not living up tight,
  
  I dont think hes focusing on future/past like you said, but I do agree hes saying dont worry and just live.
  
  see its somewhere up in the sky,
  fear not die, i’ll be alive for a million years, bye bye,
  so not for legends, I’m forever young
  my name shall survive
  
  I would assume hes referencing heaven and I agree he is talking about his music/name living on.
  
  through the darkest blocks, over kitchen stoves,
  over Pyrex pots, my name shall be passed down to generations while debating up in barber shops,
  
  People talking about him and I agree with you, debating the best.
  
  young slung, hung here,
  
  um i disagree. He is not talking about the size of his penis.
  
  shorty, the nigga from here
  with a little ambition just what we can become here,
  
  no, hes not talking about purpose and hes not saying we all have his level or talent or that we all geniuses, he is saying he is saying with a little desire and effort you can become something here.
  
  and as the father passed his story down to his sons ears,
  young’ll get, younger every year, yeah
  
  you may be correct with your interperptation of those lines, but I took them as you become older, the younger get younger every year. maybe you are reading to far into it.
  
  
  
  

  Flag jdotfiteon October 29, 2009   Link

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