The end of 2008 saw Grieves enlisting the help of friend and collaborator Budo to co-produce Together/Apart bringing his signature swiss-army knife, multi-instrumental backdrop to Grieves' hauntingly poignant narrative. The album began taking shape in New York as the two built off the success 88 Keys and Counting had generated and paired it with the intensity they developed from their live performances. The recording process began to shadow the theme of the album as it saw tracks recorded in Colorado and Washington in addition to New York, infusing it with a mixture of regional influences while still maintaining a cohesive sound. As the album neared completion the title took on a double meaning for Grieves as he explored new subject matter in the absence of trust, refuge in addiction, acceptance and honesty in self-reflection, and trying to find his place in the world without forgetting his roots.
If Luck Was A Lady
Grieves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but right now at this point in time, i'm feeling discarded
As the sun hits the shades, and tiger strikes my nightmares
I'm finding all the feelings I've been searching for, alright
here in the moment, look into my soul
break that boundary that's empounding me to forfeit what I hold, and move past it
I keep my dreams wrapped in plastic
retrack my past steps to catch it with my last breath
to feel the things I touch and wipe the blood off of my life
cause it's all broken bones here, open wounds that don't heal
chokin on my own fears, drowning in my own tears
Human; and that's the way that I remain
fuck fighting my beliefs and limiting what I should say
fuck standing with my arms out, hoping I'll be saved
and fuck screaming at myself tying to make it through the day
I write life down, and it's coherent when I speak
raise the hairs up off the back and the neck like a static cling, go
I said if luck was a lady, she'd never let me buy that drink
the tongue slipping in my eyes won't blink, and if your
God was a woman, her boyfriend would beat her kids
now I got more scars than teenagers' wrists, and if the
time was my father, he'd missed all of my birthdays
drinking with his friends and now it's hurting in the worst way
and, I can say it just the way that i know
they say the pain sticks with you, i'm training to let it go
So, hold onto this one, and save it for your bad days
open up that passion in my words to make the glass break
and, I don't know if my written words can affect you
but listen to my heart and every single breath I stess through
Come on! This is not a note to hip hop
all i'm trying to do is make that quiver on my lip stop
and, chase out the bad scent
purpose thinks he's got me figured toward science now and I ain't even ass-checked
tell, meet the treading water champion
the other side of happiness, the most that y'all are standing in
raise up, and try to capture the trust
cause I move with all my passions and extract what I must
and I move with all my people and I act when I must
to take a con-honored stab at them, peeling the rust
now despite all of my efforts, I'll always play the low
now, if something in this catches you, you best to let it show
I said if luck was a lady, she'd never let me buy that drink
the tongue slipping in my eyes won't blink, and if your
God was a woman, her boyfriend would beat her kids
now I got more scars than teenagers' wrists, and if the
time was my father, he'd missed all of my birthdays
drinking with his friends and now it's hurting in the worst way
and, I can say it just the way that i know
they say the pain sticks with you, i'm training to let it go
The lyrics to "If Luck Was A Lady" by Grieves are a powerful expression of pain, abandonment, and struggle with the past. The song presents the artist's personal struggles of trying to break free from past traumas and upsetting events. Grieves paints vivid imagery in his lyrics through the use of metaphor, such as "if luck was a lady, she'd never let me buy that drink, the tongue slipping in my eyes won't blink". The tongue slipping in his eyes signifies that the pain of the past is still too fresh, too close, and too painful to look away from.
The artist touches on a range of topics, from the difficulty of moving past one's own fears and self-doubts to the consequences of imperfect parental figures. The line "now I got more scars than teenagers' wrists" demonstrates the magnitude of the pain that he is dealing with while also alluding to the self-harm struggles many teenagers face. Throughout the song, Grieves is urging listeners to embrace the uncomfortably painful memories, rather than running away from them, truly feeling them instead of keeping them wrapped up in plastic.
