Venting about his decision to drop the record his own way, he took to Twitter on March 1, 2011:
"i. did. this. not ISLAND DEF JAM. that's why you see no label logo on the artwork that I DID. guess its my fault for trusting my dumbass lawyer and signing my career over to a failing company. fuck Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. fuck em. now back to my day. i want some oatmeal and toast. brunch swag."
As a member of the Odd Future (OFWGKTA) collective, his sound is distinctively soulful/r&b influenced, yet done in a way that could pass for something totally different. As Tyler, the Creator states, “It’s Smooth Ass Music About Bitches, Relationships And Being A Rich Young Nigga…But In A Swagged Out Way.”
Ocean was evacuated from the University of New Orleans to Los Angeles, California just as Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, and stayed in Los Angeles to pursue a music career. Ocean joined Los Angeles based collective OFWGKTA, who he met through mutual friends, at the end of 2009. In the end of 2009, he met Tricky Stewart, who helped Ocean sign a contract with Def Jam Recordings as an artist, however, he was initially unable to build a relationship with the company. In 2010, he changed his name from Christopher "Lonny" Breaux to Christopher Francis Ocean via a legal website. In an April 2011 interview, Ocean intimated that his relationship with Def Jam has strengthened since the release of his mixtape. On April 28, 2011, Ocean was arrested on unspecified charges by the LAPD, and was released on the morning after on April 29, 2011. Ocean joined his OFWGKTA bandmates for the first time on tour from May 12 to May 19, 2011. On May 31, 2011, Def Jam released the single Novacane on iTunes soon followed by Swim Good Taken from his mixtape Nostalgia, ULTRA. His first 'proper' album, Channel Orange was released on July 17, 2012.
In 2016, He released the visual album Endless alongside his second studio album Blonde, following several years of delays. Blonde debuted at number one in the United States and United Kingdom.
In 2017, Ocean released several singles, including Chanel and Lens, through his Blonded Radio show, and made several appearances on other songs by artists like Calvin Harris, A$AP Mob, and Tyler, the Creator.
I Miss You
Frank Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I’ll stack these magazines in the corner
After I’m done with them
And I still got the same
Hope that I started with
That you’ll be in one of them
My camera shed some tears since you left him
How am I supposed to remember? Oh
I got the memories but memories fade, baby
What am I gonna show to my kids, girl? Oh
When I’m older
And my mind is telling me to forget you
What’s gonna make me remember?
That’s why I was always taking pictures
Pictures (Ooo)
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing
Miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures
Pictures (Ooo)
When you knew they were all that I had left
Nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
(yeah, yeah) i was always taking pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad
Miss you this bad
Miss you so bad, miss you so
We didn’t make love
We celebrated it's invention (yeah)
Confetti on the mattress
I used to have those images (Oh, yeah)
Tonight I came home they were
Just embers in the fire
Along with my hard drive (No, no)
No notes, no goodbye
How the hell am I supposed to remember?
Ooo, tell me now, I got the memories
But memories don’t last
What am I gonna show to
My kids, baby? yeah, yeah, ooo
When I’m older
And my mind’s telling me to forget you
What’s gonna make me remember?
That’s why I was always taking pictures
Pictures (Ooo)
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing
Miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures
Pictures (Ooo)
When you knew they were all that I had left
Nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
(yeah, yeah) i was always taking pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you (With flash)
No videos, no polaroids, or (With flash)
No record of the love we had, or (With flash)
My Nikon wasn’t fast enough
(With flash, with with with flash)
To catch my heart break in half
No smiles on my picture frame, no
(With flash) just got them
Little basic ones that the
Pictures frames come with (With flash)
Models, wedding pictures, you know
(With flash, with with with flash)
That’s why I was always taking pictures
Pictures (Oh, baby)
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing
Miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures
Pictures? (Ooo)
When you knew they were all that I had left
Nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
(Ooo, ooo) i was always taking pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad
Miss you this bad
Miss you so bad, miss you so
In the song "I Miss You" by Frank Ocean, the lyrics explore themes of longing, memory, and the loss of a significant relationship. The opening lines, "I’ll stack these magazines in the corner, after I’m done with them," can be interpreted as the singer putting away reminders of the past, symbolized by the magazines. Despite moving on in some ways, they still hold onto the hope that the person they miss will appear in these magazines. The line "My camera shed some tears since you left him, with nothing" suggests that the singer's camera, which represents their ability to capture and preserve memories, is now devoid of the subject they yearn for.
