Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born 1979 in Orange County, California), bett… Read Full Bio ↴Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born 1979 in Orange County, California), better known by the stage name Aloe Blacc, is an American soul singer, rapper and musician. He began his recording career as an MC back in 1995 when he joined up with hip-hop producer Exile to form the mainstay indie rap group Emanon. Aloe released his debut solo album Shine Through on Stonethrow Records in 2006 and followed this up in 2010 with Good Things. He has also collaborated with the Cradle Orchestra under the name Bee, and they released the project Open Your Mind in 2009. His song "I Need a Dollar" is the intro song for the HBO show How to Make It in America. The I Need A Dollar Songfacts reports that after this retro soul track hit the charts throughout continental Europe, Blacc signed with major label Epic Records for the UK and Ireland release of the record.

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.

Take Me Back
Aloe Blacc Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You never thought that you'd ever get caught
With your hand up in the cookie jar
Playing spades with the devil
Now, boy, why'd you have to go and do that for?

See, you better stop your bluffing now
You know they make up the rules
You think you playing the game

Now, brother, you played the fool
They gon' play you for a fool

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
And if I die before I wake
Must be a mistake, Lord take me back

Know it ain't right sometimes
But we running all through my mind
I know it ain't right
Don't believe it when they say justice is blind

Oh, there's something awful in the way
You've been working all on my nerves
And I've been thinking every day
I'm gonna give them what they deserve
They gon' get what they deserve

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
And if I die before I wake
Said, if I die before I wake
Well if I die before I wake
It's got to, got to, got to be a mistake, Lord take me back

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
And if I die before I wake
I know it got to be a mistake, Lord take me back

Ooh, take me back
Whoa, Lord take me back
Ooh, you got to take me back

I don't need this, I don't deserve it
It ain't my fault, ain't nobody perfect
This ain't justice, and I didn't do it
They just talking, but they can't prove it

Gimme a chance, start over again
All I want is a different end

Start it over, over again
Do it over again, do it over again, start it over again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Aloe Blacc's "Take Me Back" tell a story of regret and the desire for redemption. The song is written from the perspective of someone who has gotten caught in a difficult situation after playing "spades with the devil" and is now facing the harsh consequences of their actions. The reference to the cookie jar is a metaphor for the temptation that led to the situation they are in. The lines “Now, boy, why'd you have to go and do that for?” and "You know they make up the rules, You think you're playing the game, Now, brother, you played the fool, They gon' play you for a fool" suggest that the songwriter is acknowledging that they have made a mistake, and that ultimately they have only themselves to blame.

The second verse of the song sees the perspective shift, with the songwriter asking for forgiveness and protection. The lines, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, And if I die before I wake, Must be a mistake, Lord take me back" suggest deep remorse and a hope that a higher power can help rectify the situation. The final verse of the song, "I don't need this, I don't deserve it, It ain't my fault, ain't nobody perfect" implies that while the songwriter acknowledges their wrongdoing, they also feel unfairly targeted by the situation.

Overall, "Take Me Back" is a powerful regretful song that delves into themes of right and wrong, consequence, and redemption.

Line by Line Meaning

You never thought that you'd ever get caught
You didn't expect to be caught red-handed.

With your hand up in the cookie jar
You got caught committing the crime.

Playing spades with the devil
You were playing a dangerous game.

Now, boy, why'd you have to go and do that for?
Why did you do something so reckless and foolish?

See, you better stop your bluffing now
You need to stop pretending and face the truth.

You know they make up the rules
You're not in control; others have the power.

You think you playing the game
You thought you were in charge, but you're not.

Now, brother, you played the fool
You made a careless mistake.

They gon' play you for a fool
They're going to take advantage of your mistake.

Now I lay me down to sleep
The singer is going to bed.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep
The singer is praying for protection.

And if I die before I wake
The singer is acknowledging that death could happen.

Must be a mistake, Lord take me back
The singer is asking for a chance to start over if something goes wrong.

Know it ain't right sometimes
The singer knows that life can be unfair.

But we running all through my mind
The singer is thinking about a particular situation a lot.

I know it ain't right
The singer knows that something is wrong.

Don't believe it when they say justice is blind
The singer thinks that the justice system isn't always fair.

Oh, there's something awful in the way
There is something terrible happening.

You've been working all on my nerves
Someone is bothering the singer.

And I've been thinking every day
The singer has been contemplating something for a while.

I'm gonna give them what they deserve
The singer wants to seek revenge on someone.

They gon' get what they deserve
The person who wronged the singer will face the consequences.

Ooh, take me back
The singer wants to go back to a previous moment in time.

Whoa, Lord take me back
The singer is asking for divine intervention.

Ooh, you got to take me back
The singer is pleading for a second chance.

I don't need this, I don't deserve it
The singer is saying that they didn't ask for this situation and that it's unfair.

It ain't my fault, ain't nobody perfect
The singer is acknowledging that nobody is perfect and to err is human.

This ain't justice, and I didn't do it
The singer believes that what happened isn't fair or just and that they are innocent.

They just talking, but they can't prove it
The people blaming the singer don't have evidence to support their claims.

Gimme a chance, start over again
The singer wants a second chance to do things differently.

All I want is a different end
The singer wants a better outcome than what is currently happening.

Start it over, over again
The singer wants to completely reset and start again.

Do it over again, do it over again, start it over again
Reiterating the desire for a fresh start and to do things differently.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEON MICHELS, JEFF SILVERMAN, ALOE BLACC, QUINCY BRIGHT, HOMER STEINWIESS, PAZNER. TOBY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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