Bad Religion
Frank Ocean Lyrics

Taxi driver
Frank Ocean addresses his taxi driver, fulfilling the role of a listener in his life

Be my shrink for the hour
Frank Ocean is asking the taxi driver to act as his therapist for the time being

Leave the meter running
He asks the driver to continue charging him, indicating that he needs this help and is ready to pay for it

It's rush hour
Though there may be delays, Frank Ocean needs the talk more than ever and wants the taxi to take its time

So take the streets if you wanna
Frank Ocean gives the driver the choice to diverge from the common route, possibly leading them to a quicker resolution

Just outrun the demons, could you?
Frank Ocean believes that if he covers more ground, he can move past his personal struggles faster

"Allahu akbar"
A phrase used in Muslim prayer, but also linked to terrorism, heightening Frank Ocean's anxiety

I told him, "Don't curse me"
Frank Ocean becomes paranoid and asks the driver not to cause him harm or wish negative things upon him

"Bo Bo, you need prayer"
The driver further suggests the importance of prayer for Frank Ocean, highlighting how damaged he feels

I guess it couldn't hurt me
Frank Ocean is willing to try anything that may help him, and decides to take the driver's advice despite his initial apprehension

If it brings me to my knees
Frank Ocean confesses that his struggles are debilitating and all-consuming, and hopes that this prayer will help him gain perspective and clarity

It's a bad religion, ooh
Frank Ocean recognizes his unhealthy attachment to someone who doesn't love him back, and calls it a 'bad religion'

This unrequited love
Frank Ocean is in love with someone who does not reciprocate his feelings

To me, it's nothin' but a one-man cult
Frank Ocean feels trapped in his obsession with this person, as if he is the only one who believes in the relationship

And cyanide in my styrofoam cup
Frank Ocean compares his destructive attachment to the poison cyanide, which he acknowledges is damaging and unhealthy to him

I can never make 'em love me
Frank Ocean has come to terms with the fact that he cannot change someone's feelings or make them love him back

Love me, love me
Frank Ocean repeats these words as a plea for affection, which he knows will never be granted

Taxi driver
Frank Ocean addresses the taxi driver again

I swear I've got three lives
Frank Ocean speaks to the complexity of his identity and the different lives he leads

Balanced on my head like steak knives
Frank Ocean feels the weight of his different identities, like knives ready to cut him down

I can't tell you the truth about my disguise
Frank Ocean is afraid to reveal his true self to anyone, including the driver as his therapist, but especially to the object of his obsession

I can't trust no one
Frank Ocean reveals his fear of others and their potential to betray him

And you say, "Allahu akbar"
The driver's repetition of the phrase makes Frank Ocean feel even more exposed and vulnerable

I told him, "Don't curse me"
As before, Frank Ocean pleads with the driver to not bring him harm

"Bo Bo, you need prayer"
The driver's words begin to resonate with Frank Ocean, and he starts to consider that maybe he does need to turn to prayer

I guess it couldn't hurt me
Frank Ocean repeats this line, indicating his increasing willingness to try different measures to help himself

If it brings me to my knees
Frank Ocean repeats this line, emphasizing the potential power of prayer in guiding him to a better place

It's a bad religion
Frank Ocean repeats this line, almost as if it is an acknowledgement of his current state, and a surrender to the situation he is in

Oh, unrequited love
Frank Ocean repeats this line and the following ones, showing the magnitude of his pain and heartbreak

No, no, ah
Frank Ocean ends with these words, which could represent his resignation or acceptance of his situation, or possibly his wish for a different reality

It's a, it's a bad religion
Frank Ocean ends as he began, with the repetition of this line, which shows how central and overwhelming this issue is to his life

To be in love with someone
Frank Ocean concludes with this universal sentiment, describing the relatable pain of loving someone who cannot love you back

Who could never love you
Frank Ocean ends with these words, highlighting the unlikelihood and impossibility of his love being returned

Oh, only bad, only bad religion
Frank Ocean ends with this line, repeating the key message of the song that his obsessive love is like a 'bad religion'.