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.
Voodoo
Frank Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're telling boulder heavy lies
Looks like all we've got is each other
The truth is obsolete
Remember when all I had was my mother
She didn't compromise
She could recognize
Our daughters and our sons
Don't let him see divide
Don't you let her see divide
She's got the whole wide world in her juicy fruit
He's got the whole wide world in his pants
He wrapped the whole wide world in a wedding band
Then put the whole wide world on her hands
She's got the whole wide world in her hands
He's got the whole wide world in his hands
In Frank Ocean's song Voodoo, the opening lyrics immediately set a heavy and uncertain tone. The phrase "Darker times" suggests that things are not going well and there is a sense of foreboding. The next line "They're telling boulder heavy lies" implies that there is something insidious happening and truth is being hidden. This is followed by the line "Looks like all we've got is each other", which is a poignant reminder that in tough times, all we can rely on is each other. The truth is no longer relevant, as "the truth is obsolete".
The next few lines show a personal connection. Frank Ocean recalls a time when all he had was his mother who did not compromise and could recognize the value of their children. He describes them as "just candles in the sun", which highlights how easily life can be snuffed out by the world's problems. The final two lines of the first verse are a plea to not let "him" or "her" see division, which could be interpreted as a call to unite and not be torn apart by external influences.
The second verse is more abstract and almost surreal. The first line describes a woman who has "the whole wide world in her juicy fruit", which could be seen as a metaphor for someone who is holding the world close to their heart or within their grasp. The second line describes a man who has "the whole wide world in his pants", which could be interpreted in a sexual or power-related way. The final three lines describe the man wrapping the world in a wedding band and putting it on the woman's hand, which suggests a commitment or promise to share the world together. The repetition of the lines "She's got the whole wide world in her hands, He's got the whole wide world in his hands" could be seen as a reminder that we are all responsible for the world we live in and each of us has the power to shape it.
Line by Line Meaning
Darker times
Difficult times
They're telling boulder heavy lies
People are telling big, unfounded lies
Looks like all we've got is each other
It seems that we only have each other to rely on
The truth is obsolete
The truth doesn't seem to matter anymore
Remember when all I had was my mother
I recall a time when my mother was all I had
She didn't compromise
She never gave up her values or beliefs
She could recognize
She could see clearly
Our daughters and our sons
Our children
Are just candles in the sun
Our children are small and insignificant in the grand scheme
Don't let him see divide
Don't let him see the separation between us
Don't you let her see divide
Don't let her see the division between us
She's got the whole wide world in her juicy fruit
She has the entire world in the palm of her hand, like a juicy piece of fruit
He's got the whole wide world in his pants
He has control over the entire world, symbolized by his pants
He wrapped the whole wide world in a wedding band
He made a commitment to the entire world, symbolized by a wedding band
Then put the whole wide world on her hands
He gave control of the entire world to her, symbolized by putting it in her hands
She's got the whole wide world in her hands
She now has control over the entire world
He's got the whole wide world in his hands
He still has control over the entire world
Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cahya9765
Darker times
They're telling boulder-heavy lies
Looks like all we've got is each other
The truth is obsolete
Remember when all I had was my mother
She didn't compromise
She could recognize
Voodoo
Our daughters and our sons
Are just candles in the sun
Voodoo
Don't let him see divide, hmm
Don't you let her see divide
Voodoo
[Chorus]
She's got the whole wide world in her juicy fruit
He's got the whole wide world in his pants
He wrapped the whole wide world in a wedding band
Then put the whole wide world on her hands
She's got the whole wide world in her hands
He's got the whole wide world in his hands, in his hands
@echo7188
Darker times
They're telling boulder heavy lies
Looks like all we've got is each other
The truth is obsolete
Remember when all I had was my mother
She didn't compromise
She could recognize, voodoo
Our daughters and our sons
Are just candles in the sun, voodoo
Don't let him see divide, hm
Don't you let her see divide, voodoo
She's got the whole wide world in her juicy fruit
He's got the whole wide world in his pants
He wrapped the whole wide world in a wedding band
And put the whole wide world on her hands
She's got the whole wide world in her hands
He's got the whole wide world in his hands, in his hands
@rezcellent
she’s got the whole wide world in her hands
@barry4649
*he’s. She’s got it in her juicy fruit
@rainyyy02
he’s got the whole wide world in his pants
@olivergreenwood7313
She’s got the whole wide world in her juicy fruit
@ROLVe
he wrapped the whole wide world in a wedding band
@kyle5025
@@ROLVeHe put the whole wide world in her hands
@khiddtank
you don't listen to frank ocean, you feel him.
@rykardo1203
Pause
@jennelynregis9194
@@rykardo1203 Pause
@olivergreenwood7313
Pause