Lyrical Dissection: Mya, “Ridin'”
New GeorgiaMae feature!
Jay-Z once said, “Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?” That’s real talk – do you actually listen to what these artists are saying or are you hypnotized by the beat, waiting for the hook to drop?
I’m going to take a closer look at selected lyrics to examine what these artists are really talking about.
Let’s start off with Mya, and her single, “Ridin'” which dropped back in 2007 for an album that never materialized. There might be a reason for that.
Rambling intro:
Can’t believe it
You know, why do I feel like I did something wrong?
I’m really about to play myself
But I need to know the truth
Yeah, sister, you’re really about to play yourself. See for yourself.
Verse 1
It’s been five hours since you left here boy
Said you were goin’ round the block, had to make a stop
So I kept your dinner, hot-hot-hot
And I’ve been waiting for you ever since,
it’s 3 in the morning yeah
But 3 turns into 4 and 4 turns into five
Then 6 rolls around whatchu tryna do, baby, make me cry?
I don’t know what I did, but I know what I’m gonna do
I’m gonna find you
Let’s set the scene. It’s been five hours since this guy left home and it’s now 3 a.m. So ol’ dude left the house at 10 p.m. to “make a stop.” Ladies, if your man said he was going “’round the block” at 10 p.m. wouldn’t you ask him, you know, WHERE he was going? That’s her fault.
Chorus
I’m ridin’, I’m ridin’ past yo mommaz house
You got me ridin’, I’m ridin’ past yo boys’ house
You got me ridin’, I’m ridin’, I’m ridin’ tryna find you
Baby you got me out here lookin’ for you
I’m ridin, I’m ridin past that b****’s house
You got me ridin’, I’m ridin’ by all yo ex’s’ house
You got me ridin’, I’m ridin’, I’m ridin’ tryna find you
Baby you got me out here lookin’ for you, I
If my significant other went missing in the middle of the night, I would have called the police. The man could be laying in a ditch somewhere, as my grandma would say. Why wouldn’t she do that? Is filing a missing person’s report considered snitching? Cuz you know we aren’t supposed to snitch, according to rap songs.
And why is she riding by the houses of random women? Ladies, if you can’t trust your man you shouldn’t let him up in your house, let alone make him dinner. Mya could have been watching Charm School instead of keeping his dinner hot-hot-hot.
Verse 2
When you stepped to me, you had nothing
But the shoes on your feet, no place to sleep
So I let you lay yo head on my pillow
You didn’t have a dime, so I helped you find your grind, yo a** is just a waste of time
And I played the fool for you, it’s 3 in the morning yeah
And it’s not weekend, oh no
But 3 turns into 4 and 4 turns into five
Then 6 rolls around whatchu tryna do, baby, make me cry?
I don’t know what I did, but I know what I’m gonna do
I’m gonna find you
Chorus
Oh now she’s kicking a brother while he’s down! Who cares if the man was broke, why you gotta throw it in his face? And don’t drag Tony Toni Tone into this, missy.
And why did she say “and it’s not the weekend” like it would be OK for him to vanish for 8 hours if it was Saturday night.
Bridge
I been sippin’ on Red Bull so there ain’t gon’ be no sleep tonight
Not gonna let you go oh no, without a fight
See you’re the type to make a girl do things she know ain’t right
5 gallons of gas, and I’m drivin fast
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Chorus
Five gallons of gas!? How does she expect to ride past all these houses on a quarter tank? I guess even third-string R&B singers are being hurt by the recession.
Chorus
Outro
It’s 3 in the morning
It’s 4 in the morning
It’s 5 in the morning
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Sigh, and she STILL hasn’t called the police. Has she even called his cell phone yet? Maybe dude skipped town to get away from her.
The verdict: Don’t date Mya, she’s pretty insecure. Leave the house for 5 minutes and she’ll be riding past your ex’s house.
HILARIOUS! Well, she def played herself according to that song. I don’t think that she was kicking him while he was down, however. I think that she was saying, that she helped him get up on game and this is how he repays her and she doesn’t appreciate it.
Nevertheless, it’s a mess for sure. And if you can’t, don’t or won’t trust him, the one of you needs to bounce.