Alabama
Frank Ocean Lyrics
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I was writin' down everything
Things I would tell nobody
Some things I didn't even tell me
Sleepin' on my back, my body would wake up after me
My barber fresh out the penitentiary
That alcohol was stingin' me
My four cousins stayed with me, stayed with usOne was in the shower, my aunt in law come over to fuss and fight
So she get out in cutoffs and a wifebeater
Barefeet and bra-less, titties swingin'
She was seventeen then
Vaseline and Reebok classics
Take the bully on the greenest grasses
His name was Renny, we was cool after
Matthew had some pairs of Air Maxes
Clarky had them road rashes
Lost your virgin on a air mattress
Texturizer, feelin' unnatural
This what I would do just to show you
That it's special now
What could I do to know you better than I do now?
What can I do to love you more than I do now?
What can I do to know you better?
What can I do to show my love?
What can I do to know you better?
What can I do? What can I do?
The lyrics to Frank Ocean's song Alabama describe a moment in time when the singer lived in a duplex in New Orleans East. He was alone, writing down everything but keeping some of those thoughts to himself. He describes how he slept on his back and his body would wake up after he did. He also mentions his barber who had recently been released from jail, and how alcohol stung him. The singer's four cousins stayed with him and his one aunt-in-law got into a fight with them while one of the cousins was in the shower. The aunt-in-law comes out of the shower wearing cutoffs and a wifebeater top with no bra and barefeet.
The singer describes a time in his youth where he and his friends would hang out and do things that were slightly rebellious, like taking the bully on the greenest grasses, and even losing virginity on an air mattress. He mentions various friends and acquaintances by name, adding a layer of intimacy to the lyrics. The song ends with the repeating question of "what can I do to know you better?" and "what can I do to show my love?" suggesting that the singer is reflecting on his relationships and how to deepen them.
Line by Line Meaning
Yup, duplex in New Orleans east
I am currently living in a duplex located in the eastern part of New Orleans
I was writin' down everything
I was documenting everything that was happening to me
Things I would tell nobody
There were some things that were happening which I did not want to share with anyone
Some things I didn't even tell me
There were things that happened which I still haven't processed or accepted yet
Sleepin' on my back, my body would wake up after me
I used to wake up in the morning with my body being sore from sleeping on my back
My barber fresh out the penitentiary
The person who cuts my hair was recently released from prison
That alcohol was stingin' me
The alcohol I was drinking was affecting me negatively
My four cousins stayed with me, stayed with us
My four cousins were living with me and my family
One was in the shower, my aunt in law come over to fuss and fight
One of my cousins was taking a shower when my aunt-in-law came to our house to argue about something
So she get out in cutoffs and a wifebeater
My aunt-in-law came out of the bathroom wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt
Barefeet and bra-less, titties swingin'
My aunt-in-law was not wearing a bra and her breasts were moving freely
She was seventeen then
My aunt-in-law was 17 years old at that time
Vaseline and Reebok classics
She was either wearing Vaseline or had some applied, and was also wearing Reebok shoes
Take the bully on the greenest grasses
I would confront the bully on the greenest field possible
His name was Renny, we was cool after
His name was Renny and we became cool with each other after I confronted him
Matthew had some pairs of Air Maxes
My friend named Matthew had multiple pairs of Nike Air Max shoes
Clarky had them road rashes
My friend named Clarky had some wounds or bruises from falling off a bike or skateboard
Lost your virgin on a air mattress
Someone lost their virginity while lying on an air mattress
Texturizer, feelin' unnatural
I used a hair texturizer that made my hair feel unnatural
This what I would do just to show you
I did these things just to prove my love to you
That it's special now
I want you to know that our love is now special and meaningful to me
What could I do to know you better than I do now?
What actions can I take to get to know you even better than I currently do?
What can I do to love you more than I do now?
How can I increase the level of love and care I have for you?
What can I do to show my love?
What ways can I demonstrate my love and commitment towards you?
What can I do to know you better?
What steps can I take to better understand you on a deeper level?
What can I do? What can I do?
I am asking for suggestions as to what actions I can take to improve our relationship
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Christopher Breaux, Sampha Sisay
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FedeDito
Alabama Lyrics
[Verse: Frank Ocean]
Yup, duplex in New Orleans east
I was writin' down everything
Things I would tell nobody
Some things I didn't even tell me
Sleepin' on my back, my body would wake up after me
My barber fresh out the penitentiary
That alcohol was stingin' me
My four cousins stayed with me, stayed with us
One was in the shower
My aunt in law come over to fuss and fight
So she get out in cutoffs and a wifebeater
Barefeet and bra-less, titties swingin'
She was seventeen then
Vaseline and Reebok classics
Weaves and baskets
Take the bully on the greenest grasses
His name was Renny, we was cool after
Matthew had some pairs of Air Maxes
Clarky had them road rashes
Lost your virgin on a air mattress
Texturizer, feelin' unnatural
This what I would do just to show you
That it's special now
[Outro: Frank Ocean,Β Sampha & Jazmine Sullivan]
What could I do to know you better than I do now?
What can I do to love you more than I do now?
What can I do to know you better?
What can I do to show my love?
What can I do to know you better?
What can I do? What can I do
@NewEra2496
Still trying to figure out how they made that verse in the beginning. The way they places each line is insane.
@Steve-cu4cu
@Go On This technique is used by Hypnotists in their audio programs. It's called a Double induction or Dual Induction. I'm not sure how they do it. Maybe that might lead you in the right direction.
@yy-pt2lh
it's literally just recording a bunch of the same vocal lines and overlapping them seconds later and pan one to the left and the other to the right. it's pretty easy but to get it right and make it sound good is a whole another topic
@samgalindo
its just doing the punch in technique for the recording and then panning the vocals lol
@BootyWonka
@@samgalindo cringe
@samueljones159
@@yy-pt2lh just takes time
@AngelAguilar-dc8pi
0:51 my fav part
@richardellis5889
1:04 almost made me cry
@okkernoot010
it made me cry
@gabrimeu3458
still crying