Born in Washington, DC, Billy Woods (stylized as billy woods) is a rapper b… Read Full Bio ↴Born in Washington, DC, Billy Woods (stylized as billy woods) is a rapper based out of New York City. He has also lived in Zimbabwe, Jamaica, and Maryland. Billy Woods is a member of the Super Chron Flight Brothers with Priviledge, Armand Hammer with Elucid, and The Reavers supergroup.

His mother was an English literature professor from Jamaica. His father was a Ph.D. Marxist writer, active in the Zimbabwe War of Liberation and then a member of the government in Zimbabwe. In 1980, the family moved to Zimbabwe. After the death of Woods' father, they returned to the United States in 1989. Woods briefly attended Howard University before getting involved in New York City's hip-hop scene. He started making music in the late 1990s. He wrote his "first real rhyme" at a laundromat in Kennebunk, Maine in 1997.

Billy Woods released his debut solo album, Camouflage, on his record label Backwoodz Studioz in 2003. In 2012, he released History Will Absolve Me. In 2013, he released Dour Candy, which was entirely produced by Blockhead. In 2017, he released Known Unknowns. It was included on Rolling Stone's "15 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2017" list. In 2019, he released a collaborative album with producer Kenny Segal, titled Hiding Places, and a solo album, Terror Management. 2020 brought Brass, a collaborative album with Moor Mother. Woods released Aethiopes and Church in 2022. On May 5th 2023 Woods released Maps , second collaborative album with producer Kenny Segal.

Borrowed Time
Billy Woods Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Long suffering
Antique MacBook, beat buffering
Stream rhymes greenwich Mean Time
Procrastinate, arrive late to my own wake
Still paid respects
Hat came around, told 'em
"Sorry, I know it seems suspect
But I'ma have to write a check

Things have kinda been a mess
Shouldn't be any issues though
But before you deposit hit me with a text"

"Yo, you wouldn't happen to
Have a cigarette?
Oh, good for you, I pretty much quit too
More or less just under a lot of stress"
Of course I remember, that was the best
And that one time at that one place
That was also great
Exchange various what-ifs and updates on
Who has what kids
'Bout ready to dip first sign of a break
But main man locked in
Heart to heart with old friend
Like we gotta start hangin' out again
Just look how quickly it all ends
Did you look at him?
Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna look in
Rather remember him how he was back then
Before all that and everything

Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster
Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster

Living off borrowed time
The clock tick faster

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Billy Woods's song "Borrowed Time" delve into the themes of mortality, nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of life. The opening lines, "Long suffering / Antique MacBook, beat buffering / Stream rhymes greenwich Mean Time / Procrastinate, arrive late to my own wake," set the tone for a reflection on the transience of existence. Woods describes himself as constantly running out of time, caught up in the monotony of daily life as represented by the MacBook and the need to stream music to escape from it. He acknowledges his own procrastination and lack of punctuality, even jokingly referring to himself arriving late to his own funeral.

The lyrics then shift to a conversation with someone at the wake, as Woods apologizes for his chaotic life and offers to settle any debts. The mention of a cigarette and his confession of quitting smoking under stress suggest that life's difficulties have taken a toll on him. The lyrics shift again to memories shared with old friends, discussing the past, present, and future, reflecting on the passing of time. The line "Just look how quickly it all ends" encapsulates the song's central theme, emphasizing the importance of cherishing moments and relationships before they disappear. The final lines, "Living off borrowed time / The clock tick faster," serve as a haunting reminder of the limited time we have on Earth.

Overall, "Borrowed Time" is a contemplative song that explores the brevity of life and the need to embrace the present moment before it slips away.

Line by Line Meaning

Long suffering
Enduring hardship for an extended period

Antique MacBook, beat buffering
Using an old MacBook that struggles to load and play music smoothly

Stream rhymes greenwich Mean Time
Listen to rap music from the Greenwich Mean Time zone

Procrastinate, arrive late to my own wake
Delaying tasks, even to the point of being tardy for my own funeral

Still paid respects
However, I still showed my respects to the occasion

Hat came around, told 'em "Sorry, I know it seems suspect
My hat metaphorically appeared and I apologized, acknowledging the potential doubts surrounding my behavior

But I'ma have to write a check
But I will compensate somehow

Things have kinda been a mess
My life has been quite chaotic

Shouldn't be any issues though
However, there shouldn't be any complications

But before you deposit hit me with a text"
Before you deposit the check, please notify me with a text message

"Yo, you wouldn't happen to have a cigarette?
Hey, do you have a cigarette by any chance?

Oh, good for you, I pretty much quit too
Oh, that's good for you. I've also mostly quit smoking

More or less just under a lot of stress"
More or less, I am simply dealing with a significant amount of stress

Of course I remember, that was the best
Certainly, I remember that moment as being the greatest

And that one time at that one place
And I also recall that specific occasion at that particular location

That was also great
Which was also an amazing experience

Exchange various what-ifs and updates on who has what kids
We discussed hypothetical scenarios and shared information about each other's children

'Bout ready to dip first sign of a break
Almost prepared to leave at the first indication of a rupture or break in the situation

But main man locked in
However, my close friend was fully engaged in the conversation

Heart to heart with old friend
Having a sincere and intimate conversation with a long-time friend

Like we gotta start hangin' out again
Expressing the feeling that we need to spend more time together

Just look how quickly it all ends
Observing the rapidity with which everything comes to an end

Did you look at him?
Did you take a close look at him?

Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna look in
Yeah, I don't think I'm going to examine closely

Rather remember him how he was back then
I prefer to remember him as he was in the past

Before all that and everything
Before all the recent changes and events