Christopher Edwin Breaux, professionally known as Frank Ocean is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Christopher Edwin Breaux, professionally known as Frank Ocean is an American singer/songwriter and member of the gleefully hedonistic hip-hop collective OFWGKTA. He was born on October 28, 1987 and lived in Long Beach, California. He has helped pen tracks for Justin Bieber, John Legend, Brandy, and Beyoncé over the last few years. In 2011, Ocean released his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, for free via his Tumblr.

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.

Together
Frank Ocean Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh we’re in this together
Have a little faith
Oh you ought to know who you are
Oh we’re all children
We’re all human, we’re all breathing
We’re all needing, more than, what their giving
Can’t you feel it?
The space of what’s missing

(Bridge)
You look up and they tell you it’s a godless sky, a godless sky
So you look down
Cause you’ve convinced yourself
That this is all you’ve got, all you’ve got

(Chorus)
But picture four billion hearts beating with yours, with ours
Picture four billion faces held high for love
If there’s one thing about this world I know
It’s that we’re in it, together
You’re not alone, I’m not alone
If there’s one thing about this world I know
We’re together, we’re together

I love you
And I don’t know you
But I know the light in you
Is the same as in me
I trust you, like a brother
Cause who could understand the pain
Better than someone who’s going through it

(Bridge)
You look up and they tell you it’s a godless sky, a godless sky
But don’t you look down
Don’t you convince yourself
That this is all you’ve got, all you’ve got

(Chorus)
Just picture four billion hearts beating with you, with ours
Picture four billion faces that high for love
If there’s one thing about this world I know
It’s that we’re in it, together
You’re not alone, I’m not alone
If there’s one thing about this world I know
We’re together

I’ve searched the souls of my people
For something to believe in
Oh not words that I could say
But I heard them, I heard them

(Chorus)
Just picture four billion hearts beating with you, with ours
Picture four billion faces that high for love
If there’s one thing about this world I know
It’s that we’re in it, together
You’re not alone, I’m not alone

If there’s one thing about this world I know
We’re together

Overall Meaning

Frank Ocean’s “Together” is a song about unity, the similarities that exist among people regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background. The song’s opening line, “Oh, we’re in this together, have a little faith” sets the tone for what's to come. He then reflects on the fact that despite our differences, we're all human beings, we're all living and breathing creatures that need more than what society is giving us. He urges listeners to recognize this and "feel the space of what’s missing" and to understand that we are all part of a larger human family.

In the first bridge, Ocean explains that it's easy to look up and see the sky as a godless space and to feel lost, but he recommends not giving up or thinking that this is all there is, the only world you’ve got. In the second verse, the artist shares that he loves his listeners, even though he doesn't know them personally, but he understands that they have the light of humanity within them, which is the same as the light in him. We should trust one another as brothers, he insists, through times of hardship, as we understand each other's pain better than anyone else ever could. Finally, Ocean wraps up the song with a final chorus, accented with the line, “I’ve searched the souls of my people, for something to believe in, oh not words that I could say but I heard them, I heard them”, ultimately underscoring the resilient hope and positivity that still exists despite the great many struggles that people may encounter on this shared journey.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh we’re in this together
We are all in this life together and we should support each other and work together.

Have a little faith
Believe in something or someone, and have hope for better things to come.

Oh you ought to know who you are
Understand your own identity and be true to yourself.

Oh we’re all children
We are all inexperienced and learning as we go through life, and should be gentle with each other.

We’re all human, we’re all breathing
We all share the same basic humanity and deserve respect and empathy.

We’re all needing, more than, what their giving
Many people are struggling and need more support than they are currently receiving.

Can’t you feel it?
Isn't it obvious that there is a sense of interconnectedness among all people that we should acknowledge and act on?

The space of what’s missing
There is something lacking in our lives that we need to fill, perhaps through connection with others.

You look up and they tell you it’s a godless sky, a godless sky
Others may try to tell you that there is no hope or meaning in the world, leaving you feeling lost and alone.

So you look down
You may feel like there is nothing ahead of you, and so you focus on the ground beneath your feet.

Cause you’ve convinced yourself That this is all you’ve got, all you’ve got
You have resigned yourself to believing that your current circumstances are all that you have to work with, and that there is no hope for improvement.

But picture four billion hearts beating with yours, with ours
Imagine the collective strength and love that could be harnessed if we all worked together towards a common goal.

Picture four billion faces held high for love
Imagine the power of love and hope that could be felt if every person looked up and saw love in the faces of those around them.

I love you
Expressing a feeling of love to all people, not just those he knows individually.

And I don’t know you But I know the light in you Is the same as in me
Even though we are strangers to each other, we share the same basic humanity and deserve love and respect.

I trust you, like a brother Cause who could understand the pain Better than someone who’s going through it
We should trust and support each other because we can empathize with each other's struggles and pain.

I’ve searched the souls of my people For something to believe in Oh not words that I could say But I heard them, I heard them
The singer has looked within his community and heard the yearning for connection and hope that is expressed through actions as well as words.

If there’s one thing about this world I know It’s that we’re in it, together You’re not alone, I’m not alone
The most important thing to understand about life is that we are all in it together and should support each other through our struggles.

If there’s one thing about this world I know We’re together, we’re together
The sense of community and interconnectedness among all people is a truth that the singer believes in and wants to share with others.

Contributed by Liliana S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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