On “The Real Her,” Drake praises a female stripper for her independence and… Read Full Bio ↴On “The Real Her,” Drake praises a female stripper for her independence and being able to take care of herself. Even though they barely just met, he sees himself falling in love with her. He comments on some of the similarities this woman has from his old flames and that she has something special that he wants. He even goes as far as wanting to “save” her, despite his friends' warnings not to do so.

Lil Wayne continues Drake’s sentiment in his verse. While he does acknowledge that this woman has slept around with other rappers before, he still wants to be with her and wonders what it is about her that makes her stand out.

On the final verse, we have André 3000, who provides a somewhat contradiction to Drake and Wayne’s verses. Although he feels something towards this female, Dré plays it safe by not messing around with her in the case she only wants him for his money or has any STDs.

According to Songfacts, producer 40 explained to MTV News:

“What ends up happening a lot of times with our records is that, because I can do a lot of things in the studio, whether it be play instruments or produce or edit or run Pro Tools or edit vocals, whatever the case may be, I help him get out his ideas. I think that’s the goal of any good producer, is to make sure the artist is delivering what they want.“

According to T-Minus, T-Pain does the background vocals on the song:

“With “The Real Her,” I loved what 40 did on those keys. I was at the studio and I remember T-Pain pulling up and adding some vocals to the record. A lot of people don’t ever notice it. T-Pain is kind of a ghost on the record, he’s in the background singing low melodies. I was blown away watching Drake direct Pain and telling him what to write about. I really saw his intelligence as a songwriter.“

T-Pain’s contributions can be heard during Drake’s verses & the chorus.

The Real Her
Drake Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

People around you should really have nothin' to say
Me, I'm just proud of the fact that you've done it your way
And the weekends her, started it right
Even if you only get part of it right
Live for today, plan for tomorrow
Party tonight, party tonight
Dyin' to meet your girlfriends
That you said you might bring

If they're the ones that tell you that you do the right thing

Houston girls, love the way it goes down
Atlanta girls, love the way it goes down
Vegas girls, love the way it goes down

But I gotta say, oh baby, oh baby, why is this so familiar?
Just met her, already feel like I know the real her
You musta done this before, this can't be your first time
We musta been here before, it's still fresh on my mind
You got that shit that somebody would look for but won't find
You musta done this before, this can't be your first time

They keep tellin' me don't save you
If I ignore all that advice
Then somethin' isn't right
Then who will I complain to?
But the weekends here started it right
Even if I only get part of it right
Live for today, plan for tomorrow
Party tonight, party tonight
You got your guards up, I do too
There's things we might discover
'Cause you got a past and I do too, we're perfect for each other

Houston girls, love the way it goes down

Atlanta girls, love the way it goes down
Vegas girls, love the way it goes down

But I gotta say, oh baby, oh baby, why is this so familiar?
Just met her, already feel like I know the real her
You musta done this before, this can't be your first time
We musta been here before, it's still fresh on my mind
You got that shit that somebody would look for but won't find
You musta done this before, this can't be your first time

'Cause to her I'm just a rapper, and soon she'll have met another
So if tonight's an accident, tomorrow we'll recover
And I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover
I don't wanna be in the blind, but sometimes I Stevie Wonder
About her, and she with it if I'm with it, and I'm with it
I know what makes her smile, but I won't know what makes her different
Or should I just be realistic? Lipstick on the glass
See, I know this ain't your first, but it's better than your last, Tunechi

You musta done this before, this can't be your first time
We musta been here before, it's still fresh on my mind
You got that shit that somebody would look for but won't find
You musta done this before, this can't be your first time

Shower her with dollar tips
Shawty went and bought a whip
Guarantee the city remember your whole name
You throw that hoe a scholarship
All of them ain't all equipped
And this saddens me, I see the peckin' order
Quote-unquote "bad bitches" work the whole floor
Those that get laughed at sit off in the corner
Like a lab rat nobody want her
Niggas that are married don't wanna go home
But we look up to them, they wish they were us
They want some new trim
We lust for some trust
Now the both of us are colorblind
'Cause the other side looks greener
Which leaves your turf in a Boise state
Can't see her play or the team, cuz
Everybody has an addiction, mine happens to be you
And those who say they don't
Souls will later on say to them, "That ain't true"
All of them will have an opinion
But y'all know what you can do with them
But if you're unsure, I'll take you on tour
To a place you can stick that in
Well, sittin' here sad as hell
Listenin' to Adele, I feel you baby
Someone like you, more like someone unlike you
Or someone that's familiar maybe
And I can tell that she wants a baby
And I can yell, "Girl, that shit crazy!"
Oh what the hell? Nope, can't be lazy
Please be careful, bitches got the rabies

Overall Meaning

In the song, Drake talks about a girl who he’s really interested in but he feels like they've met before. He’s proud of her for doing her own thing and not caring about the opinions of others. The chorus talks about how Houston, Atlanta and Vegas girls all have something in common: they love the way it goes down. The second verse speaks to the fact that while they both have their guards up due to past experiences, they're perfect for each other because of their shared experiences. The third verse speaks of how things could be between them and how people will judge them. He speaks of his addiction to this person and how he knows that everyone will have an opinion, but it doesn't matter because he’s interested in her anyway. The last line of the song is “Please be careful, bitches got the rabies” which warns about the danger of being in a relationship with someone who may not have your best interests at heart.

