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.
J.O. B
Frank Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I catch Z's at work now
So they're gonna fire me soon
But I've been dreamin' of our love
I wish my new day job was you
But they say my checks come from the bank
They tell me think with my brain like I'm sane
And not my heart. (not my heart)
But if my job was only to love you, yeahh
There wouldn't be no Recession
Be no recession, ain't no depression, depression
If my job was only to love you, yeah
There wouldn't be no stressin'
Be no stressin', Ain't no pressure
Cause it pays way better baby
It pays way better baby, yeahh
My boss works my nerves girl
If you knew him you'd wanna quit too
I just know he's jealous
Cause he's lonely and I've got you
(But what I'mma do)
If I left this place today with the love that we made
I'd be paid for the rest of my life, rest of my life
I love you the rest of my life, oh
Be paid for the rest of my life
Ohhh ohhh ohhhh ohhh ohhhh
In the song 'J.O.B.' by Frank Ocean, the singer is describing his dissatisfaction with his current job and his desire to make his significant other his full-time occupation. He states that he is falling asleep at work and will soon be fired, but all he can think about is being with his love. The singer is expressing that if his job was to solely love his partner, there wouldn't be any recession or depression in his life because love pays better than money.
The song is essentially about putting love over money and acknowledging the importance of being with the person who brings happiness and meaning to your life. The singer also mentions how his boss is jealous because the singer has someone he loves to come home to, while the boss is lonely. The singer wishes he could leave his job and be with his love forever because the love they share pays way better than his current job ever could.
Overall, 'J.O.B.' tells a relatable and common story of wishing to prioritize love over work and material success. It's a reminder that the most important things in life aren't always the things that can be bought or earned.
Line by Line Meaning
I catch Z's at work now
I fall asleep at work because I am not happy with my job.
So they're gonna fire me soon
I will lose my job soon because I am not performing well.
But I've been dreamin' of our love
But I am dreaming of being in love with you.
I wish my new day job was you
I wish I could be in a relationship with you instead of working a regular job.
And not your heart. (no not your heart)
I am aware that my paycheck comes from my job, not from your love.
They tell me think with my brain like I'm sane
People advise me to make rational decisions based on logic, not emotions.
And not my heart. (not my heart)
I understand that making decisions with my heart may not always lead to the best outcome.
But if my job was only to love you, yeahh
If only loving you was my job, life would be much easier.
There wouldn't be no Recession
There would not be any economic struggles.
Be no recession, ain't no depression, depression
There would be no financial issues or mental health problems.
If my job was only to love you, yeah
Life would be perfect if all I had to do was love you.
There wouldn't be no stressin'
I wouldn't have any stress or worry.
Be no stressin', Ain't no pressure
I wouldn't feel any pressure from my job or anything else.
Cause it pays way better baby
Loving you pays much more than any job ever could.
It pays way better baby, yeahh
Being with you brings more happiness and fulfillment than any job ever could.
My boss works my nerves girl
My boss irritates me greatly.
If you knew him you'd wanna quit too
If you met my boss, you would understand why I want to quit this job.
I just know he's jealous
I think my boss is jealous of my relationship with you.
Cause he's lonely and I've got you
My boss is lonely and single, while I have you in my life.
(But what I'mma do)
(I don't know what to do about it.)
If I left this place today with the love that we made
If I quit my job today and spent time with you instead, it would be worth it.
I'd be paid for the rest of my life, rest of my life
Being with you for the rest of my life would be a priceless reward.
I love you the rest of my life, oh
I will love you forever.
Be paid for the rest of my life
Being with you is worth more than any salary or paycheck.
Ohhh ohhh ohhhh ohhh ohhhh
I am in love with you.
Contributed by Maria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kaitchi7196
[Verse 1]
I catch z's at work now
So they're gonna fire me soon
But I've been dreamin' of our love
I wish my new day job was you
[Pre-Chorus]
But they say my checks come from the bank
And not your heart (not your heart)
And not your heart
They tell me think with my brain like I'm sane
And not my heart
And not my heart
[Chorus]
But if my job was only to love you, yeah
There wouldn't be no recession
Be no recession, ain't no depression, depression
If my job was only to love you, girl
There wouldn't be no stressin'
Be no stressin', ain't no pressure
'Cause it pays way better babe
It pays way better baby, yeah
[Verse 2]
My boss works my nerves, girl
If you knew him you'd wanna quit too
I just know he's jealous
Cause he's lonely and I've got you
(But what I'mma do)
[Pre-Chorus]
But they say my checks come from the bank
And not your heart (not your heart)
And not your heart
They tell me think with my brain like I'm sane
And not my heart
And not my heart
[Chorus]
But if my job was only to love you, yeah
There wouldn't be no recession
Be no recession, ain't no depression, depression
If my job was only to love you, girl
There wouldn't be no stressin'
Be no stressin', ain't no pressure
Cause it pays way better babe
It pays way better baby, yeah
[Outro]
If I left this place today with the love that we made
I'd be paid for the rest of my life, rest of my life
I love you the rest of my life, oh
Be paid for the rest of my life
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
@kaitchi7196
[Verse 1]
I catch z's at work now
So they're gonna fire me soon
But I've been dreamin' of our love
I wish my new day job was you
[Pre-Chorus]
But they say my checks come from the bank
And not your heart (not your heart)
And not your heart
They tell me think with my brain like I'm sane
And not my heart
And not my heart
[Chorus]
But if my job was only to love you, yeah
There wouldn't be no recession
Be no recession, ain't no depression, depression
If my job was only to love you, girl
There wouldn't be no stressin'
Be no stressin', ain't no pressure
'Cause it pays way better babe
It pays way better baby, yeah
[Verse 2]
My boss works my nerves, girl
If you knew him you'd wanna quit too
I just know he's jealous
Cause he's lonely and I've got you
(But what I'mma do)
[Pre-Chorus]
But they say my checks come from the bank
And not your heart (not your heart)
And not your heart
They tell me think with my brain like I'm sane
And not my heart
And not my heart
[Chorus]
But if my job was only to love you, yeah
There wouldn't be no recession
Be no recession, ain't no depression, depression
If my job was only to love you, girl
There wouldn't be no stressin'
Be no stressin', ain't no pressure
Cause it pays way better babe
It pays way better baby, yeah
[Outro]
If I left this place today with the love that we made
I'd be paid for the rest of my life, rest of my life
I love you the rest of my life, oh
Be paid for the rest of my life
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
@babytoys02
"If my job was only to love you, there would be no recession, there would be no depression"💕
@saechaomelinda
The fact this video has less than 30 comments. Not many people know about the Lonny breaux collection. So glad I was able to see him recently at Coachella, been listening to him for the longest and finally got to see him live.
@TheDreamality
I love u❤
@sunlooper
im sorry. you had to watch that horrendous performance
@yonkers7170
one of franks prettiest tracks i love this song so much
@sachamoses9233
NOSTALGIAAAAAA I remember when my grandma wld baby sit me and bro so we would go to the school she worked at and sat in one of the empty class rooms and would wait for her to finish and my brother would play this song and other frank song and some Tyler songs and that was the first time I heard there music
@only432hz
Appreciate you sharing this story 🙏🏽
@TheAutumnBlossom
I've been waiting for this to come back to YT for YEARS
@gonefishinglol04
it's about time this finally got uploaded