Airplanes
B.O.B Eminem Hayley Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
(Dreamin', of fallin, dreamin', of fallin')
Let's pretend like its '98
Like I'm eating lunch off of Styrofoam trays
Trying to be the next rapper coming out the A
Hoping for a record deal, to re-know my pain
Now let's pretend like I'm on the stage
And when my beat drops everybody goes insane (ok)
And everybody know my name (B.o.B)
And everywhere I go people wanna hear me sang
Oh yea and I just dropped my new album
On the first week I did five hundred thousand
Gold in the spring and diamond in the fall
And then a world tour just to top it all off
And let's pretend like they call me the greatest
Selling out arenas with big ass stages
And everybody loved me and no one ever hated
Let's try to use imagination
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Okay, let's pretend like this never happened
Like I never had dreams of being a rapper
Like I didn't write raps in all of my classes
Like I never used to runaway into the blackness
Now let's pretend like it was all-good
Like I didn't live starring in a notebook
Like I did the things I probably knew I should
But I didn't have neighbors that's why they call it hood
Now let's pretend like I ain't got a name
Before they ever called me B.o.B or a.k.a Bobby Ray
I'm talking back before the mixtapes
Before the videos and the deals and the fame
Before they ever once compared me to Andre
Before I ever got Myspace
Before they ever noticed my face
So let's just pretend and make wishes out of airplanes
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
(And it seems like yesterday it was just a dream
But those days are gone, they're just memories
And it seems yesterday it was just a dream
But those days are gone)
Let's pretend Marshall Mathers never picked up a pen
Let's pretend things would've been no different
Pretend he procrastinated, had no motivation
Pretend he just made excuses that
Was so paper thin they could blow away wit the wind
Marshall you never gone make it,
Makes no sense to play the game it ain't no way that'll you win
Pretend he just stand out side all day and play with his friends
Pretend he even had a friend to say was his friend
And it wasn't time to move in school no changing again
He wasn't socially awkward and just strange as a kid
He had a father and his mother wasn't crazy as shit
And he never dreamed he can ripped stadiums he just lazy as shit
Fuck a talent show in the gymnasium bitch
You won't amount to shit quit day dreaming kid
You need to get ya cranium check you thinking like an alien
It just ain't realistic
Now pretend they ain't just make him angry with this shit
And there was no one he could even aim when he's pissed with
And his alarm went off to wake him but he didn't make it to the rap Olympics
He slept through his plane and he missed it
He's gonna have a hard time explaining to Haley and Laney these food stamps and W-I-C shit
'Cause he never risked shit, he hoped and he wished it
But it didn't fall in his lap so he ain't even hear it he pretends that
Airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
The song "Airplanes" by B.O.B featuring Eminem and Hayley Williams is a contemplative piece that runs through different scenarios where the artists are pretending to be something they are not. In the first verse, B.O.B imagines himself as a successful rapper who sold millions of copies and is adored by a lot of people. He talks about big stages, world tours and having people sing along to his songs. He sets himself up as a model to aspire to and as someone worthy of emulation. Through the refrain, the artists evoke a child-like sense of making wishes and dreaming of flying high- as if they wish to become something that they are not. In the second verse, B.O.B. takes a harsher tone, rapping about the realities of his life and making it seem like his success is only a fantasy. He talks about growing up in a tough neighborhood, running away to escape life's challenges, and losing his self-esteem. He juxtaposes these memories with his prior thought of being a successful artist and leaves the audience to wonder which reality is the true one.
Eminem’s verse was directed at the rapper himself, in which he pretends his own life would be just as tragic if he never made it big. He provokes and taunts himself, acting as if rap was only a pipe dream and never coming to fruition. He leaves the audience to contemplate his own reality and how different, or similar it would be if he hadn’t made huge success, while also keeping the same themes from the first two verses. Overall, the song presents a mixture of emotions- from triumph and success to depression and doubt- leaving the interpretive power to the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
The singer hopes that airplanes in the night sky can be like shooting stars as he has a wish that he desperately needs to come true.
Let's pretend like its '98
Like I'm eating lunch off of Styrofoam trays
Trying to be the next rapper coming out the A
Hoping for a record deal, to re-know my pain
The singer wants the listeners to pretend that they are in 1998, as he himself was trying to become a successful rapper and get a record deal.
Now let's pretend like I'm on the stage
And when my beat drops everybody goes insane (ok)
And everybody know my name (B.o.B)
And everywhere I go people wanna hear me sang
The singer wants everyone to imagine that he is performing on stage and has gained tremendous popularity and fame.
