I Need A Doctor
Dre Lyrics

I'm about to lose my mind
The artist is overwhelmed with stress and anxiety about his personal situation

You've been gone for so long, I'm runnin' out of time
The artist is referring to his mentor who has been absent from his life for a long time and he is worried he may lose himself without their support

I need a doctor, call me a doctor
The artist needs help urgently, he is calling for a savior for his troubles

I need a doctor, doctor
The artist is repeating his need for help emphatically, further emphasizing his desperate situation

To bring me back to life
The artist believes that he is in a state of near-death and needs help to restore him to his former self

I told the world, one day I would pay it back
The artist had expressed a desire to one day repay the people who have supported him in life

Say it on tape, and lay it, record it so that one day I could play it back
The artist has saved his promises on a recording so he could remind himself of his commitments

But I don't even know if I believe it when I'm sayin' that
The artist questions his own credibility and sincerity when he made these promises

Doubts startin' to creep in, every day, it's just so grey and black
The artist is struggling with self-doubt and facing more and more difficult times

Hope, I just need a ray of that, 'cause no one sees my vision
The artist seeks hope for a better tomorrow, and feels feelings of being misunderstood and not properly appreciated

When I play it for 'em, they just say it's wack, they don't know what dope is
The people the artist plays his music to don't enjoy it and do not understand it

And I don't know if I was awake or asleep when I wrote this
The artist cannot remember if he was conscious when he created this piece of work

All I know is you came to me when I was at my lowest
The artist's mentor provided support when he was in dire straits

You picked me up, breathed new life in me, I owe my life to you
The artist is expressing gratitude to their mentor for being of great help to him and revitalizing his life

But for the life of me, I don't see why you don't see like I do
The artist believes that his mentor should support him, as he cannot understand why he is not getting any help

But it just dawned on me you lost a son, demons fighting you, it's dark
The artist realizes that his mentor, too, has been coping with a personal tragedy and is struggling.

Let me turn on the lights and brighten me and enlighten you
The artist hopes to repay the favor by bringing his mentor back to his former positive and productive self

I don't think you realize what you mean to me, not the slightest clue
The artist thinks that his mentor is unaware of his positive influence on him

'Cause me and you were like a crew, I was like your sidekick
The artist and his mentor used to work together closely, and he sees himself as his mentor's reliable right-hand man

You gon' either wanna fight me when I get off this fuckin' mic
The artist's mentor may have a negative reaction when he finds out what he has said in this rap, which might cause fights and disagreements

Or you gon' hug me, but I'm outta options, there's nothin' else I can do 'cause
The artist is ready for either a scuffle or an embrace with his mentor when he hears this serious message.

It hurts when I see you struggle, you come to me with ideas
The artist is frustrated when he sees how his mentor struggles, but is happy when he comes to him for advice and ideas

You say they're just pieces, so I'm puzzled, 'cause the shit I hear is crazy
The artist doesn't understand why his mentor doesn't believe in himself and doubts the quality of his own work

But you're either gettin' lazy or you don't believe in you no more
The artist suspects that his mentor is either losing his motivation or does not have enough self-confidence to succeed

Seems like your own opinions, not one you can form
The artist believes that his mentor finds it hard to have his own views and opinions, and tends to rely more on others

Can't make a decision, you keep questionin' yourself
The artist observes that his mentor can't make firm decisions and keeps doubting himself

Second guessin' and it's almost like your beggin' for my help
The artist feels like his mentor is desperately seeking his advice and support

Like I'm your leader, you're supposed to fuckin' be my mentor
The artist thinks that the tables have turned, and he is now leading his mentor, despite being lower in rank and fame

I can endure no more I demand you remember who you are
The artist can't take it anymore, and demands his mentor find the self-belief he once had

It was you, who believed in me when everyone was tellin'
The artist recalls when his mentor was the only person who believed in him when he was new in his career

You don't sign me, everyone at the fuckin' label, let's tell the truth
The artist remembers that even though he was talented, no one in the music industry wanted to sign him until his mentor did

You risked your career for me, I know it as well as you
The artist is aware of his mentor's risk in signing him, and he is thankful for it

Nobody wanted to fuck with the white boy, Dre, I'm cryin' in this booth
The artist reflects on a time when no one wanted to collaborate with him because of his race, and is emotional because of it

You saved my life, now maybe it's my turn to save yours
The artist feels indebted to his mentor for saving his life and feels it is his responsibility to do the same

But I can never repay you, what you did for me is way more
The artist believes that he can never fully repay his mentor for everything he has done for him

But I ain't givin' up faith and you ain't givin' up on me
The artist is determined not to give up, and hopeful that his mentor won't give up on him

Get up, Dre, I'm dyin', I need you, come back for fuck's sake
The artist is urging his mentor to help him come back to life and end his suffering

Bring me back to life
The artist is restating his urgent request to his mentor to revive him

It literally feels like a lifetime ago
The artist reflects on how long ago it was when he used to perform with his mentor

But I still remember the shit like it was just yesterday, though
The artist's memories and experiences with his mentor are still very fresh in his mind

You walked in, yellow jump suit, whole room, cracked jokes
The artist recalls fondly when his mentor used to lighten up the room with his humor and joviality

Once you got inside the booth, told you, mic smoke
The artist remembers how skilled his mentor was when he recorded music, and how much of an impact he made

Went through friends, some of them I put on, but they just left
The artist reflects on how he helped his friends get into the industry, but they left him alone in his time of need

They said they was ridin' to the death, but where the fuck are they now?
The artist is feeling betrayed when his loyal friends have abandoned him when he fell into challenging times

Now that I need them, I don't see none of them
The artist is realizing that his former friends are nowhere to be seen now that he needs them badly

All I see is Slim, fuck all you fair-weather friends, all I need is him
The artist has no use for 'fair-weather' friends who only show up in good times. He is emphasizing the importance of his mentor to him

Fuckin' backstabbers, when the chips were down you just laughed at us
The artist is expressing anger and disappointment towards those who betrayed him when he needed them the most

Now you 'bout to feel the fuckin' wrath of Aftermath, faggots
The artist is vengeful and threatening towards his enemies who wronged him

You gon' see us in our lab jackets and ask us where the fuck we been?
The artist is ready to return to the music world with his mentor and show what they've been working on with their lab jackets

You can kiss my indecisive ass crack, maggots
The artist is declaring that he won't tolerate indecisive and cowardly people around him

And the crackers' ass, little cracker jack beat
The artist is also taking a swipe at mediocre producers who make trivial beats

Makin' wack math, backwards producers, I'm back bastards
The artist is back to take on the world with his mentor and won't let any incompetent producers get in the way

One more CD and then I'm packin' up my bags and as I'm leavin'
The artist is saying that he will retire after the upcoming album and denotes a feeling of dissatisfaction with the industry

I guarantee they'll scream, "Dre, don't leave us like that man" 'cause
The artist is confident that his departure would upset his fans and listeners