A few years later, Aloe would “stow away” on a Lootpack European tour and become fast friends with Oh No – a relationship which led to many fruitful collaborations as a solo artist.
These days, Aloe Blacc has evolved into a true Renaissance man – dubbed “the indie R. Kelly” by online retailer Turntable Lab. Recordings like his Latin cover of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” prove that – not only can this multi-instrumentalist produce, rap and sing – but he can flip it in Spanish, too. With an amazingly broad set of influences ranging widely from the acoustic guitar stylings of folk artist Cat Stevens, to the soul-stirring sounds of the Negro Spirituals, Aloe prides himself on the spectrum of his musical roots. His sound often forays into the digital R&B realm, but always grooves with a tinge of Latin and the pulse of hip-hop.
Life So Hard
Aloe Blacc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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The key to everything, everybody here in America
Is the money.
Some say that it's the root of all evil;
Brings wars and other cells of upheaval.
Leaves family in the streets with nothing to eat;
No shoes on their feet;
All the men who leave home dying in the war zones
And the women do it all they own.
It reminds me of the ghettos right here
And the hoods that I see,
Everywhere that I've been in the is country.
Stop bailing out the banks and give the Franklins to me
I guess my piece of the pie ain't free, can you free.
Oh
[Chorus]
He don't care and she don't care;
They both got brand new clothes to wear
And they ain't worry
'Cause they don't know
What it's like to be left out in the snow
The dirt
The filth
The gutter
The grime
The pain
The strain
The hustle
The climb
The struggle to fight
The conflict
The crime
I don't bye that line that it's nature's design
You different,
You ugly,
You evil
You wrong
You stupid
You dumb
Your mind ain't too strong
Your daddy ain't from here
So you don't belong
And the list goes on and on and on and on
[Chorus]
In "Life So Hard," Aloe Blacc brings attention to the harsh realities of life in America, particularly in impoverished communities. The chorus emphasizes how money plays a significant role in society and how it can cause chaos and despair for those who do not have it. The first verse highlights the effects of war and poverty on families and individuals. Blacc draws a connection between the ghettos and hoods he has seen in America and the plight of those who live in war zones. He calls for a change in priorities, asking for banks to stop receiving bailouts and instead provide monetary resources to Americans in need.
The second verse emphasizes the disparity between the privileged and the struggling. Blacc points out that those who have never experienced poverty may not understand the struggles of those who have to fight to even survive. He compares poverty to filth and grime, and describes the discrimination and prejudice that impacts the lives of those who are different from the majority. Despite these obstacles, Blacc suggests that one should not give up or conform to societal expectations, and instead, fight for a better life.
Overall, "Life So Hard" is a call to action for Americans to recognize and address the issues of poverty and discrimination in their society. Aloe Blacc uses his voice and lyrics to shed light on the harsh realities and inspire change.
Line by Line Meaning
The key to everything, everybody here in America
Money is the driving force behind everything in America.
Is the money.
Money is the center of attention and everything else revolves around it.
Some say that it's the root of all evil;
Many people believe that money is the root cause of all the problems and chaos.
Brings wars and other cells of upheaval.
Money causes conflicts and huge problems like wars and social unrest.
Leaves family in the streets with nothing to eat;
Money is often the cause of poverty and people are left starving on the streets.
Little baby boys and girls
No shoes on their feet;
Children are a major victim of poverty as they are left without basic necessities such as footwear.
All the men who leave home dying in the war zones
And the women do it all they own.
Men end up losing their lives in war and women are left to fend for themselves without any help.
It reminds me of the ghettos right here
And the hoods that I see,
Everywhere that I've been in the is country.
Poverty and its effects can be seen in every corner of this country such as in ghettos and underprivileged neighborhoods.
Stop bailing out the banks and give the Franklins to me
I guess my piece of the pie ain't free, can you free.
Politicians should stop favoring the wealthy and start alleviating the burden of poverty by giving people what they need - money.
Oh
Expression of dissatisfaction and disapproval of the current state of affairs.
[Chorus]
Repetitive chorus to highlight the central theme of the song.
He don't care and she don't care;
They both got brand new clothes to wear
And they ain't worry
'Cause they don't know
Many people who are wealthy and privileged do not understand the gravity of poverty and don't seem to care.
What it's like to be left out in the snow
They haven't experienced the harshness and reality of life and the tribulations of poverty.
The dirt
The filth
The gutter
The grime
The pain
The strain
The hustle
The climb
Poverty is not just about money, it brings with it a range of other problems such as hardship, toil, and struggle.
The struggle to fight
The conflict
The crime
Poverty can lead to social problems like conflict and crime within the society.
I don't bye that line that it's nature's design
You different,
You ugly,
You evil,
You wrong,
You stupid,
You dumb,
Your mind ain't too strong
The idea that poverty is a natural state or due to inherent flaws in certain people is wrong and unfair.
Your daddy ain't from here
So you don't belong
And the list goes on and on and on and on
People from a different background or with an inherited history of poverty are often ostracized and discriminated against on this basis.
[Chorus]
Reiterating the central theme of the song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEON MICHELS, LUKE O'MALLEY, JEFF SILVERMAN, ALOE BLACC, NICHOLAS MOVSHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pino Vignaga
Love it very very very much....lots of poetry and little effects - that for the people who know how to listen are BIG! You're the best <3
Diretoria
Simplesmente muito FODA! ❤
Stephano Digiorgio
ALOE GOD BLESS YOU YOUR ART TOUCHED MY SOUL BACK THEN IN 2012 AND YOU JUST TOUCHED IT TODAY AFTER SO MUCH WITHOUT LISTENING TO THIS GODGIVEN CREATION OF YOURS!!! BLESSINGS FROM VENEZUELA!!!!
Manna Summons
I think it's time to put an end to the mysterious chorus. Aloe, help me out if I'm correct! The rest of the lyrics are obvious to make out. But for years, I've been questioning the chorus - the falsetto-like tone and layer of voices make it tough to make out. This is the most logical conclusion I could make out of it:
(Chorus)
Don’t hitch your light coat/
Betta wait til I toast/
For he spends his nights-froze-.../
From the center of my gall/
(double use of "froze", to transition to next bar, like an anadiplosis style of writing - nights froze/froze from...)
-
Don’t it make you wanna scream/
When you find out that your dream/
Ain’t really what it seems/
And life is so hard
The meaning of the chorus is: Don't get too comfortable; don't fasten your suit jacket/blazer yet... I got something to say and I'm about to spoil this privileged, more fortunate party.
What y'all listeners think? Did I do it? There is no result in Google that can reveal this mystery.
Da Ghost
I need a dollar outro sent me here! 💯
B Cole
Me too fam shit sliden
Can Güven
Same here
Nahom Solomon
Nice
Welshie
First