a day in a week in a year
Billy Woods & Kenny Segal Lyrics
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Where e'rything exactly as you feared
Lightning could strike me right here
Right here, holdin' a phone to my ear
The rest of my life I'ma be like, "Yo, I was standin' right there."
Boxes under the stairs
Found some old Nike Airs, still tight
Dust 'em off like, I remember workin' nights for this pair
Lights from your flight's landing gear draw near
If I knew you was comin', woulda picked somethin' more debonair
Best laid plans of mice and tin men
I was dead, didn't need to pretend when the bayonet went in
A army of fiends, she put chrysanthemums and daffodils in the burnt end of they crack stems
Tears stream down they cheeks, just really really weep
But in the end
They hit-They hit the pipe again
If I lose, it was rigged
I'm the man if I win
Before settlin' on a narrative, I took 'em all for a spin
On black ice
Steering locked
Driftin'
Calm from the shock, oncomin' brights hot
On the windshield it's one particular raindrop
Caught strugglin' in the incandescence
Took my hands off the wheel and cut the engine
Do we fight it?
Do we like it?
How do we recognize it?
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
So we like (Do we fight it?)
So we like (Do we like it?)
I don't know
I don't know
Grenades attached to rockets
And eager to tell you the names of they prophets
Rappers runnin' outta gas
Halfway through they second project
My buildin' smell like burnt chocolate
Knockin' that new Young Lil Willie Bosket
Paradise in a gold watch
I was right, the price was a lot (That shit's expensive)
Mildly disappointed that all those guns was props
You tinkered with the flow, but yo, the whole style rocks (Somebody gotta say it)
Who knows, though? Nowadays maybe you gotta shoot your shot
I dipped in the fog, rollin' right off the lock
Put drums on the bock
It's a game of inches, like when Police beat you to the fuckin' spot
Kept walking, head down, waitin' to hear stop
Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn underneath the three clocks
Unsurprised when the choppers chop
I read the play, hatchet job, but you work with what you got
Life is just two quarters in the machine
But, either you got it or don't that's the thing
I was still hittin' the buttons, "Game Over" on the screen
Dollar movie theater, dingy foyer, little kid, not a penny to my name
Fuckin' with the joystick, pretendin' I was really playin'
Pretendin' I was really playin'
Pretendin' I was really playin'
Do we fight it?
Do we like it?
How do we recognize it?
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
So we like (Do we fight it?)
So we like (Do we like it?)
I don't know
I don't know
Do we like it? (So we like it)
Do we like it? (So we like it)
How do we recognize it?
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
Do we like it? (So we like it)
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
The lyrics of "A Day In A Week In A Year" show the struggles of everyday life, making it feel like everything is exactly as one feared. The opening lines, "A day, in a week, in a year Where e'rything exactly as you feared," paint a bleak picture of life where one is always fearful of something, always waiting for lightning to strike. The reference to old Nike Airs that the singer finds under stairs and remembers working nights to afford shows that life is a series of struggles and that even when we achieve something, it is often bittersweet. The song continues to explore the complexities of life, with the singer questioning whether to fight or like something, and whether we can recognize what we truly want.
The verse "Grenades attached to rockets, and eager to tell you the names of they prophets" shows how people often cling to violent and extreme measures to express their beliefs. The line "Before settlin' on a narrative, I took 'em all for a spin" suggests that the singer has tried out different worldviews and narratives before finding one that works for them. The repeated question of "How do we recognize it?" shows a search for meaning and understanding in a world that is often confusing and contradictory.
The chorus "Do we fight it? Do we like it? How do we recognize it?" suggests that we must constantly question our choices and beliefs, as life is always changing and presenting us with new challenges. The song's message is about the struggle to find meaning and purpose in an unpredictable world where we are always questioning our beliefs and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
A day, in a week, in a year
Time passes by quickly and without your realization
Where e'rything exactly as you feared
Your fears have become a reality
Lightning could strike me right here
The feeling of imminent danger and unpredictability
Right here, holdin' a phone to my ear
Being present in a moment of significant emotional weight
The rest of my life I'ma be like, "Yo, I was standin' right there."
