Alter Ego
Backlash Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the rain keeps
falling down on me
it is hard to play
the one I want to be
I'm expected to
be reproved by you
please release me now
from the chains of truth

Everything I say is wasted
everything I touch is made of dirt
shades of blue are all around me
hide behind the wall to avoid the hurt

When the clay keeps
filling up my head
I would rather be
another one instead
I'm expected to
be reproved by you
please release me now
from the chains of truth

Everything I say is wasted
everything I touch is made of dirt




shades of blue are all around me
hide behind the wall to avoid the hurt

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Backlash's "Alter Ego" address the struggle of maintaining a certain image and living up to the expectations of others, particularly when one is weighed down by self-doubt and insecurities. The opening lines set the scene of the singer experiencing a heavy rain, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the challenges he is facing. He is finding it difficult to portray the version of himself that he desires to be, and feels the pressure of those around him who expect him to be a certain way. The line "please release me now from the chains of truth" encapsulates the idea that sometimes staying true to oneself can be a burden, and the desire to escape from the judgments and opinions of others can be overwhelming.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "everything I say is wasted" followed by the line "everything I touch is made of dirt". Here the singer seems to be struggling with feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. The use of the color blue throughout the song can also suggest a mood of sadness and melancholy. The final line "hide behind the wall to avoid the hurt" again suggests the idea of wanting to retreat from the world and avoid the pain of feeling exposed and vulnerable.


Overall, "Alter Ego" is a song that speaks to the universal human experience of struggling with self-doubt and the desire to escape from the expectations of others. It is a reminder that we are not always what we appear to be, and that the personas we construct can sometimes be a barrier to connecting with others on a deeper level.


Line by Line Meaning

When the rain keeps falling down on me
When everything in my life seems to be going wrong and it's hard to cope


it is hard to play the one I want to be
It's difficult to stay true to who I truly am and not let my struggles change me


I'm expected to be reproved by you
People around me want me to act a certain way and disapprove of anything else


please release me now from the chains of truth
I want to be free from the expectations of others and their imposed truths


Everything I say is wasted
No matter what I try to communicate, it seems to go unheard


everything I touch is made of dirt
Everything I do seemingly turns out bad or useless


shades of blue are all around me
I'm surrounded by sadness and negativity


hide behind the wall to avoid the hurt
I withdraw and put up walls to protect myself from any more pain and disappointment


When the clay keeps filling up my head
When stress and anxiety keep building up and clouding my thoughts


I would rather be another one instead
Sometimes I wish I was someone else with less problems and responsibilities




Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

BLACKSENSUALITY

It’s so disappointing to me that an artist of Musiq’s caliber could ever have to feel unappreciated & unsupported.

This Brotha has delivered so many classic songs. His songs from years ago can be played today & still sound fresh.

I wasn’t annoyed by his choice to rap or go purple. I just assumed that he was experimenting with different styles of music.

He’s one of a few artists whose work never disappoints or gets boring.

If I remember correctly, some of his relationship business went personal, he was painted as being shady & unfaithful & that’s when public sentiment & support seemed to change a bit. It impacted his public image or persona, but the music has never ceased to pop.

In any event, I like how you chronicled his career & his life. You did good!



Kiki Fitzgerald

This video was in my recommendations and was much needed and very well executed. My nostalgia right now is on 10+!

I'll never forget the very first time i heard Musiq when my manager was playing Aijuswanaseing on the CD player at work at my little weekend job i had while i was in college. I'm from the UK and I'd never heard anything like it. I was like: "WHO IS THIS???!". My manager said his sister gave it to him to check out. I kept repeating the album for the entire day. I was hooked by this unfamiliar yet truly delectable sound.

Christmas day was approaching and my manager asked if i could work because they were short staffed and i flat out said no...then he bribed me by offering to give me the album for keeps if i worked the shift, so i agreed without hesitation. I worked on Christmas day and he kept his word. I'll never forget this kind gesture.

I'm a music head to the core. I rarely watch TV, but can't go a day without music. This album was well and truly life changing for me and singlehandedly shaped my musical tastes and paved the way for my absolute love of artists like The Roots, Bilal, Jill Scott, Dwele, D'angelo, 9th Wonder, Erykah Badu, Slum Village, Little Brother, Dilla, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Robert Glasper, Clear Soul Forces, Choklate, Floetry, Common, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek, Basic Vocab, Blu & Exile Muhsinah...in a nutshell, waaaaay too many to mention!

That Neo-Soul-Hip-Hop-Jazz sound does something different to me and i LOVE it!!!

Thank you for your spectacular musicianship Musiq, you're the TRUTH!!! 💯



All comments from YouTube:

Aggravated Man

Musiq has classic hits! He lead the neo soul wave in the early 2000s imo. That was a such great time for music.

The Depressed Dog

I would say sade, maxwell or kem. But musiq was up there

Joestarm5

He has 2 of my favorite songs of all time.. LOVE and DONT CHANGE 🔥🔥🔥

Cookin Wit' P0ppin

I agree. A lot of talk about how the 90s was music was at its peak but we tend to forget or didn’t realize that the early 2000s was the true peak for music. Especially for Rnb/neo soul

TheNewgreatlife

​@Cookin Wit' P0ppin That's true facts! Not just opinion, ACTUAL FACTS! The summer of 2001 in particular is actually R&B's ultimate peak. Almost every mainstream urban act had a hit album out that year. There was huge saturation and huge hits to match! We haven't seen an era quite like that since.

TheNewgreatlife

@The Depressed Dog I don't know about what Sade had out then, but I'd say Erykah Badu truly lead the early 2000s neo-soul. She was the only 90s pioneer that continued making music throughout the 2000s while D'Angelo, Maxwell, and Lauryn Hill all disappeared. By 2003, she was the only already established name still making neo-soul.

12 More Replies...

BKLYN TZU

The sad part about R&B is it's not at the forefront of urban music anymore which is a shame

Aggravated Man

And some of the greatest music ever created came from the genre

razalees ENT.

Realest s**t you ever wrote

BKLYN TZU

@Aggravated Man The Gooch Facts

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