Danny! is a former student of the Savannah College of Art & Design. He often wears an oxford shirt and pinstriped necktie, and has gained notoriety for prank-calling celebrities. In 2012 Danny! rose to prominence shortly following the proclamation by The Roots drummer Questlove that there was strong interest from Jay-Z; he was subsequently signed as the flagship artist to Questlove's re-launched Okayplayer Records after years of being loosely affiliated with the company. In support of the new venture Danny! made his television debut on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" in September 2012, premiering his song "Evil" alongside The Roots.
Prior to this Danny! was most notable for his efficacious DIY approach to his music career, producing virtually every aspect of his albums—from the production to the cover art and even promotion—by himself to varying degrees of acclaim. He would field praise for his self-released concept records "Charm" and "And I Love H.E.R.", the latter named by ABC News as one of the best 50 albums of 2008, before releasing the "anti-album" "Where Is Danny?" in early 2011. After signing to Okayplayer Records the following year, Danny! completed his trilogy of conceptual albums with "Payback".
Where Were You
Danny! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dear Teresa
I hope you get THIS letter
Better yet I hope you get the picture
I ain't even trying to sweat ya
I hope you get the gist 'cause I ain't gon' let ya
Just throw me out on the curb, woman I deserve better
You got some nerve Teresa, for dragging me along
You get on my case, talking 'bout how I'm trippin' and
How I just don't listen and
All that other shit but you just missed your man
Then when shit hit the fan, you began to panic
Claimed I read you wrong, you and I both know that you just led me on
Chillin' on that new couch
Got your rocks off and went the I-Was-Just-Confused Route
Yeah I know what you about
You told me so many lies and I believed 'em
Talking 'bout your man like you was tryin' to leave him
Throwing out all kinds of reasons
How you gon' just throw me out in the cold, I'm freezin'
Keep in mind YOU started this
Left me hangin', now you got a heart to fix
I'm sayin' yo
(Chorus: 'Drea)
Where were you
I thought the love we had was true
How could you just walk away
From all the things we've been through
Think of me
When this is just a memory
Will you still be loving me
When all your color is gone
(Verse 2: Danny!)
We was a reenactment of "Me & Miss Jones"
You had your fun and now you wanna leave this alone?
I don't think so; I swear to God I wish we never met
Or better yet, I wish you could feel the pain you got me feelin'
Got me feelin' foolish, you was gassin' me up
Telling me things and selling me dreams
And then you left me, what I wasn't flashy enough?
Either that or you got sick of me
Prob'ly saw me on the job all by myself and took pity, shit please
I don't need your hand-outs, I don't need no charity
Spare me, I'm barely breathin'
My reason for speakin', clarity
I need for you to realize
That I don't need your real lies
Or fake truths, so don't go try to blame it on the Cuervo or the
Grey Goose, fuck makin' a truce
You made me feel useless
You could at least not disavow me
Now it's clear that you don't give two shits about me
Where were you when I needed you the most, you was ghost
You leavin' me? Jesus, have the decency to say goodbye
I thought we was close
(Chorus: 'Drea)
Where were you
I thought the love we had was true
How could you just walk away
From all the things we've been through
Think of me
When this is just a memory
Will you still be loving me
When all your color is gone
(Bridge: Danny! talking)
Oh, that's how you do huh?
Just love 'em and leave 'em, huh?
Just throw 'em on the curb, right?
That's fucked up, talkin' bout I brought color to your world
Man, I fell for some bullshit
(Verse 3: Danny!)
Yo, fuck this shit man, she gon' hear me out
She gon' hear me out today...shit lemme call her cell phone dog
...this is some bullshit right here
(*disconnected tone*)
The fuck? She prob'ly, she prob'ly turned her cell phone off
Prob'ly got her number changed
It's cool though, I'ma call her job
I'ma call her job right now
She's probably out with her trucker husband or some shit, lucky bastard
Employee: Blue Cross Blue Shield, this is Jonathan. How may I help you?
Danny!: Uhh, yes...may I speak to Teresa please?
Employee: Teresa? Teresa, sir? Are you a family member, sir?
Danny!: Nah, I'm more like a...close personal friend...
Employee: Well, I'm sorry to inform you sir, Teresa was killed in a car
accident two weeks ago on I-95...she was apparently headed to Savannah
to visit her friend, but an 18-wheeler ran her off the road. Sir, I
need to know if you're a family member; we've been trying to contact her
husband -- who is a truck driver -- we don't believe he's aware of the
situation. Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where her husband is, would
you? Uh, sir? Hello? Hello? Sir?
