This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Yeah, doo, doo, doo
Doo, doo, diggy, yo
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
Gotta be something for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Signed, sealed, delivered for us to grow together
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't gon' solve 'em, 'cause I probably did it too
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Some niggas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts
And relationship is effort, I will match your work
I wanna be the one to make you happiest and hurt you the most
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
To the most high
Regardless of what happen, on Him let's rely
There are times, when you'll need someone (yeah)
I will be by your side (for sure, for sure)
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's important we communicate
And tune the fate of this union to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
And sex and a tingle is where they assumin' it land
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
If heaven had a height you would be that tall
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Let's stick to understanding and we won't fall
For better or worse times, I hope to me you call
So I pray every day more than anything
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
This foundation for a family, love ain't simple
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually?
Granted we known each other for some time
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh, darling
There is a light that shines (yeah)
Special for you and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's kind of fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
And I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
Plus you shit pop when it's time to, thinking you fresh
Suggesting beats I should rhyme to
At times when I'm lost I try to find you
You know to give me space when it's time to
My heart's dictionary defines you, it's love and happiness
Truthfully it's hard tryna practice abstinence
The time we committed love, it was real good
Had to be for me to arrive and it still feel good
I know the sex ain't gon' keep you, but as my equal
It's how I must treat you
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
And whatever's right, I'ma feed you
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo, I tell you the rest when I see you, peace
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
Take my chances before they pass
Pass me by, oh, darling
You need to look at the other side
You'll agree
Doo, doo, diggy, yo
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
Gotta be something for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Signed, sealed, delivered for us to grow together
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't gon' solve 'em, 'cause I probably did it too
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Some niggas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts
And relationship is effort, I will match your work
I wanna be the one to make you happiest and hurt you the most
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
To the most high
Regardless of what happen, on Him let's rely
There are times, when you'll need someone (yeah)
I will be by your side (for sure, for sure)
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's important we communicate
And tune the fate of this union to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
And sex and a tingle is where they assumin' it land
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
If heaven had a height you would be that tall
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Let's stick to understanding and we won't fall
For better or worse times, I hope to me you call
So I pray every day more than anything
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
This foundation for a family, love ain't simple
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually?
Granted we known each other for some time
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh, darling
There is a light that shines (yeah)
Special for you and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's kind of fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
And I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
Plus you shit pop when it's time to, thinking you fresh
Suggesting beats I should rhyme to
At times when I'm lost I try to find you
You know to give me space when it's time to
My heart's dictionary defines you, it's love and happiness
Truthfully it's hard tryna practice abstinence
The time we committed love, it was real good
Had to be for me to arrive and it still feel good
I know the sex ain't gon' keep you, but as my equal
It's how I must treat you
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
And whatever's right, I'ma feed you
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo, I tell you the rest when I see you, peace
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
Take my chances before they pass
Pass me by, oh, darling
You need to look at the other side
You'll agree
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i love this song! i don't know if there's a better song to dedicate to a girl. woah! where did Common come up w/ these lyrics? i'd cry (in a good way) if a guy rapped this song to me!!
This is beautiful, not your typical "love song".
Replying over a year later BUT!
The song in the chorus is Bobby Caldwell "Open Your Eyes"
yay! no blinging, degradation, or violence! i like this song.
this song still gets to me every single time i hear it. simply beautiful.
This song is great. Common's lyrics are great but it's also one of j dilla's best productions. The funny thing with this song is if you listen to the instrumental to this song, in the beat j dilla takes a line from the original bobby caldwell song that says, "you may never find a love thats right" and just repeats it, so while common is talking about this awesome love, j dilla's just contradicting him in the background. its funny to me, but i love common and j dilla(rip) and this is probably one of my favorite all time songs.
This song exemplifies hip hop love song(s). its real on so many levels. About a man writing a love letter, who else in hip hop could do this beside com sense!
oh MY gosh. this song rocks.
Does anyone know the name of the song that he samples in the chorus, ive been trying to figure it out forever, cant find anything on it
im into punk music but this is the best rap/hip hop songs of all time just read those lyrics thats straight from the heart