Line by Line Meaning

People around you should really have nothing to say
Ignore the opinions of others around you

Me, I'm just proud of the fact that you've done it your way
I admire you for staying true to yourself

And the weekends her, started it right
The weekend has begun and it's off to a good start

Even if you only get part of it right
It doesn't matter if things don't go perfectly

Live for today, plan for tomorrow
Enjoy the present moment while also preparing for the future

Party tonight, party tonight
Let's have a good time tonight!

Dying to meet your girlfriends that you said you might bring
I'm excited to meet your friends and get to know them.

If they're the ones that tell you that you do the right thing
Your friends are important because they support you and encourage you to do what's right.

Houston girls, love the way it goes down
Women from Houston enjoy a certain type of lifestyle

Atlanta girls, love the way it goes down
Women from Atlanta enjoy a certain type of lifestyle

Vegas girls, love the way it goes down
Women from Las Vegas enjoy a certain type of lifestyle

But I gotta say, oh baby, oh baby, why is this so familiar?
This situation feels like something I've experienced before

Just met her, already feel like I know the real her
I feel like I already know you despite having just met you

You musta done this before, this can't be your first time
This feels like something you've done before

We musta been here before, it's still fresh on my mind
I feel like we've been in this situation before, but it's still clear in my memory

You got that shit that somebody would look for but won't find
You possess qualities that people desire but rarely find in others

They keep telling me don't save you
Other people are warning me not to try to help or rescue you

If I ignore all that advice
I'm choosing to disregard their warnings

Then something isn't right
I'm questioning whether or not I'm making the right decision

Then who will I complain to?
If things go wrong, I won't have anyone to vent to

You got your guards up, I do too
Both of us are guarded or protective of ourselves

There's things we might discover
We may uncover things about each other that we didn't know before

Cause you got a past and I do too, we're perfect for each other
Because we've both had experiences in the past, we're well-suited for each other

And soon she'll have met another
She won't be interested in me for long

So if tonight's an accident, tomorrow we'll recover
If things don't go well tonight, we can start fresh tomorrow

And I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover
I shouldn't make assumptions about someone based on their appearance or reputation

But sometimes I Stevie Wonder about her
Sometimes I'm skeptical of her true nature or intentions

And she with it if I'm with it, and I'm with it
She's interested if I'm interested, and I am

I know what makes her smile, but I won't know what makes her different
I can make her happy, but I don't yet understand what sets her apart from others

Or should I just be realistic?
Should I accept the reality of our situation?

Lipstick on the glass
There is lipstick residue on a glass, indicating a romantic encounter

See, I know this ain't your first, but it's better than your last
I know you've had similar experiences before, but this one is better than the previous ones

Shower her with dollar tips
Throw money at her in a strip club

Shawty went and bought a whip
She used the money I gave her to purchase a car

Guarantee the city remember your whole name
She will become famous in our city because of her lavish lifestyle

You throw that hoe a scholarship
You give a stripper money as if you are sponsoring her education

All of them ain't all equipped
Not all women are capable of handling a certain lifestyle or set of circumstances

Those that get laughed at sit off in the corner
Some women are looked down upon or treated poorly by others

Like a lab rat nobody want her
Women who are mistreated become like social outcasts or lab rats that no one wants

Niggas that are married don't wanna go home
Even married men are unhappy with their domestic lives

But we look up to them, they wish they were us
Despite their married status, we look up to them because we envy the freedom and excitement of our own lifestyle

We lust for some trust
We crave genuine intimacy and connection

Now the both of us are colorblind
We no longer see the differences between us

'Cause the other side looks greener
We are always attracted to what we don't have or can't experience

Which leaves your turf in a Boise state
This leaves your area looking unimportant or undesirable

Can't see her play or the team, cuz
We can't see the bigger picture or understand how our actions affect others

Everybody has an addiction, mine happens to be you
Everyone has something or someone they rely on, and you are mine

And those who say they don't
Even those who claim they don't have addictions

Souls will later on say to them, that ain't true
Will eventually realize that they do have addictions

All of them will have an opinion
Everyone will have something to say

But y'all know what you can do with them
But we can ignore them if we want to

But if you're unsure, I'll take you on tour
If you're not sure about our lifestyle, I can show you firsthand

To a place you can stick that in
To a place where others' opinions won't bother us

Well, sitting here sad as hell
I'm feeling very sad right now

Listening to Adele, I feel you baby
I'm listening to Adele and empathizing with her sadness

Someone like you, more like someone unlike you
She isn't like anyone else I've met before

Or someone that's familiar maybe
She feels familiar to me, but I'm not sure why

And I can tell that she wants a baby
I can sense that she wants to have a child

And I can yell 'Girl, that shit crazy!'
But I also feel that it's crazy to want to have a child in our current lifestyle

Oh what the hell? Nope, can't be lazy
But I'm not sure what to do about it, and I can't just ignore the problem

Please be careful, bitches got the rabies
Please be cautious because some women may be untrustworthy or dangerous

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Aubrey Drake Graham, Noah James Shebib, Dwayne Michael Carter, Faheem Rasheed Najm

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS