Augustine
Blood Orange Lyrics

The lyrics of Blood Orange’s song Augustine are rich with references and allusions, making it a complex and thought-provoking track. The song opens with the singer describing their family history, highlighting their immigrant background and rough beginnings. The line “Bruised but still afloat” suggests that despite adversity, the singer is resilient and continues to persevere. The imagery of “our heads hitting the pavement” in the second verse suggests that the singer and his loved ones have experienced violence or police brutality, a recurring theme in Blood Orange’s work. The line “You stroke his face to soothe him, while knowing that there's more” suggests a sense of powerlessness to prevent harm and violence even when trying to be there for and support their loved ones.

The chorus references the Christian philosopher St. Augustine, specifically his Confessions, where he describes his late conversion to Christianity. The line “Late have I loved and chose to see” implies that the singer too has had a late realization or acceptance of something important in their life, although what that may be is left unclear. The line “Skin on his skin, a warmth that I can feel with him” suggests a closeness or intimacy between the singer and another person, potentially a romantic partner or friend, which offers comfort and safety in a world of violence and hate.

The song ends with the repetition of “Nontetha”, which means “Listen” in Xhosa. This is paired with a line in the same language, “Kushé-o aw di bodi,” which roughly translates to “God is dead and we have killed him”. This phrase is a reference to Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous proclamation in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which critiques Christianity and the idea of God. Blood Orange’s use of these phrases in the song suggests a general disillusionment with organized religion and a call to listen more closely to one another’s experiences and perspectives.