Line by Line Meaning
They say that if it bleeds it's alive, and God created all of us
The common saying is that if something bleeds, it's alive, and we were all created by God
but right now at this point in time, i'm feeling discarded
However, currently, I feel unworthy and neglected
As the sun hits the shades, and tiger strikes my nightmares
As the sun rises and shines through the window blinds, my nightmares and fears have a strong hold on me
I'm finding all the feelings I've been searching for, alright
In this moment, I am discovering the emotions I have been seeking
here in the moment, look into my soul
In the present moment, I invite you to see inside my soul
break that boundary that's empounding me to forfeit what I hold, and move past it
Please help me overcome the barrier that is preventing me from letting go and moving on
I keep my dreams wrapped in plastic
I protect my dreams by keeping them safe and untouched
retrack my past steps to catch it with my last breath
I revisited my past decisions, hoping to correct them before it's too late
so, who wants to know what it's like,
Who is interested to learn what it feels like
to feel the things I touch and wipe the blood off of my life
To experience the pain of my struggles and erase the permanent scars they have left on me
cause it's all broken bones here, open wounds that don't heal
My life is full of fractures and unhealed wounds
chokin on my own fears, drowning in my own tears
I am suffocated by my fears and overwhelmed by my emotions
Human; and that's the way that I remain
I am just a human and will always stay that way
fuck fighting my beliefs and limiting what I should say
I will not restrain myself from expressing my opinions and sticking to my values
fuck standing with my arms out, hoping I'll be saved
I will not wait for someone else to rescue me
and fuck screaming at myself trying to make it through the day
I refuse to spend my day screaming at myself, trying to find a way out
I write life down, and it's coherent when I speak
When I write about life, it makes sense and is easy to understand
raise the hairs up off the back and the neck like a static cling, go
I want to evoke strong emotions with my writing, and make the hairs on your neck stand up in excitement
I said if luck was a lady, she'd never let me buy that drink
If luck was on my side, I wouldn't need to buy myself a drink
the tongue slipping in my eyes won't blink, and if your
My eyes are filled with tears, making it impossible for my tongue to move
God was a woman, her boyfriend would beat her kids
If God was a woman, her partner would be abusive to her children
now I got more scars than teenagers' wrists, and if the
Now I have more scars than a teenager's wrists, and if time was a person, they would have missed all my birthdays
time was my father, he'd missed all of my birthdays
If time were my father, he would have missed every one of my birthdays
drinking with his friends and now it's hurting in the worst way
He would have gone drinking with his friends, and I would have been left feeling hurt and neglected
and, I can say it just the way that i know
I am speaking truthfully and openly, the best way I know how
they say the pain sticks with you, i'm training to let it go
People say that the pain you experience stays with you, but I am trying to let it go and move on
So, hold onto this one, and save it for your bad days
Save this message for when you are not feeling your best
open up that passion in my words to make the glass break
Let the passion in my words break down any walls you may have put up
and, I don't know if my written words can affect you
I am unsure if my message can impact you
but listen to my heart and every single breath I stess through
Please hear the emotions in my words and understand how much they mean to me
Come on! This is not a note to hip hop
This is not just a message to the music world
all i'm trying to do is make that quiver on my lip stop
I am just trying to stop the trembling of my lip, which shows my vulnerability
and, chase out the bad scent
I want to rid myself of negative energy
purpose thinks he's got me figured toward science now and I ain't even ass-checked
Some people think they know what I should be doing in life, but I have not even considered their opinions
tell, meet the treading water champion
Allow me to introduce myself as someone who is barely staying afloat in life
the other side of happiness, the most that y'all are standing in
I am on the other side of happiness, where most people cannot relate or understand
raise up, and try to capture the trust
Rise up and attempt to gain the trust of those around you
cause I move with all my passions and extract what I must
I act with all my desires and take what is necessary
and I move with all my people and I act when I must
I move with my community and take action when it is required
to take a con-honored stab at them, peeling the rust
To take a successful jab at my opponents and overcome their challenges
now despite all of my efforts, I'll always play the low
Despite my endeavors, I will always feel inferior and small
now, if something in this catches you, you best to let it show
If my message resonates with you, I encourage you to express it openly and honestly
Contributed by Lillian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.