The song "Where Were You" by Danny! is a letter written to Teresa on which he is expressing his despair and frustration about the way she has treated him in their relationship. The lyrics tell the story of how she led him on, lied to him, cheated on him, and then left him without giving any explanation. In the first verse, Danny! begins by expressing his feelings to Teresa, saying that he hopes she gets the letter he wrote to her. He goes on to confront her about how she made him feel while they were together, talking about how he felt used and thrown out on the curb. He then accuses her of leading him on, saying she was emotional, talking about how she's been dragging him along an emotional roller coaster, and telling him that he was wrong, that she just led him on. He confronts her about her lies, saying he believes all the lies she told him about her relationship, her reasons for being with him, and her reasons for leaving him.
In the second verse, Danny! is expressing his frustration and anger about Teresa's actions. He is trying to make her understand how he feels and that he doesn't need her lies or fake truths. He wants her to realize that he doesn't need her, that he is fine by himself, and that he doesn't want anything to do with her anymore. He mentions that she was just gassing him up and selling him dreams, and how he wishes that he never met her. He accuses her of being with him out of pity and leaving him heartbroken. He ends the verse by telling her that he thought they were close, but now he realizes that she doesn't care about him.
The final verse is an attempted phone call to Teresa, but the call goes unanswered. Danny! is trying to get in touch with her, expressing his disappointment in her actions towards him, but he can't get through to her, indicating that she may have changed her number or gotten a new one. But when he tries her job and asks to speak to her, he's told that she died in a car accident two weeks ago. The song ends with his reaction to this news.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Teresa
Danny is writing a letter to Teresa.
I hope you get THIS letter
Danny hopes she receives the letter he is writing to her.
Better yet I hope you get the picture
Danny hopes that the letter he wrote to her serves a wake-up call to her.
I ain't even trying to sweat ya
'Sweating' is slang for putting pressure on someone or annoying them. Danny is trying not to do that.
I hope you get the gist 'cause I ain't gon' let ya
Danny hopes Teresa gets the main ideas from his letter and he won't allow her to get away with what she's done.
Just throw me out on the curb, woman I deserve better
Danny feels that Teresa has treated him very poorly and he deserves better treatment than that.
You got some nerve Teresa, for dragging me along
Danny believes that Teresa led him on and strung him along, despite knowing that she didn't feel the same way about him.
On your emotional roller-coaster I never asked to get on
Danny never wanted to be part of Teresa's roller-coaster emotions and drama, as it was not his doing.
You get on my case, talking 'bout how I'm trippin' and
Teresa criticizes Danny for being paranoid or making a fuss, while she is the one playing with his emotions.
How I just don't listen and
Teresa is accusing Danny of not listening to her, even though she's the one who didn't take him seriously.
All that other shit but you just missed your man
Teresa is fooling herself by claiming that Danny is no match for her current man, yet she cannot let him go.
Then when shit hit the fan, you began to panic
Danny faced a difficult situation and Teresa panicked because she did not want any trouble.
Claimed I read you wrong, you and I both know that you just led me on
Teresa tries to blame Danny for not knowing her well enough, but Danny knows it's her fault for leading him on.
Got your rocks off and went the I-Was-Just-Confused Route
Teresa achieved her pleasure and then tried to claim that she didn't understand what was going on in their relationship.
You told me so many lies and I believed 'em
Teresa has lied to Danny a lot and he wishes he had not believed those lies.
Talking 'bout your man like you was tryin' to leave him
Teresa was pretending that she was unhappy with her current man and was willing to move on with Danny.
Throwing out all kinds of reasons
Teresa is giving different excuses to Danny for why she cannot stay with him.
How you gon' just throw me out in the cold, I'm freezin'
Danny feels cheated and stranded in the cold, left alone by Teresa with nowhere to go.
Keep in mind YOU started this
Danny reminds Teresa that she initiated the whole situation and led him on.
Left me hangin', now you got a heart to fix
Teresa left Danny in a difficult situation and now she has to come back to fix it.
We was a reenactment of 'Me & Miss Jones'
Danny compares their story to that of 'Me & Miss Jones', a tale of romantic infidelity and drama.
You had your fun and now you wanna leave this alone?
Danny suspects that Teresa has had her fun with him and now she wants to be left alone.
I don't think so; I swear to God I wish we never met
Danny regrets meeting someone like Teresa who breaks his heart.
