Back In The Day
DEVIN K Lyrics
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Back when Mike was teaching us
How to walk on the moon
When rap was only to turn tables and a mic
And radio didn't care what you looked like I'm sayin'
Oh oh oh oh ooh-oh
Back when people stood the ground and they sing "Just give peace a cha-ance"
Pump and ground and the judgy fist pump were the only way to dance
Now everybody's cell is Bluetooth end
There is nothing, nothing like back in the Day
I don't know what changed it all alone the way
And man I really wish I had a time machine
'Cause I'd go
I'd go
I'd goo
Back in the Day
(Oh hey) Back in the Daa-eh-ay (Hey -eh ey eh ey eh eh - aay)
When MTV played music videos
And if you wanna steal records, yeah
Then go to the store
When Sinatra and-a Mike killed the world by a string
And Stevie taught pianos
How - to -
Sing so love-ly
There is nothing, nothing like back in the Day
I don't know what changed it all alone the way
And man I really wish I had a time machine
'Cause I'd go
I'd go
I'd goo
Back in the Day
Now I'm go-ing back in time
To a place where I-ii
Conquered old
And as we move across the sky
We learn to walk before we can crawl
Let's go-oh-ooh back in ti-iiiime,
Oh-oo-ooh yeah .
There is nothing, nothing like back in the Day
I don't know what changed it all alone the way
And man I really wish I had a time machine
'Cause I'd go
I'd go
I'd goo
Back in the Day
There is nothing, nothing like back in the Day
I don't know what changed it all alone the way
And man I really wish I had a time machine
'Cause I'd go
I'd go
I'd goo
Back in the Day
(Oh hey) Back in the Daa-eh-ay
Wanna turn back the clocks
Back in the Day back in the Day
And I'mma show you the way (back in the Daa-eh-ay)
I'd go back ye-eah (eh-eh eh eh-eey)
The song "Back in the Day" by Devin K is a nostalgic tribute to simpler times, reminiscing on a variety of cultural touchstones from the past. The first verse begins by reflecting on the days before auto-tune, when people sang authentically, and before the commercialization of rap music. The line "when Mike was teaching us how to walk on the moon" references the legendary astronaut Michael Collins, who was part of the Apollo 11 mission and orbited the moon while his fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the historic first walk on its surface. The second half of the verse comments on the phenomenon of appearance being given more weight in the media today, rather than talent or content. The chorus contains the refrain of "there is nothing like back in the day," expressing a deep longing to return to those times.
The second verse namechecks MTV and the lost art of music videos, as well as music greats Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. The line "And Stevie taught pianos how to sing so lovely" is a reference to Wonder's virtuosity as a keyboardist, and the ways in which his playing style blurred the lines between vocals and instrumentation. The bridge features a spoken-word interlude about learning to walk before we can crawl, and encourages listeners to join the singer in the time machine that will transport them to the past. The song closes with another chorus, affirming the singer's longing to go back to earlier days.
Line by Line Meaning
When people used to sing without auto-tune
Back in the day when people sang without any technical corrections
Back when Mike was teaching us
In the era of Michael Jackson's music
How to walk on the moon
When Michael Jackson introduced the iconic moonwalk dance move
When rap was only to turn tables and a mic
When rap music was solely about the DJ and the microphone
And radio didn't care what you looked like I'm sayin'
When radio stations were not concerned about the physical appearance of the artist
Back when people stood the ground and they sing "Just give peace a cha-ance"
When there was a strong sense of community and protest music advocating for peace and equality was prevalent
Pump and ground and the judgy fist pump were the only way to dance
When dance moves were less intricate and more focused on simple gestures
When peo-ple had longer attention spans
When people had more patience and focus
Now everybody's cell is Bluetooth end
In the present era where technology has advanced to the stage where everyone is always connected
When MTV played music videos
When MTV was primarily focused on playing music videos
And if you wanna steal records, yeah
Then go to the store
When buying physical copies of music was the primary way to access it, and theft of music entailed physical stealing from a store
When Sinatra and-a Mike killed the world by a string
Referring to the era of Sinatra and Michael Jackson where their music had widespread popularity and influence
And Stevie taught pianos
How - to -
Sing so love-ly
Referring to Stevie Wonder's contribution to soul music and his mastery of multiple instruments
Now I'm go-ing back in time
To a place where I-ii
Conquered old
The artist imagines himself time traveling to the place where he once felt comfortable and successful
And as we move across the sky
We learn to walk before we can crawl
Referring to the experience of life and how we learn new things by constantly striving for growth
Wanna turn back the clocks
Back in the Day back in the Day
And I'mma show you the way (back in the Daa-eh-ay)
I'd go back ye-eah (eh-eh eh eh-eey)
The artist nostalgically wishes to turn back time and show others what it was like in the days gone by.
Writer(s): Brandon White, Jason Mater, Devin Charles Kirtz
Contributed by Abigail L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.