Me Myself and I
De La Soul f. Q-Tip Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Take this game from me

Something that slaves searched for all of their life
Became an ambition embedded in my heart that I dreamt about every night
The Underground Railroad to freedom of self
Was a testament of health that restricted my wealth
I moved with stealth
Through the woods of negativity
A rebel infantry on the search for mild serenity
Watch the enemy
They're gaining ground moving closer
They sent the hounds just to chase me down
I showed much resilience
They were astounded by my brilliance
Tried to trap my mind using malicious mental sealants
To conceal it so I wouldn't be someone they'd have to deal with
If you kill the head then the body'll fall I had to give it my all
I couldn't stall couldn't hold nothing back
Had to stay focused though they tried to knock me off track
I'm telling this to you just so you can see
That in the end I just gotta be me living free

Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Money breeds jealousy take this game from me
I hope for better days trouble comes naturally
Running from authorities til they capture me

And I'ma keep running as long as my stunning lyrics keep humming
It's like a clearance sale that keeps the customers coming
A blessing that uplifts your essence
It brings food to the poor and delivers plenty riches to peasants
Or the peasant minded
I brought my girl an expensive diamond
She can see I was trying so she accepted the offer
But was it love or was it infatuation
My fascination only intensified our situation
Though she wasn't h* that was chasing after my dough
My feelings still changed more than models at a fashion show girl I have to go
This load is too much to carry
Plus it's scary cause now I'm feeling too young to be married
I'm not saying that I don't ever want you in my life
But at this moment I really don't need you as my wife
Maybe one day a marriage and some kids we'll see
But for now I just gotta be me living free

Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Money breeds jealousy take this game from me
So I just gotta be me
Yea, I just gotta be free
Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Money breeds jealousy take this game from me
So I just gotta be me
Yea, I just gotta be free

To all my soldiers overseas that just wanna be free
To all my sailors overseas that just wanna be free
Victims of contract slavery I applaud your bravery
Hold ya head and soon you'll be out the same as me
To my prisoners locked down that wanna be free
Whether guilty or innocent it doesn't matter me
Whether you're serving life or serving the death penalty
Accept the Lord as your savior and set your soul free
Knowledge is power so children free your minds
Learn to educate yourself so you can see through the lies and falsified claims
Break through the shackles and chains
Dare to be different set the trend then after that maintain
Temptation might drive you insane
But exercise greater self-restraint so that you can learn to refrain
Let this message wear on your brain then take in the streets
Let others follow your lead so we can all be free
Think about it
Let's free ourselves, c'mon

Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Money breeds jealousy take this game from me
So I just gotta be me
Yea, I just gotta be free
Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Money breeds jealousy take this game from me
So I just gotta be me
Yea, I just gotta be free

Currency means nothing if you still ain't free




Take this game from me
Yea, yea free to live

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of De La Soul's song "Me Myself and I" talk about the search for freedom and individuality. The song starts with the lines "Currency means nothing if you still ain't free, take this game from me". These lines suggest that money is pointless if an individual is not free. The song then goes on to talk about the Underground Railroad, which stands as a symbol of freedom. The journey of slaves who took this route to freedom is likened to the journey of someone searching for self-emancipation. The singer of the song sees himself as a rebel soldier on a mission to search for mild serenity - a freedom of the self.


The lyrics also speak about the difficulties that come with being yourself. The singer faces obstacles in the form of enemies and people trying to trap his mind using malicious mental sealants. But he remains resilient and determined to stay on track. He understands that he cannot afford to stall or hold anything back. The singer is aware that people will try to knock him off track and that he needs to stay focused. He is telling the audience that being yourself involves being true to yourself all the time. The song concludes with the singer saying that he just needs to be free, and that currency means nothing without freedom.


Overall, the lyrics of "Me Myself and I" are about the search for freedom and individuality. They encourage people to be true to themselves and to pursue what they want in life, regardless of the obstacles they may face.


Line by Line Meaning

Currency means nothing if you still ain't free
Money holds no value if you are not truly free


Take this game from me
I want to give up the game, the pursuit of material wealth and success.


Something that slaves searched for all of their life
Freedom was an elusive dream for those who were enslaved


Became an ambition embedded in my heart that I dreamt about every night
Freedom became my obsession and my ultimate goal


The Underground Railroad to freedom of self
A metaphor for the process of gaining true personal freedom


Was a testament of health that restricted my wealth
True freedom came at the expense of material wealth and success


I moved with stealth
I was careful and deliberate in my path to freedom


Through the woods of negativity
I faced many obstacles and challenges on my path to freedom


A rebel infantry on the search for mild serenity
I was a determined fighter on a mission to find peace and calmness in life


Watch the enemy
I remain vigilant and aware of those trying to stop my progress


They're gaining ground moving closer
My enemies are making progress in trying to stop me


They sent the hounds just to chase me down
My enemies are using all means necessary to capture and stop me


I showed much resilience
I demonstrated great strength and perseverance in the face of obstacles


They were astounded by my brilliance
My enemies were surprised by my cleverness and determination


Tried to trap my mind using malicious mental sealants
My enemies attempted to control my thoughts and actions through manipulation and deception