Or better yet, I wish you could feel the pain you got me feelin'
Danny wants Teresa to feel the pain she caused him, instead of just walking away unpunished.
Got me feelin' foolish, you was gassin' me up
Danny feels foolish that he was being talked up by Teresa and now he sees that her affection was just manipulation.
Telling me things and selling me dreams
Teresa was telling Danny sweet nothings and promising him things she didn't mean.
And then you left me, what I wasn't flashy enough?
Teresa disappeared from his life and Danny wonders if it was because he wasn't attractive enough to her.
Either that or you got sick of me
Danny assumes that Teresa got tired of him.
Prob'ly saw me on the job all by myself and took pity, shit please
Danny thinks that Teresa only felt sorry for him and never really liked him.
I don't need your hand-outs, I don't need no charity
Danny doesn't want Teresa's pity or help in any way.
Spare me, I'm barely breathin'
Danny is heartbroken and barely holding on.
My reason for speakin', clarity
Danny is speaking up to make his point clear and to tell the truth about Teresa.
I need for you to realize
Danny wants Teresa to understand how much he has been hurt.
That I don't need your real lies
Danny doesn't want Teresa lying to him anymore.
Or fake truths, so don't go try to blame it on the Cuervo or the Grey Goose
Danny doesn't want Teresa to blame her actions on alcohol or anything else, but rather take responsibility for her actions.
Fuck makin' a truce
Danny is unwilling to make peace with Teresa or reconcile their differences.
You made me feel useless
Teresa made Danny feel like he was worthless.
You could at least not disavow me
Danny doesn't want Teresa to reject him completely and instead acknowledge their past relationship.
Now it's clear that you don't give two shits about me
Danny thinks that Teresa doesn't care about him or his feelings anymore.
Where were you when I needed you the most, you was ghost
Danny needed Teresa's support but she was nowhere to be found.
Jesus, have the decency to say goodbye
Danny expects Teresa to be honest enough to let him know that she's leaving for good.
I thought we was close
Danny thought that he and Teresa had a strong bond, but now he sees that it was one-sided.
Contributed by Harper B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@YouTubeCensorshipIs1984
Ten Second Songs the volcano eruptions is the reason for me. It's like the earth is releasing small farts so he can hold in the rest of the huge and possibly sharty fart that is Yellowstone.
Jk it's halo infinite being announced.
@staciladuke1627
I love reading through these comments and seeing how many people share a verse that hit them hard, really resonates with them - but that it's not the same verse for everyone. There are so many amazing and powerful lines in one silly-on-the-surface song. That's what makes this such a sincerely great song.
The line that gets me is 1:57 "Danny don't you know that everyone feels weird on the inside" - the way he says it... I really needed to hear that.
But there are a dozen other lines in this one song that other people feel the same way about:
- 1:35 "Send Birthday invites and now all your friend is here"
- 1:50 "You're just going through an awkward phase from 12 to 29"
- 2:37 "No one cares that your 35"
- 2:48 "You're still a nerdy kid inside, but now you finally found your tribe"
- 3:55 "Now it's time to rock the show, come on, you are a star tonight"
I mean come on, I can't think of many songs that speak to the listener in so many lines. I could quote more, but then I'd just be posting essentially all the lyrics... Danny says it best "... don't you know that you kick so much ass on the inside?" What an awesome anthem for what almost everyone has felt in their life at some point.
Thanks for this song NSP, clearly, we all needed to hear this.
@TenSecondSongs
Lately I've been saying 2018 is my preferred time to be around for several reasons. A song like this is one of those reasons.
@lynnlai9968
Would you be down to do NSP in 20 styles? :D
@Argus95
Ten Second Songs it really is a masterpiece
@YouTubeCensorshipIs1984
Ten Second Songs the volcano eruptions is the reason for me. It's like the earth is releasing small farts so he can hold in the rest of the huge and possibly sharty fart that is Yellowstone.
Jk it's halo infinite being announced.
@thunderingth0r603
Ten Second Songs I adore your music and ninja sex party. I would love to see you guys collaborate some day. It would be amazing
@polybent9748
Ten Second Songs how about Smash Ultimate?
@hexiscursed
The “now its time to rock the show, come on you are a star tonight” still gives me goosebumps every time
@RoachDogg_JR
He layered his own voice at least 4 times to achieve that
Danny is a madman
@Cyberweasel89
I know, it always gives me damn chills. Epic.
@TheInfamousHalimone
Years of listening to this song and it still does. I just love that part.