Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz (born 1968), better known by his stage name Fantas… Read Full Bio ↴Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz (born 1968), better known by his stage name Fantastic Negrito, is an African-American singer-songwriter whose music spans blues, R&B, and roots music. Negrito made a record deal with Prince's former manager, and later, in 1993, made another deal, this one with Interscope Records. On January 9, 1996, he released his first album, The X Factor, under the mononym Xavier. The album was released on Lexington House Records and distributed by Interscope. He was in a near-fatal car crash in 1999, which left him in a coma for three weeks; he has since said that he felt that this crash "released" him because Interscope terminated their contract with him, after which he resumed hustling. In 2007, he stopped making music, but he returned in 2014, describing his new musical style as "black roots music for everyone". In 2015, he won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. In 2016, his album The Last Days of Oakland was released on the Blackball Universe label. Negrito won his first Grammy in 2017, when The Last Days of Oakland received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

FEVER
Fantastic Negrito Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Girl you got something so good
that I need it
and you got me feeling so high
you give me fever
I seen you walking
walking in the rain
trying to keep warm
it was the middle of July

long story short baby
you got a heart so cold
but your body's still hot
and you're forty years old
girl you turn up the heat
now my temperatures hot
girl you got the fireworks
like the Fourth of July
girl you got something I want
And I need it
and I keep running so hot
I got fever
baby you got more that I need
I ain't greedy
girl you got me burning up
I got fever
slow motion dancing
serpentine fire
(???) bad attitude
but you cute when you lie
but I I ain't no angel myself
now I been in the game a long time
and I put a lot of heads to sleep
but now in semi retired
I'm living back in Oakland
my how things have changed
its snowing on the west side
but girl you still look the same
you got it
you got something I want and I need it and I keep running so hot
I got fever
you got more than I need girl
I ain't greedy
girl you got me burning up
I got fever
the last time i seen ya
you was walking down the international what was you doing
girl
tell you, you got something I want
and I need it
and I keep running so hot
I got fever
you got more than I need
girl I ain't greedy
Girl you got me burning up
I got fever
(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
baby you got me burning up
(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
bbbb burning baby

you keep the fire burning
and just get it

Overall Meaning

In "Fever" by Fantastic Negrito, the singer is deeply attracted to a woman because of her physical and sexual appeal. He likens her to a drug that he needs to quell his feverish desire. The woman seems to be older, "forty years old," but her body is still "hot." The singer wants her badly and compares her to "fireworks" on the Fourth of July. He describes her dancing as "serpentine fire" and acknowledges that she has a "bad attitude," but he still finds her cute. The singer also reflects on how much things have changed since he last saw her, indicating that perhaps they have a previous relationship.

The lyrics of this song are deeply rooted in sexuality and desire. The singer is clearly infatuated with this woman, seeing her as an object of lust rather than a person with agency and autonomy. The song paints a picture of a man who is completely consumed by his passion, and who sees nothing else in the world but this woman. The imagery of fire and fever gives the song a sense of urgency, as if the singer is on the verge of losing control. The song also has an element of nostalgia, implying that the singer has been in this kind of situation before and is familiar with the feeling of being consumed by desire.

Line by Line Meaning

Girl you got something so good that I need it
The singer is saying that the woman he's interested in has something desirable that he wants and needs, but does not specify what it is.

and you got me feeling so high you give me fever
Being around this woman makes the singer feel euphoric, and he describes this sensation as fever-like.

I seen you walking walking in the rain trying to keep warm it was the middle of July
The singer observed the woman walking in the rain during the middle of summer, indicating that something unexpected or inexplicable was occurring.

long story short baby you got a heart so cold but your body's still hot and you're forty years old
The singer believes that this woman seems cold and unfeeling, yet her physical attributes remain attractive to him despite her age.

girl you turn up the heat now my temperatures hot girl you got the fireworks like the Fourth of July
The singer is saying that the woman raises his sexual desire to a heightened level and creates fireworks, using a metaphor about the Fourth of July.

girl you got something I want And I need it and I keep running so hot I got fever
Repeating his earlier statements, the singer stresses that he wants something from the woman and that being around her makes him feel feverish.

baby you got more that I need I ain't greedy girl you got me burning up I got fever
The singer is saying that he wants more from the woman, but he is not entirely selfish, and it still makes him feel feverish.

slow motion dancing serpentine fire (???) bad attitude but you cute when you lie but I I ain't no angel myself
The singer is using vivid imagery to describe the woman's movements, likening them to a serpentine fire, and acknowledges that she is not without flaws; he is also honest that he is not perfect himself.

now I been in the game a long time and I put a lot of heads to sleep but now in semi retired I'm living back in Oakland my how things have changed its snowing on the west side but girl you still look the same
The singer reflects on his own past, noting his success, but also that he is now taking a step back; he also observes changes in his hometown, including an unusual occurrence like snow on the West Coast. However, the woman he is interested in hasn't changed her appearance.

the last time i seen ya you was walking down the international what was you doing girl tell you, you got something I want and I need it and I keep running so hot I got fever
The singer recalls seeing the woman earlier but doesn't indicate the context. However, he reiterates that he wants something from her.

you got more than I need girl I ain't greedy girl you got me burning up I got fever
The singer acknowledges once again that he wants more from the woman but that he is not entirely selfish, and that it still makes him feel feverish.

(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah) baby you got me burning up (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah) bbbb burning baby you keep the fire burning and just get it
The singer shows enthusiasm and a sense of urgency, telling the woman to keep the passion going and to make it happen.

Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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