Across three solo albums, DAWN has honed a style of music that she describes as “genderless and genreless”.
DAWN’s 2019 album New Breed was her most successful to date. Showcasing her home city New Orleans and the Carnival Indian culture makes her latest album a one of a kind masterpiece. Her vocal and dance ability are matched with her production and songwriting skills making her one of most extraordinary talents of our time. New Breed was named as one of the year’s best albums by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vogue, FACT, LA Times, Spin, Rap Up and many more. DAWN continues to push the boundaries of music and visual technology with her videos and live show, becoming the first artist to perform live in 360 on YouTube. She has also released a VR album debuted by WIRED as well as collaborated with her long time partners Adult Swim making her the first black female singer to do so. What makes DAWN a unique pop sensation and a phenomenon is that she does this all DIY. Being completely Independent with no label or team she has broken ceilings for women, POC, LGBTQ, and so many others. DAWN is more than just her music, she is a movement.
Automatic
Dawn Richard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bitches fucking perfect stepford wife
Why I [?] to forget his eye
They use to be a heart in here
To me how could anything survive
Just can't be instead oh
Like a tinnman that I play the part
I raise my heart I feel so out off vision when I'm loving you
'Cause I'm nothing kind of gush that gonna let you go with you
That gonna let you do that
[Chorus:]
Sorry if you think, if you think I'm automatic
Fucking with the wrong toy no matter what [?]
Tryin to turn me on 'cause you think I'm automatic
Trip me like a toy 'cause you think I'm automatic
Enjoy 'cause you think I'm automatic
Play me like a toy cause you think I'm automatic
Auto automatic, 'cause you think I'm automatic
Auto automatic, 'cause you think I'm automatic yeah
You call me your price possession show me of your life
I'm trophy case what you say oh no
I let you fuckup my vision
With the world as a cold [?]
Yes my heart [?]
Boy you don't love it
Till my heart is too [?]
Shut me down, down with you [?]
Switch em off I wanna be human yeah
I give, I give till I recognize my own self
I can, I can anything to recognize my old thing
[?] to go is the overloaded 'cause I love to feel that
[Chorus x2]
Shade in the summer [?] for a piece of reality
'Cause under this metallical is a human being
Won't be a toy no more, f8ck your technology take my [?]
I'm done that I'm short than that
[Chorus]
I don't give a thing about you
I'm a do em you gonna do you
I ain't automatic
So let's be true
So let's be true
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Dawn Richard's song "Automatic" explore the challenges of living a perfect, robotic life, where one feels trapped in a cycle of automatic behavior, unable to feel their emotions fully. Richard describes feeling like a Tinman, acting out a part, and being driven to forget the heart that she used to have. The song highlights the emptiness and dissatisfaction that come with playing a role for other people's expectations. The chorus is a response to someone who is trying to manipulate her by treating her as a toy, seducing her with the idea that she's automatic and easy to control. Richard asserts her agency, rejecting the role of a mechanical plaything and asserting that she is not automatic.
The lyrics of "Automatic" speak to the prevalence of technology in modern life, which can make people feel disconnected from their emotions and numbed to the richness and complexity of their experience. The song highlights the tension between the desire for connection and the pull of automatic behavior, which can seem easier and more manageable. Richard's lyrics encourage listeners to resist this pull, to recognize their own humanity, and to be true to themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
How out this life living like this
The singer is questioning how they can continue living like this
Bitches fucking perfect stepford wife
The singer is frustrated with the expectations of being a perfect wife
Why I [?] to forget his eye
The singer is wondering why they are trying to forget his eye
They use to be a heart in here
The artist used to have a heart in them, but it's gone now
To me how could anything survive
The artist is questioning how they can continue to survive in this situation
Just can't be instead oh
The singer cannot be replaced
Like a tinnman that I play the part
The singer feels like they are playing a robotic part
I raise my heart I feel so out off vision when I'm loving you
The artist feels disconnected from reality when they are loving this person
I can't, I can't
The artist can't continue in this situation
'Cause I'm nothing kind of gush that gonna let you go with you
The artist is not the type of person to let someone like the other person go
That gonna let you do that
The singer will not allow the other person to keep treating them this way
Sorry if you think,if you think I'm automatic
The artist is apologizing if the other person thinks they are robotic
Fucking with the wrong toy no matter what [?]
The singer feels like the other person is playing with the wrong person
Tryin to turn me on 'cause you think I'm automatic
The other person is trying to turn on the singer because they think they are robotic
Trip me like a toy 'cause you think I'm automatic
The other person is treating the singer like a toy because they believe they are robotic
Enjoy 'cause you think I'm automatic
The other person is enjoying treating the artist like a toy because they believe they are robotic
Play me like a toy cause you think I'm automatic
The other person is playing with the artist like a toy because they believe they are robotic
Auto automatic, 'cause you think I'm automatic
The singer is being treated like an automatic object because the other person believes they are robotic
Auto automatic, 'cause you think I'm automatic yeah
The singers reiterates that they are being treated like an automatic object even though they are not
You call me your price possession show me of your life
The other person considers the artist their prized possession and showcases them to others
I'm trophy case what you say oh no
The artist feels like they are just a trophy instead of a real person
I let you fuckup my vision
The artist allowed the other person to mess up their perspective on life
With the world as a cold [?]
The singer feels like the world is a cold and harsh place
Yes my heart [?]
The artists heart is still present and beating
Boy you don't love it
The other person doesn't truly love the singer
Till my heart is too [?]
The other person won't love the singer until their heart is gone or numb
Shut me down, down with you [?]
The singer feels like they will be shut down and forgotten if they stay with the other person
Switch em off I wanna be human yeah
The artist wants to be treated like a human instead of a robot
I give, I give till I recognize my own self
The artist gives everything until they lose themselves and their identity
I can, I can anything to recognize my old thing
The singer will do anything to recognize their old self and identity
[?] to go is the overloaded 'cause I love to feel that
The singer is confused about what to do because they love the feeling of being overwhelmed
Shade in the summer [?] for a piece of reality
The artist yearns for a piece of reality instead of being in a fake or robotic world
'Cause under this metallical is a human being
Underneath the robotic exterior, the artist is still a human being
Won't be a toy no more, f8ck your technology take my [?]
The artist will no longer be treated like a toy and rejects the other person's robotic treatment
I'm done that I'm short than that
The singer is done with being treated like a robotic object, they are worth more than that
I don't give a thing about you
The artist doesn't care about the other person anymore
I'm a do em you gonna do you
The singer will do what they want while the other person does whatever they want as well
I ain't automatic
The singer is not robotic
So let's be true
The singer wants to be honest and true to themselves
Contributed by Nathan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maya makia
I wish she had more promotion! She deserves to be a top artist
kuransays
@Albon de B very true - she is a true artist, but she'll always be mainstream in my heart :)
Utajiri Y
@Albon de B Agreed as well
Utajiri Y
Agreed
Albon de B
shes too good for the mainstream
Marina K
This woman is just something else! I've always known she's a star, back in DK days. She always stood out from the rest. She's incredibly original, an amazing dancer, she has the whole package. She deserves more recognition!!!
Cedric
She's a beautiful woman with a great voice, style of music, creative musicvideo's and danceskills. Hope she'll recieve the recognition she deserves.
N J valhalla
@Albon de B i disagree dawn is too good for the current regime of artist that are out now...but i do see her making the next regime of black artist to come...music always changes therefore the industry does as well
Abdou SENE
@Albon de B)(
McDonogh Rahloh
Mind your business