I by Kendrick Lamar Lyrics Meaning – The Quest for Solace in a Conflicted Existence
Lyrics
I said, oh, what up ho? Oh, what up?
I said, oh, what up ho? Oh, what up?
Well alright
I’m going through something with life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
I’m going through something with life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
Welcome to my diary, stressing got me gray hairs
Something to inspire me, rather than society’s
Woes, let me go, let me shine a lil’ bit love
I want diamonds too, Ronnie on Player’s Club
I used to have a 9 to 5, fresh out of school that was ’05
That bitch was racist, got me fired, ever since then, I had no job
Pushing in my momma van, stop for gas on Rosecrans
Trust me these niggas rushed me for something my cousin probably did
Guilty by association story of my life, nigga
You gon make me flip and split yo shit judge give me life, nigga
Pain since my grandma’s death, Uncle killed at Louie’s Burgers
Hold my tears I tried my best, let it go, drenched my pullover
Cycles of a starving artist tryna go beyond the margin, margin
Maintaining my modest modus as I dream
So while I go through all this, all this bullshit what you call it
Life itself I know it helps let me scroll through my Blackberry
“Hey what’s up daddy?”
I’m going through something with life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
I’m going through something with life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
“So what’d you rush me out here for?
How was your day? Are you tipsy?”
“Hmm!”
All I need in this lifetime: Pussy and Patron
Give me that, once you give me that, once again it’s on
Bitch I’m swagged up, hoes bopping when I’m off that screw
Coming down clean, tell your baby momma what it do?
Where your friends at? I got long dick, what it is?
Go on poke it out, situate your little positives
How I live? Big shot, on my grind, all ready
I’mma lay it down like a carpenter, when you let me
Give me that funk, that sweet, that nasty, that gushy stuff
I can’t get enough, if I offend you, blame it on the liquor babe
Give me that funk, that sweet, that nasty, that gushy stuff
I can’t get enough, if I offend you
Uh, I wrote this song when Dave drove home
And caught that flat, in the mean T Flats
And it made me think, if we could blink
To change locations where we at
We often get lost in the alcohol bottle
In attempt to ignore pain, problem and sorrow
Just for a minute, then back to the bullshit
Your car note due and you ’bout to get evicted
Two drugs surely, Patron, pussy, make it feel alright
But once it’s empty and the bitch leave, then it’s back to life
You can’t run from it, gotta run to it, nigga
The antidote wouldn’t last and you knew it, nigga
But still you proceed to dive deep, ask what’s her zodiac sign
I’m going through something in life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
I’m going through something in life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
Okay, welcome to my diary, hmm where should I begin?
Finna get a swisher and fill it with at least a gram
Crackers watch my every step, man I hate to work for them
One time I tried to work for me, but that shit didn’t work for me
And here I am, stressing, questioning my direction man
What to do? Nothing’s moving, traffic jam, wiggle through it
Pop the cork and take the fluid, bust that pussy open
Bust that pussy open, bust that pussy open
(Soul) Balls deep, ya dig? Retrieve, relief, ya dig?
Let’s kill a bottle of tequila
And lie butt-naked telling the truth, would ya?
What’s up? I had a long day and I really wanna fuck
Take a double shot to the face and forget about my whole day
Cause all I’ve been thinking the whole day
I’m going through something in life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
I’m going through something in life
But pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron make you feel alright
Pussy and Patron, that’s some great advice
All I need in this lifetime: Pussy and Patron
Give me that, once you give me that, once again it’s on
Bitch I’m swagged up, hoes bopping when I’m off that screw
Coming down clean, tell your baby momma what it do?
Where your friends at? I got long dick, what it is?
Go on poke it out, situate your little positives
How I live? Big shot, on my grind, all ready
I’mma lay it down like a carpenter, when you let me
In the competitive battlefield of modern hip-hop, Kendrick Lamar stands out as a prophet of the streets, a poet of the oppressed, and an introspective sage. His repertoire is laced with tracks that transcend the superficial and dive deep into the struggles of the human condition, reflecting the raw realities of life. Among this arsenal is the lesser-explored gem ‘I’ – a track that dwells on the intricacies of seeking refuge in transitory escapes amidst life’s trials and tribulations.
The song ‘I’ unfolds as an open diary, an intimate conversation with oneself, that delves into the tangible need for temporary comforts in face of an often harsh and unforgiving world. Kendrick, through his lyrical expertise, distills the coping mechanisms of the common person, unveiling the narrative with a potent mix of vulnerability and unapologetic realness.
The Pursuit of Ephemeral Euphoria
When life deals hard blows, the human psyche instinctively seeks pleasure as a form of pain relief – a notion that Lamar candidly captures in the chorus of ‘I’. Pussy and Patron become symbols of short-lived pleasure that hold the power to nullify, even if momentarily, the weight of the worldly woes. Kendrick does not sugarcoat his remedies; they are raw and indulgent, real and relatable.
In this pursuit, Lamar also acknowledges the cyclical nature of our struggles. The respite is temporary; the ‘great advice’ is paradoxical. Each round of escape is ephemeral, and yet, indispensably seductive for those caught in life’s riptides. He doesn’t posit these escapes as solutions but rather as human reactions to the complexity of life.
Peering into Life’s Diary: Tribulations Transcribed
Kendrick Lamar often uses his music as a confessional booth, airing out personal and collective grievances. In ‘I’, he describes being fired due to discrimination, the emotional toll of familial deaths, and the dangers of being a black man in America – ‘Guilty by association story of my life, nigga.’ These distressing experiences serve as the backdrop for his yearning for transitory comforts.
Through these vivid snapshots, Kendrick unwraps layers of his own narrative, painting the stark images of life’s trials that lead him to seek solace in the fleeting comfort of ‘Pussy and Patron’. It’s a raw and unfiltered ledger, listing the high costs of living while struggling, coping, and, in moments, surviving.
Between the Beat: The Song’s Underlying Pulse
Musically, ‘I’ juxtaposes introspective content with a backdrop that implies a more celebratory tone. It is in this space—between the horns and the heartbeat of the drum—that Kendrick animates the internal battle between the desire to sink into despair and the desperate groping for a temporary fix.
The song also calls on the heritage of hip-hop and soul to paint its picture, sampling the spirit of genres that have consistently provided commentary on social issues while offering an escape through rhythm and rhyme. Kendrick leverages this musical dialect to speak on life’s profound conflicts and the often-overlooked depths of self-medicating habits.
Unlocking the Hidden Meaning in the ‘Great Advice’
Beneath the explicit chorus, ‘I’ harbors a sarcasm that accentuates the overall message Kendrick aims to convey. The ‘great advice’ is a satirical nod to societal prescriptions for happiness and success – the notion that pleasure and distraction can cure deep-rooted problems.
Within this cryptic message lies a universal truth about the human condition and the dissatisfaction that plagues contemporary life. Lamar critiques the simplistic idea of ‘feeling good’ as a solution, emphasizing the need to confront rather than flee from the pervasive issues we face.
Memorable Lines That Cut Through the Noise
‘We often get lost in the alcohol bottle, In attempt to ignore pain, problem and sorrow,’ Kendrick raps, depicting the common escape route many take when reality becomes unbearable. It is a profound line that speaks volumes of our society’s dependencies and our personal battles with escapism.
Moreover, Lamar’s contemplation—’But once it’s empty and the bitch leave, then it’s back to life’— serves as a haunting reminder that after the distraction fades, life’s relentless cycle resumes with undiminished vigor. It is a sobering thought that lingers long after the track concludes, echoing the continual search for a more sustainable solace.