Oh yea and I just dropped my new album
On the first week I did five hundred thousand
Gold in the spring and diamond in the fall
And then a world tour just to top it all off
The artist dropped a new album and has experienced a great level of success due to its initial sales and the ensuing world tour.
And let's pretend like they call me the greatest
Selling out arenas with big ass stages
And everybody loved me and no one ever hated
Let's try to use imagination
The artist wants to fantasize that he is regarded as the greatest rapper of all time, performing in grand arenas with a massive fan following that loves and adores him.
Okay, let's pretend like this never happened
Like I never had dreams of being a rapper
Like I didn't write raps in all of my classes
Like I never used to runaway into the blackness
The singer wants to start anew and pretend that he never had dreams of becoming a rapper or writing raps, or had to run away due to his personal circumstances.
Now let's pretend like it was all-good
Like I didn't live starring in a notebook
Like I did the things I probably knew I should
But I didn't have neighbors that's why they call it hood
The singer wants to imagine that everything is good and he did things that were right, but was not able to do so because of the poor and unsafe neighborhood he grew up in.
Let's just pretend and make wishes out of airplanes
The artist wants to make use of one's imagination and pretend in order to make their wishes come true.
Let's pretend Marshall Mathers never picked up a pen
Let's pretend things would've been no different
Pretend he procrastinated, had no motivation
Pretend he just made excuses that
Was so paper thin they could blow away wit the wind
The artist wants to imagine that Eminem never became a rapper, and that his life would have been the same without it. He wants to pretend that everything he achieved was through luck or excuses that hold no weight.
You need to get ya cranium check you thinking like an alien
It just ain't realistic
Now pretend they ain't just make him angry with this shit
And there was no one he could even aim when he's pissed with
The artist advises to realign one's thoughts and not be impractical in their dreams. He also suggests to imagine a scenario where Eminem is not angry and doesn't have anyone to take his anger out on.
He's gonna have a hard time explaining to Haley and Laney these food stamps and W-I-C shit
'Cause he never risked shit, he hoped and he wished it
But it didn't fall in his lap so he ain't even hear it he pretends that
The singer believes that Eminem would have difficulties in explaining his situation to Haley and Laney, as he never took any risks and only wished for success. He never made an effort to pursue it, despite the fact that it didn't come to him easily.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., ME GUSTA MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeremy Dussolliet, Alexander Junior Grant, Marshall B Mathers, Luis Edgardo Resto, Bobby Ray Jr Simmons, Timothy Paul Sommers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Caught1nTh3Crossfire
Lyrics ❤
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Let's pretend like its '98
Like I'm eating lunch off of Styrofoam trays
Trying to be the next rapper coming out the A
Hoping for a record deal, to re-know my pain
Now let's pretend like I'm on the stage
And when my beat drops everybody goes insane (ok)
And everybody know my name (B.o.B)
And everywhere I go people wanna hear me sang
Oh yea and I just dropped my new album
On the first week I did five hundred thousand
Gold in the spring and diamond in the fall
And then a world tour just to top it all off
And let's pretend like they call me the greatest
Selling out arenas with big ass stages
And everybody loved me and no one ever hated
Let's try to use imagination
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Okay, let's pretend like this never happened
Like I never had dreams of being a rapper
Like I didn't write raps in all of my classes
Like I never used to runaway into the blackness
Now let's pretend like it was all-good
Like I didn't live starring in a notebook
Like I did the things I probably knew I should
But I didn't have neighbors that's why they call it hood
Now let's pretend like I ain't got a name
Before they ever called me B.o.B or a.k.a Bobby Ray
I'm talking back before the mixtapes
Before the videos and the deals and the fame
Before they ever once compared me to Andre
Before I ever got Myspace
Before they ever noticed my face
So let's just pretend and make wishes out of airplanes
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
(And it seems like yesterday it was just a dream
But those days are gone, they're just memories
And it seems yesterday it was just a dream
But those days are gone)
Let's pretend Marshall Mathers never picked up a pen
Let's pretend things would've been no different
Pretend he procrastinated, had no motivation
Pretend he just made excuses that
Was so paper thin they could blow away wit the wind
Marshall you never gone make it,
Makes no sense to play the game it ain't no way that'll you win
Pretend he just stand out side all day and play with his friends
Pretend he even had a friend to say was his friend