To conceal it so I wouldn't be someone they'd have to deal with
They tried to prevent my true potential from being realized so they wouldn't have to face me


If you kill the head then the body'll fall I had to give it my all
I knew that I needed to give it my all and not falter in my pursuit of freedom


I couldn't stall couldn't hold nothing back
I couldn't hesitate or be hesitant in my journey to attain freedom


Had to stay focused though they tried to knock me off track
Despite distractions and obstacles, I needed to stay focused on my goal


I'm telling this to you just so you can see
I'm sharing my story with you so you can understand the importance of freedom


That in the end I just gotta be me living free
Ultimately, I need to be true to myself and live a life of true freedom


So I just gotta be me
I need to be true to who I am


Running from authorities til they capture me
I am constantly on the run from those who want to stop me from attaining freedom


And I'ma keep running as long as my stunning lyrics keep humming
As long as I can keep creating powerful music, I will keep running towards freedom


It's like a clearance sale that keeps the customers coming
My music is like a sale that people keep coming back to


A blessing that uplifts your essence
My music has the power to uplift and elevate people's spirits


It brings food to the poor and delivers plenty riches to peasants
My music has the power to help those who are struggling in life


Or the peasant minded
Even those who are used to not having much in life can benefit from my music


I brought my girl an expensive diamond
I tried to use material possessions to show my love to my girlfriend


She can see I was trying so she accepted the offer
My girlfriend saw that I was trying to show my love, so she accepted my gift


But was it love or was it infatuation
I question whether my feelings were true love or just a passing infatuation


My fascination only intensified our situation
My infatuation made things more complicated in our relationship


Though she wasn't h* that was chasing after my dough
Even though my girlfriend wasn't just using me for my money, I still had doubts


My feelings still changed more than models at a fashion show girl I have to go
My feelings towards my girlfriend were unpredictable, and I had to leave


This load is too much to carry
The weight of my complicated relationship is too much to bear


Plus it's scary cause now I'm feeling too young to be married
The idea of being married at a young age is intimidating and frightening to me


I'm not saying that I don't ever want you in my life
I still care about my girlfriend and don't want her completely out of my life


But at this moment I really don't need you as my wife
I am not ready for the commitment of marriage at this time


Maybe one day a marriage and some kids we'll see
There is a possibility we may be together in the future, but it's uncertain


To all my soldiers overseas that just wanna be free
A shoutout to all those fighting for their freedom, whether literally or figuratively


To all my sailors overseas that just wanna be free
Acknowledging everyone working towards freedom, especially those on the sea


Victims of contract slavery I applaud your bravery
Commending those who have the courage to fight against modern-day slavery and exploitation


Hold ya head and soon you'll be out the same as me
Stay strong, and you will also attain freedom like I have


Whether guilty or innocent it doesn't matter me
Everyone, regardless of their past actions, deserves to be free


Accept the Lord as your savior and set your soul free
Having faith and believing in a higher power can provide a sense of spiritual freedom


Knowledge is power so children free your minds
Encouraging young people to seek knowledge and broaden their minds


Learn to educate yourself so you can see through the lies and falsified claims
Being educated can help you discern the truth from lies and deception


Break through the shackles and chains
Metaphorically breaking free from oppression and limitations


Dare to be different set the trend then after that maintain
Encouraging individuality and innovation, and then staying committed to that path


Temptation might drive you insane
Being swept up in temptation can be overwhelming and detrimental to progress


But exercise greater self-restraint so that you can learn to refrain
Practicing self-control can help you resist temptation and make better decisions


Let this message wear on your brain then take in the streets
Take this message to heart and apply it in everyday life


Let others follow your lead so we can all be free
Inspiring others to follow in your footsteps and work together towards true freedom


Yea, yea free to live
Embracing the idea of living a life of true freedom




Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Hugh Ham

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@testtest2609

When hip was diverse before corporate rap co-opted the genre with hyper-consumerism (Diddy etc al) & gangsta rap.

PM Dawn - blissful, psychedelic, poetry
De La Soul - humorous
Slick Rick - storytelling
Salt N Peppa - party, feminist
Public Enemy - political
Tupac - political, compassion, sociological
Fresh Prince - subverting middle class respectability, teen age fun
Biggie - iambic pentameter, flow/poetry



All comments from YouTube:

@danielfurlow1160

Man, life was simple in these days.

@robzilla730

This plug came out my senior year. 19freakin'89! It was a De LA Year!

@antoniogambardella785

This is rap classic

@beaniegee5129

Congratulations to De La Soul!! They own all of their masters of their classic albums from Tommy Boy Records!!

@cinnamonstar808

💖 this! I hate parasites in the music business; let the artist breathe

@jaken07274

Hopefully coming to streaming services soon!

@Daidoro

Are you f***ing serious!? For reals!?

@jaken07274

@@Daidoro Yeah and it’s all gonna be on streaming services by November apparently

@zariaspell1088

@@jaken07274 yaaay I’ve been waiting forever for this song to be on streaming.

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@Me2times

Basically, be yourself. Not what someone else tells you to be

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