The chorus reflects the singer's desire to hold onto memories of the person they miss. They express the fear of forgetting as memories fade over time, emphasizing the importance of photographs: "That’s why I was always taking pictures, 'cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing." The pictures are seen as precious remnants of the relationship that they want to preserve for themselves and show to future generations. The repeated line "Miss you so bad, miss you so" conveys the deep emotional longing experienced by the singer.
In the second verse, the lyrics shift to a description of their intimate moments as a couple. They highlight the celebration of their love making and the imagery of confetti on the mattress as symbols of joy and happiness. However, the singer returns home to find these memories reduced to ashes. Mentioning the loss of the hard drive on which these memories were stored adds to the sense of irretrievable loss. The absence of any farewell or explanation intensifies the singer's confusion and sadness.
The final verse emphasizes the emptiness and absence left behind in their life. There are no videos, polaroids, or any records of the love they shared. The singer's camera failed to capture the moment their heart broke, indicating the difficulty of capturing the complex emotions of heartbreak. The reference to basic pictures frames reflects the lack of significant photos, only having generic images supplied with the frame. The mention of "Models, wedding pictures" suggests that others' idealized relationships add to the singer's sense of loss.
In summary, Frank Ocean's "I Miss You" is a poignant exploration of the singer's longing for someone they miss. The lyrics delve into the importance of memories, the fear of forgetting, and the desire to hold onto something tangible from the past. The absence and loss depicted in the song convey the emotional weight of missing someone deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ll stack these magazines in the corner
I will neatly arrange these magazines in a designated area
After I’m done with them
Once I have finished reading or using them
And I still got the same
I still possess the unchanged
Hope that I started with
Optimism that I initially had
That you’ll be in one of them
That you will appear in at least one of them
My camera shed some tears since you left him
My camera has captured moments of sadness since you departed
With nothing, with nothing
With no tangible or substantial outcome
How am I supposed to remember? Oh
In what way am I expected to retain memories?
I got the memories but memories fade, baby
I possess the recollections, but they gradually diminish, my dear
What am I gonna show to my kids, girl? Oh
What will I present as evidence to my future offspring, my love?
When I’m older
When I have aged
And my mind is telling me to forget you
And my thoughts are urging me to erase you from my thoughts
What’s gonna make me remember?
What will serve as a reminder for me?
That’s why I was always taking pictures
That is the reason I constantly captured moments through photography
Pictures (Ooo)
Photographs
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing
Because I didn't want to overlook any detail
Miss a thing
Fail to observe anything
Tell me how could you take the pictures
Please explain how you could possess the photographs
When you knew they were all that I had left
When you were aware that those images were my sole remnants
Nothing left
No other remnants or belongings
They were part of our history, this story
They constituted a portion of our shared past, this narrative
(yeah, yeah) i was always taking pictures
(yes, yes) I frequently captured moments through photography
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad
Because I didn't want to long for your absence intensely
Miss you this bad
Feel such a deep yearning for you
Miss you so bad, miss you so
Desire your presence passionately, miss you greatly
We didn’t make love
We did not engage in sexual intimacy
We celebrated its invention (yeah)
Instead, we commemorated the concept of love's creation
Confetti on the mattress
Confetti scattered on the bed
I used to have those images (Oh, yeah)
I previously possessed those mental pictures
Tonight I came home they were
This evening when I returned, they had
Just embers in the fire
Transformed into mere remnants in the flames
Along with my hard drive (No, no)
Accompanying my computer storage device (No, no)
No notes, no goodbye
No written messages, no farewell
No videos, no polaroids, or (With flash)
No recorded videos, no instant photos, or (Illuminated by a flash)
No record of the love we had, or (With flash)
No evidence or documentation of our past affectionate relationship, or (Illuminated by a flash)
My Nikon wasn’t fast enough
My Nikon camera was not quick or responsive
(With flash, with with with flash)
(Illuminated by a flash, with repetition)
To catch my heartbreak in half
To capture my emotional devastation
No smiles on my picture frame, no
No expressions of happiness or joy in my photo frames, no
(With flash) just got them
(Illuminated by a flash) merely obtained those
Little basic ones that the
Insignificant, ordinary ones that the
Pictures frames come with (With flash)
Photo frames typically include (Illuminated by a flash)
