Ivory Layne is an artist, songwriter, and music producer based in Nashville… Read Full Bio ↴Ivory Layne is an artist, songwriter, and music producer based in Nashville, TN

Ivory Layne started songwriting at age six and by her teenage years had taught herself music production, working from her bedroom and posting demos online until she caught the attention of Grammy award-winning producer, Ed Cash (Dolly Parton, Amy Grant). The two wrote, produced, and released her first EP, Volume One.

The critical acclaim and industry buzz following Ivory’s debut EP led to her move to Music City to begin her professional songwriting career, joining a stellar cast of Nashville’s finest writers and producers in the studio (from Jimmy Robbins and Shane McAnally to Lori McKenna) and working with London based producer Liam Howe (Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, FKA Twigs, Tom Vek). Her sharpness in the writer's room in turn landed her two global ad campaigns, including one for prestigious jewellery house Swarovski and another for cable giant, HBO. It also gave her opportunities to collaborate with artists such as Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and Needtobreathe. While the likes of Matt Nathanson, Andy Grammar, Ben Rector, and The Script enlisted her to support them on tour.

At the start of 2021, Ivory released her much anticipated EP, Confetti with production duo Nick Atkinson and Edd Holloway (Lewis Capaldi, James Bay). Her single Lonely Hearts secured a highly coveted spot on BBC Radio 2’s A playlist. Displaying remarkable brilliance as well as inspiring vulnerability and candor on every new offering, rising powerhouse Ivory Layne is ready to leave her mark.

Disappointed
Ivory Layne Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

YALA
YALA

Go low, go slow
Run like a polo
A banana pole like you're
Climbing up a yoyo

Go low, go slow
Run like a polo
A banana pole like you're
Climbing up a yoyo

Yea yea, YALA
Yea yea, YALA

Bombs go off when I enter the building

YALA
YALA
YALA
YALA

I drink some Contreau keep it in my poncho
Light up like Castro
Blow up and get go

Pro when I set, go
Grow like an afro
Play like Ronaldo
Hard like I'm death row

Weight in kilo
Light as a pillow
Dance on my tip-toe
Like I tae-box though

Yeah we come, come, come
Yeah we come with some some
Get a glass of rum
With a gun and some pun pun
Oh fun, fun, fun
Let's get 'em undone
Take a hit on the bong
It's been so long since we hung

Go low, go slow
Run like a polo
A banana pole like you're
Climbing up a yoyo

Go low, go slow
Run like a polo
A banana pole like you're
Climbing up a yoyo

YALA
YALA

Anti war war
M.I.A. underscore
I get the law law
Searching for me on tour

Bankin' offshore
Take a trip to Singapore
I need to earn like
I'm Julianne Moore

For the hour poor
Don't wanna ignore
That's why I say shit
So they can explore

My baby, I amore
My mommy I adore
I tried to stay pure
Can't take it anymore

Come, come, come
When we coming some some
Yea a glass around
Yea I got me some pom pom
Fun fun fun
Yea it's getting undone
We've been here, we move on
It's been so long since we hung

Go low, go slow
Run like a polo
A banana pole like you're
Climbing up a yoyo

Go low, go slow
Run like a polo
A banana pole like you're
Climbing up a yoyo

Yea yea yea, go
Yea yea yea, go
Bombs go off when I enter the building

YALA
YALA
YALA

I'm rolling solo
You can't take a photo
I'mma keep it raw raw

I'm rolling solo
You can't take a photo
I'mma keep it raw raw

YALA
YALA

Yeah we come, come, come
Yeah we come with some some
Get a glass of rum
With a gun and some pun pun
Oh fun, fun, fun
Let's get 'em undone
Take a hit on the bong
It's been so long since we hung

YOLO?
I don't even know anymore
What that even mean though
If you only live once why we keep doing the same shit?
Back home where I come from, we keep being born

Again and again and then again and again
That's why they invented karma

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ivory Layne's song "Disappointed" carry a haunting quality with its repetitive phrases and vocalizations that build over time as if to mirror rising tension. The use of YALA, a playful acronym for "You Always Live Again," contrasts with the song's darker themes of death, war, and destruction. The use of the term "YALA" reflects attitudes on mortality from a younger generation's perspective.

The first verse talks about moving slowly, deliberately, like climbing a yo-yo held low, like a polo player. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the idea of pacing oneself in a crisis, taking measured steps to move forward where necessary. The second verse is darker, introducing the imagery of bombs exploding as the singer enters an empty building, possibly contemplating an act of terrorism or sabotage. Here the pacing becomes quicker, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

The third verse introduces a different atmosphere. The singer adopts a more confident tone with lines like "rolling solo" and "keeping it raw raw." Yet the repeated use of "YALA" in each chorus interlude belies a sense of fatalism or acceptance of the cyclical nature of life and death.

Overall, the song's lyrics create a sense of foreboding, of things coming apart and needing to be reassembled piece by piece. The repetition of key phrases produces a hypnotic effect, with the music underpinning these themes with a pulsing beat and driving rhythm.

Line by Line Meaning

Go low, go slow
Take it easy and don't rush

Run like a polo
Move steadily and elegantly

A banana pole like you're Climbing up a yoyo
Handle a difficult task with a sense of balance

Bombs go off when I enter the building
I have an explosive and impactful presence

I drink some Contreau keep it in my poncho
I have a hidden love for exotic pleasures

Light up like Castro
Radiate charisma and charm

Blow up and get go
I have an unstoppable, explosive energy

Pro when I set, go
I am a professional and efficient with my work

Grow like an afro
I am constantly evolving and expanding

Play like Ronaldo
I am skilled and strategic

Hard like I'm death row
I am tough and unyielding

Weight in kilo
My power is substantial and significant

Light as a pillow
I have a soft and gentle side

Dance on my tip-toe
I move gracefully and effortlessly

Like I tae-box though
I am disciplined and focused

Anti war war
I am against destructive conflict

M.I.A. underscore
I am inspired by the artist M.I.A. who fights social issues

I get the law law
I understand how to handle legal matters

Searching for me on tour
I am constantly on the move and hard to get a hold of

Bankin' offshore
I am financially savvy

Take a trip to Singapore
I enjoy traveling to exotic and interesting places

I need to earn like I'm Julianne Moore
I have high standards and expectations for myself

For the hour poor
I struggle with time management

Don't wanna ignore
I don't want to overlook important matters

That's why I say shit So they can explore
I speak my mind and express my ideas to stimulate thought

My baby, I amore
I love my significant other deeply

My mommy I adore
I have great affection for my mother

I tried to stay pure Can't take it anymore
I have tried to maintain my innocence but have given in to temptation

YOLO?
I question the meaning and value of the phrase 'You Only Live Once'

I don't even know anymore
I have lost touch with what is important and meaningful in life

What that even mean though
I don't understand the significance of certain popular phrases

If you only live once why we keep doing the same shit?
I question why people repeat the same habits and actions

Back home where I come from, we keep being born Again and again and then again and again
I come from a culture where the cycle of life and rebirth is prominent

That's why they invented karma
The concept of karma was created to promote good deeds and balance in life

YALA
You Always Live Again

Contributed by Ava J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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