And it wasn't time to move in school no changing again
He wasn't socially awkward and just strange as a kid
He had a father and his mother wasn't crazy as shit
And he never dreamed he can ripped stadiums he just lazy as shit
Fuck a talent show in the gymnasium bitch
You won't amount to shit quit day dreaming kid
You need to get ya cranium check you thinking like an alien
It just ain't realistic
Now pretend they ain't just make him angry with this shit
And there was no one he could even aim when he's pissed with
And his alarm went off to wake him but he didn't make it to the rap Olympics
He slept through his plane and he missed it
He's gonna have a hard time explaining to Haley and Laney these food stamps and W-I-C shit
'Cause he never risked shit, he hoped and he wished it
But it didn't fall in his lap so he ain't even hear it he pretends that
Airplanes
In the night sky
Is like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)
@viviansim2905
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Yeah, yo... let's pretend like it's '98
Like I'm eatin' lunch off of Styrofoam trays
Trying to be the next rapper coming out the A (A-Town)
Hoping for a record deal to ignore my pain
Yeah, now let's pretend like I'm on the stage
And when my beat drops everybody goes insane
Okay, and everybody know my name (Bob)
And everywhere I go people want to hear me sang
Oh yeah, and I just dropped my new album
On the first week I did 500 thousand
Gold in the spring, and diamond in the fall
And then a world tour just to top it all off
And let's pretend like they call me the greatest
Selling out arenas with big ass stages
And everybody loved me and no one ever hated
Let's try to use imagination
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Okay, let's pretend like this never happened
Like I never had dreams of being a rapper
Like I didn't write raps up in all of my classes
Like I never used to run away into the blackness
Now, let's pretend like it was all good
Like I didn't live staring in the notebook
Like I did the things that I probably knew I should
But I ain't have neighbors, that's why they call it hood
Yo, now let's pretend like I ain't got a name
Before they ever called me B.o.B or A.K.A. Bobby Ray
I'm talking back before the mixtapes
Before the videos and the deals and the fame
Before they ever once compared me to Andre (3000)
Before I ever got on MySpace
Before they ever noticed my face
So let's just pretend, and make wishes out of airplanes
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
And it seems like yesterday, it was just a dream
But those days are gone, they're just memories
And it seems like yesterday, it was just a dream
But those days are gone
Let's pretend Marshall Mathers never picked up a pen
Let's pretend things would've been no different
Pretend he procrastinated, had no motivation
Pretend he just made excuses that were so paper thin
They could blow away with the wind
"Marshall you're never gonna make it
Makes no sense to play the game
There ain't no way that you'll win"
Pretend he just stayed outside all day
And played with his friends
Pretend he even had a friend to say was his friend
And it wasn't time to move
And schools weren't changin' again
He wasn't socially awkward and just strange as a kid
He had a father and his mother wasn't crazy as shit
And he never dreamed he could rip stadiums
And just lazy as shit
Fuck a talent show in the gymnasium, bitch
"You won't amount to shit, quit daydreamin', kid!
You need to get your cranium checked
You're thinking like an alien, it just ain't realistic"
Now pretend they ain't just make him angry with this shit
And there was no one he could even aim when he's pissed at
And his alarm went off to wake him
But he didn't make it to the Rap Olympics
Slept through his plane and he missed it
He's gon' have a hard time explaining to Hailie and Lainey
These food stamps and this WIC shit
'Cause he never risked shit, he hoped and he wished it
But it didn't fall in his lap
So he ain't even here, he pretends that...
Airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars...
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
@princemjbp695
Most underrated Eminem verse ever. May not be as technical or controversial as the others, but it's simplicity made it so heartfelt.
@Aminah_154
yeah it is
@RapBopzShorts
The choice of words actually added to the emotions of the verse and matched with the beat. No complex rhyme scheme but very precise words.
@jeebusdaddygaming
@Dirty Apple listen to "Ill hurt you" by eminem and busta rhymes, the beat was made for their voices and it literally changes tone with their voices and goes at the same pace and everything
@GlockyBalboa
Despicable (Drake Over Freestyle) is goated
@martazadruzynska7084
Facts
@michaelmay8360
Coming back to this song at a much older age, Eminem’s verse brought a tear to my eye. You really have to go after what you want in life.
@pavloszimbrakos4410
I think part one is better but it’s still cool lol
@LuckyNK19
Exactly right. You have to go after it. I am currently pursuing my dream and even when things get difficult, I listened to this and immediately felt, think about the time when I live my dream! Ahh. Love this 😍
@joeyromero1486
This song still hits