Models, wedding pictures, you know
Images of models, wedding photographs, you understand
(With flash, with with with flash)
(Illuminated by a flash, with repetition)
That’s why I was always taking pictures
That is the reason I constantly captured moments through photography
Pictures (Oh, baby)
Photographs, oh, darling
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing
Because I didn't want to overlook any detail
Miss a thing
Fail to observe anything
Tell me how could you take the pictures
Please explain how you could possess the photographs
Pictures? (Ooo)
Photographs? (Ooo)
When you knew they were all that I had left
When you were aware that those images were my sole remnants
Nothing left
No other remnants or belongings
They were part of our history, this story
They constituted a portion of our shared past, this narrative
(Ooo, ooo) i was always taking pictures
(Ooo, ooo) I frequently captured moments through photography
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you (With flash)
Because I didn't want to long for your absence intensely (Illuminated by a flash)
Miss you this bad
Feel such a deep yearning for you
Miss you so bad, miss you so
Desire your presence passionately, miss you greatly
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TreySongzLyricsonScreen
[Verse 1]
I’ll stack these magazines in the corner
After I’m done with them
And I still got the same hope that I started with
That you’ll be in one of them
My camera shed some tears since you left him
With nothing, with nothing
[Pre-Chorus]
How am I supposed to remember?
I got the memories
But memories fade, baby
What am I gonna show to my kids, girl?
When I’m older, and my mind is telling me to forget you
What’s gonna make me remember?
[Chorus]
That’s why I was always taking pictures, pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing, miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures, pictures
When you knew they were all that I had left - nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
I was always taking pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad, miss you this bad
Miss you so bad, miss you so
[Verse 2]
We didn’t make love
We celebrated its invention
Confetti on the mattress - I used to have those images
Tonight I came home they were just embers in the fire
Along with my hard drive, no notes, no goodbye
[Pre-Chorus]
How the hell am I supposed to remember?
Tell me now, I got the memories
But memories don’t last...
What am I gonna show to my kids, baby?
When I’m older, and my mind’s telling me to forget you
What’s gonna make me remember?
[Chorus]
That’s why I was always taking pictures, pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing, miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures, pictures
When you knew they were all that I had left - nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
I was always taking pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss you
[Verse 3]
No video, no polariods
No record of the love we had
My Nikon wasn’t fast enough
To catch my heart break in half
No smiles in my picture frame, no
Just got them little basic ones that the picture frames come with
Models, wedding pictures, you know
[Chorus]
That’s why I was always taking pictures, pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing, miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures, pictures?
When you knew they were all that I had left – nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
I was always taking pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad, miss you this bad
Miss you so bad, miss you so…
@JianniCarter
I stack these magazines in the corner after I'm done with em
Then I still got the same old love that I started with
But you be in one of them
My camera shed some tears since you left em with nothing.
With nothing
How am I suppose to remember
Oooh
And all the memories.
The memories they faded
What am I gonna show to the kids girl
Oohh noo
My mind is telling me to forget you
What's gonna make me remember?
That's why I was always taking pictures.
Pictures
Cause I didn't wanna miss a thing
Miss a thing
Tell me how I could take the pictures
Pictures
When you know they were all I had left
Nothing left
They were part of our history
I was always tsking pictures
Pictures
Cause I didn't wanna miss you bad
Miss you this bad
@obrey__
I just got to experience this song for the first time... wow
@vexrich
Same
@Kiara-jm2cq
Me too
@obrey__
Kiara kind of random, but a song I really wish I could hear for the first time again is called track x by black road, new country. Suuper beautiful and haunting
@vexrich
@@obrey__ We say things like that but my favorite music sounds best when I've heard it a lot, and take a break and hear it again knowing most of the words but noticing something new in it
@obrey__
Vex Rich true.. I still feel the song, but I’m afraid of getting sick of it.. now that I think about it, this is kind of a great spot to be in. I hope I remember this when I go through a mid life crisis and romanticize youth lol
@certifiedtre_7716
So mad this song isn’t on streaming services because it’s literally one of my favorites by him 😭😭😭
@ericperalta739
agreed
@SnakeEyesBR1
why aren't you?
@certifiedtre_7716
@@lenabean0470 I’m super late seeing your reply! THANK YOU 😍😍😍