The impact of the moment will stay with me forever
Boxes under the stairs
Memories of the past that have been stored away
Found some old Nike Airs, still tight
Rediscovering something from the past that still holds value
Dust 'em off like, I remember workin' nights for this pair
Reminiscing on the hard work and sacrifices made to get what you wanted
Nightmares of what it'll be like
Fears of the future and what is to come
Lights from your flight's landing gear draw near
The approach of something significant and life-altering
If I knew you was comin', woulda picked somethin' more debonair
Preparation and presentation for significant events
Best laid plans of mice and tin men
The unpredictability of life and how carefully made plans can still fall apart
I was dead, didn't need to pretend when the bayonet went in
A moment of complete honesty and surrender, abandoning all pretense
A army of fiends, she put chrysanthemums and daffodils in the burnt end of they crack stems
The beauty in unexpected places, and the juxtaposition between darkness and light
Tears stream down they cheeks, just really really weep
The raw emotion one experiences in moments of extreme pain and hardship
But in the end
They hit-They hit the pipe again
The cyclical nature of addiction and the struggles that come with it
If I lose, it was rigged
I'm the man if I win
The power dynamics at play in society and the need for control and domination
Before settlin' on a narrative, I took 'em all for a spin
On black ice
Steering locked
Driftin'
The process of finding and creating one's own story, and the uncertainty and danger that comes with it
Calm from the shock, oncomin' brights hot
On the windshield it's one particular raindrop
The feeling of shock and clarity that comes after a moment of crisis, and the beauty in small details
Caught strugglin' in the incandescence
Took my hands off the wheel and cut the engine
The realization that sometimes the best thing to do in a moment of struggle is to let go and surrender
Grenades attached to rockets
And eager to tell you the names of they prophets
The destructive power of those who seek control and influence, and the lengths they will go to achieve it
Rappers runnin' outta gas
Halfway through they second project
The pressure to constantly create and produce, and the difficulty in maintaining consistency
My buildin' smell like burnt chocolate
Knockin' that new Young Lil Willie Bosket
Paradise in a gold watch
I was right, the price was a lot (That shit's expensive)
The value placed on material possessions and the lengths people will go to obtain them
Mildly disappointed that all those guns was props
You tinkered with the flow, but yo, the whole style rocks (Somebody gotta say it)
Who knows, though? Nowadays maybe you gotta shoot your shot
The scrutiny and criticism that comes with fame, and the need to constantly evolve and adapt
I dipped in the fog, rollin' right off the lock
Put drums on the bock
It's a game of inches, like when Police beat you to the fuckin' spot
The creative process and the way in which art is often born out of experimentation and risk-taking
Kept walking, head down, waitin' to hear stop
Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn underneath the three clocks
Unsurprised when the choppers chop
I read the play, hatchet job, but you work with what you got
The struggles of living in a violent and unpredictable world, and the need to adapt and persist
Life is just two quarters in the machine
But, either you got it or don't that's the thing
I was still hittin' the buttons, "Game Over" on the screen
Dollar movie theater, dingy foyer, little kid, not a penny to my name
Fuckin' with the joystick, pretendin' I was really playin'
Pretendin' I was really playin'
Pretendin' I was really playin'
The way in which life can feel like a game, and the tendency to fake it until you make it
Do we fight it?
Do we like it?
How do we recognize it?
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
So we like (Do we fight it?)
So we like (Do we like it?)
I don't know
I don't know
The uncertainty and confusion that comes with confronting difficult and complex emotions
Do we like it? (So we like it)
Do we like it? (So we like it)
How do we recognize it?
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
Do we like it? (So we like it)
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
How do we recognize it? (How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
(How do we know?)
Repeated questioning and contemplation of how we feel and how we make sense of the world around us
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Billy Woods, Kenny Adam Segal, Marcella Elyse Winn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind