PERSONAL
Fergie Feat. Sean Kingston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
To be with myself and center, clarity
Peace, Serenity
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
The path that I'm walking
I must go alone
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they?
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Like the little school mate in the school yard
We'll play jacks and uno cards
I'll be your best friend and you'll be my Valentine
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
Cause I want to hold yours too
We'll be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late, dark outside
I need to be with myself and center, clarity
Peace, serenity
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
In this song, Fergie is expressing her need for space and time to herself after a relationship ends. She acknowledges that the lingering smell of her ex-partner's skin is a reminder of what once was, but she needs to focus on her own well-being now. She mentions needing "shelter of [her] own protection" and seeking "clarity, peace, [and] serenity." Even though she will miss her ex-partner like a child misses their blanket, she knows it's time to move on and become an adult ("big girl") who doesn't cry at every setback.
The second verse expands on this idea by using the metaphor of a path that she must walk alone, taking "baby steps 'til [she's] full grown." She acknowledges that not all fairy tales have happy endings, and she doesn't want to face a dark future if she stays with her ex-partner. The bridge shifts to reminiscing about the playful moments of the relationship, when they would be "playmates and lovers" and share their "secret worlds." However, it's now time for Fergie to leave, and she needs "center [and] clarity, peace [and] serenity."
Line by Line Meaning
The smell of your skin lingers on me now
I can still smell your skin on me from when we last met
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
You're likely on your way home now
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
I need some space to protect myself
To be with myself and center, clarity, Peace, Serenity
I need to be alone to find inner peace and clarity
I hope you know, I hope you know
I hope you understand
That this has nothing to do with you
My situation is not your fault
It's personal, myself and I
This is a personal issue that I must deal with alone
We've got some straightenin' out to do
I need to sort out some things within myself
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
I will miss you dearly, like a child misses a security blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
I must move on and continue with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
It's time for me to be independent and mature
And big girls don't cry
I won't let my emotions get the best of me
The path that I'm walking
The journey that I am on
I must go alone
I must do it by myself
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
I must take small steps until I am fully matured
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they?
Not every story or relationship ends happily
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay
I anticipate difficulties if I remain in this situation
Like the little school mate in the school yard
Like two childhood friends playing together
We'll play jacks and uno cards
We'll enjoy time together playing games
I'll be your best friend and you'll be my Valentine
We can be close friends and romantic partners
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
I am open to holding hands with you
Cause I want to hold yours too
Because I want to be close to you
We'll be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds
We'll be close in a variety of ways, sharing our intimate thoughts and feelings
But it's time for me to go home
It's time for me to leave now
It's getting late, dark outside
It's late and the night has arrived
I need to be with myself and center, clarity, Peace, serenity
I need to be alone to find inner peace and clarity
I hope you know, I hope you know
I hope you understand
That this has nothing to do with you
My situation is not your fault
It's personal, myself and I
This is a personal issue that I must deal with alone
We've got some straightenin' out to do
I need to sort out some things within myself
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
I will miss you dearly, like a child misses a security blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
I must move on and continue with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
It's time for me to be independent and mature
And big girls don't cry
I won't let my emotions get the best of me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Tobias Gad, Stacy Ferguson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind