The Light
Common; Slum Village Lyrics
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Doo, doo, diggy, yo
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
Gotta be something for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Signed, sealed, delivered for us to grow together
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't gon' solve 'em, 'cause I probably did it too
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Some niggas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts
And relationship is effort, I will match your work
I wanna be the one to make you happiest and hurt you the most
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
To the most high
Regardless of what happen, on Him let's rely
There are times, when you'll need someone (yeah)
I will be by your side (for sure, for sure)
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's important we communicate
And tune the fate of this union to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
And sex and a tingle is where they assumin' it land
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
If heaven had a height you would be that tall
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Let's stick to understanding and we won't fall
For better or worse times, I hope to me you call
So I pray every day more than anything
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
This foundation for a family, love ain't simple
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually?
Granted we known each other for some time
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh, darling
There is a light that shines (yeah)
Special for you and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's kind of fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
And I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
Plus you shit pop when it's time to, thinking you fresh
Suggesting beats I should rhyme to
At times when I'm lost I try to find you
You know to give me space when it's time to
My heart's dictionary defines you, it's love and happiness
Truthfully it's hard tryna practice abstinence
The time we committed love, it was real good
Had to be for me to arrive and it still feel good
I know the sex ain't gon' keep you, but as my equal
It's how I must treat you
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
And whatever's right, I'ma feed you
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo, I tell you the rest when I see you, peace
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
Take my chances before they pass
Pass me by, oh, darling
You need to look at the other side
You'll agree
The Light by Slum Village ft. Common is a love song that explores the ups and downs of a romantic relationship. Common starts his verse by expressing how he has never experienced a love like this before, and even though he hasn't seen his queen in a while, he decides to send her a letter expressing his intentions to "grow together." He acknowledges that her past relationships may have caused some emotional damage but promises to handle her feelings with care. Common also admits to his own flaws and recognizes that although some men may recognize the light that she possesses, they may not be able to handle it. He emphasizes the importance of putting in effort and treating the relationship as an equal partnership.
In the second verse, Common stresses the significance of communication and mutual understanding in a relationship. He rejects the idea of addressing his partner with derogatory terms such as "bitch" or "boo" and instead acknowledges the inherent worth and complexity of the person he is addressing. The rapper also emphasizes the importance of a deeper emotional connection beyond just physical pleasure. He views the person as his "sunshine" and the better half of himself. Common admits that love isn't always easy, but it is worth putting in the effort for.
Throughout the song, the chorus repeats the mantra of being by someone's side in times of need and the presence of a special light that shines specifically for the two partners. The light can be interpreted as a metaphor for the unique energy or chemistry that exists between them. The song ends on a hopeful note, with Common promising to continue leading and supporting his partner while recognizing that they both have room to grow together.
Line by Line Meaning
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
I didn't know a love like this existed
Gotta be something for me to write this
Something impactful must have happened for me to write this letter
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
I haven't seen you in a while
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
I wrote this letter and decided to finally send it
Signed, sealed, delivered for us to grow together
I'm sending this letter to help us grow together
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
We should take our time and enjoy our love without limit
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I know your heart has been hurt by past relationships
I ain't gon' solve 'em, 'cause I probably did it too
I can't solve your past hurts because I've also made mistakes
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
I handle my feelings around you with care
Some niggas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
Some people see the potential for a good relationship but can't handle the work
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts
I don't need to match in order to show our relationship is real
And relationship is effort, I will match your work
A relationship takes work, and I'm willing to put in effort equal to yours
I wanna be the one to make you happiest and hurt you the most
I want to make you happy and be the one you can rely on, even when things get tough
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
People say our relationship won't last, so it's important that we stay close to each other
To the most high
To God, the one who looks over us
Regardless of what happen, on Him let's rely
No matter what happens, let's rely on God
There are times, when you'll need someone (yeah)
There are times when you'll need support
I will be by your side (for sure, for sure)
I'll always be there for you
There is a light that shines
There is a special light that shines for us
Special for you and me
It's special because it's for us
It's important we communicate
We need to talk and listen to each other
And tune the fate of this union to the right pitch
We need to work together to make our relationship work
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
I don't refer to you in derogatory terms or as a pet name
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Your name isn't as important as who you are as a person
Few understand the union of woman and man
Not everyone understands the complexity of a relationship between a man and a woman
And sex and a tingle is where they assumin' it land
Many people think a relationship is just about physical attraction and pleasure
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
But for us, it's deeper and more meaningful
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
In the cold Chicago nights, you're my guiding light
If heaven had a height you would be that tall
If heaven had a height ranking, you would be at the top
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
From the ghetto to the coffee shop, I see everything through you
Let's stick to understanding and we won't fall
If we understand each other, we won't fail in our relationship
For better or worse times, I hope to me you call
No matter what, I hope you'll always call me through the good and bad times
So I pray every day more than anything
Every day, I pray for our relationship more than anything else
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
We will grow as friends as we build our relationship
This foundation for a family, love ain't simple
We're building a strong foundation for a family, but love isn't easy
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually?
Why can't love be something we work on and improve every year?
Granted we known each other for some time
We've known each other for a while
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
It doesn't take long to realize a good thing when you see it
Take my chances before they pass
I don't want to miss my opportunity with you
Pass me by, oh, darling
Don't let our chance pass us by
You need to look at the other side
You should consider the positivity and potential of our relationship
You'll agree
You'll understand and agree with me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, James Dewitt Yancey, Robert E. Caldwell, Norman Ray Harris, Bruce Malament
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@freejordn
My favorite 2Pac song is Do For Love.
My favorite Biggie song is Sky's The Limit.
My favorite Common song is The Light.
All of those singles sample Bobby Caldwell songs.
Three of the most timeless songs in the history of Hip-Hop.
Lyrically, and Musically.
Thank you, Pac.
Thank you, Soulshock, and Karlin.
Thank you, Biggie.
Thank you, Clark Kent.
Thank you, Common.
Thank you, J Dilla.
Thank you, Bobby Caldwell.
Thank you all for making amazingly beautiful music.
@vybzkartelradio.
It dont take a whole day to recognise sunshine...!!!!!!!!!!!🌟
@floridaloveclifton5175
So damn true 💪🏾
@readylisetteg0
exactly
@mr.t242
This line hit me too man!
@mdd2292
Jim jones read
@johnsonjohnson5169
That's me sonny👀🤘.
@vybzkartelradio.
Historic💯👍🏾📻
@jobejacobs62
Bro this shit slaps. Man Common still dont get respect or credit at all. Just crazy man
@friedchicken892
Timeless * vybz kartel voice
@frandemarco
Music today is horrible