J recently teamed up with hit producers Phantom Boyz (Alexandra Burke “Bad Boys” Christina Aguilara “The Beautiful People”) and has since released his 3rd independent original album “Phantom Boyz Presents: J Rice”. He has grown on YouTube to over 165,000 subscribers and over 26,000,000 views. J is now working on producing and writing his own material for his 4th album along with writing and producing for other artists.His new album will be released in early 2013 by Omega Music Group/JCM Music Group INgrooves/Fontana.
Grenade
J Rice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's just how you live, oh
Take, take, take it all
But you never give
Should've known you was trouble
From the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open
Why were they open?
[Pre-Chorus:]
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is...
[Chorus:]
I'd catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same
No, no, no, no
Black, black, black and blue
Beat me 'til I'm numb
Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman
That's just what you are
Yeah, you smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car
[Pre-Chorus:]
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, yes you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is...
[Chorus:]
I'd catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on the blade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same
[Bridge:]
If my body was on fire
Oh, you would watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me, you're a liar
'Cause you never ever ever did, baby
[Chorus:]
But, darling, I'd still catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on the blade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same
No, you won't do the same
You wouldn't do the same
Oh, you'd never do the same
Oh, no no no
The lyrics of J Rice's "Grenade" are a passionate declaration of love gone wrong. The opening lines of "easy come, easy go, that's just how you live" suggest that the singer was aware of his partner's insincerity from the beginning, but he chose to overlook it, blinded by his love. He gave everything to his partner, but it was all for naught, as she never reciprocated his feelings. The pre-chorus makes it clear that he gave her all he had, but she tossed it aside like garbage, leaving him broken-hearted and alone.
The chorus is where the intensity ratchets up, and the singer declares just how far he would go for his partner, even if she wouldn't do the same for him. He would catch a grenade for her, throw his hand on a blade for her, and jump in front of a train for her. He would go through all the pain and even take a bullet through his brain. The imagery is intense and visceral, conveying just how deeply the singer cares for his partner, and how far he is willing to go for her.
The bridge changes the tone slightly, as the singer acknowledges that his partner doesn't feel the same way. He accuses her of being a liar, who would watch him burn rather than help him. Despite this, the chorus repeats one last time, as the singer's love is so all-encompassing that he would still do anything for her, even though she would never do the same in return.
Overall, "Grenade" is a powerful commentary on the nature of love and the lengths people will go to for the ones they care about. It also speaks to the self-destructive tendencies that can arise when love is not returned, as well as the disparity between how two people feel about each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Easy come, easy go
You accept things easily, both good and bad.
That's just how you live, oh
Your way of life is to accept things as they come without much resistance.
Take, take, take it all
You constantly take or receive things from others without giving back.
But you never give
You don't share or give back to those who've given to you.
Should've known you was trouble
From the moment they first met, the singer should have realized that the person in question was going to cause problems.
From the first kiss
The singer should have known that the person was going to be troublesome from the moment they shared their first kiss.
Had your eyes wide open
The person displayed signs of trouble from the beginning.
Why were they open?
The singer questions why the other person wasn't hiding their true nature.
Gave you all I had
The singer gave their all to the other person.
And you tossed it in the trash
The other person didn't appreciate what the singer gave them and threw it away.
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
The only thing the singer wanted in return was love from the other person.
'Cause what you don't understand is...
There's something the other person can't seem to grasp or comprehend.
I'd catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
The singer is willing to sacrifice themselves for the other person.
Throw my hand on a blade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
The singer is willing to harm themselves for the other person.
I'd jump in front of a train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
The singer is willing to put their life on the line for the other person.
You know I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
The other person should be aware of the extent of the singer's love for them and the lengths they are willing to go to for them.
Oh, I would go through all this pain
The singer is willing to endure any pain for the other person.
Take a bullet straight through my brain
The singer is willing to die for the other person.
Yes, I would die for you, baby
The singer would give up their own life for the other person.
But you won't do the same
The other person doesn't feel the same level of love and wouldn't do the same for the singer.
Black, black, black and blue
The singer has been physically abused or hurt by the other person.
Beat me 'til I'm numb
The other person hurts the singer so badly that they become numb.
Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from
The other person is so evil that the singer believes they'll end up in hell.
Mad woman, bad woman
The other person is emotionally unstable and does bad things.
That's just what you are
The singer is accusing the other person of being a bad woman.
Yeah, you smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car
The other person pretends to be nice but causes harm or destruction.
But, darling, I'd still catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Despite everything, the singer is still willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the other person.
No, you won't do the same
The other person isn't capable of loving the singer as much as they love them.
You wouldn't do the same
If the roles were reversed, the other person wouldn't make the same sacrifices for the singer.
Oh, you'd never do the same
The other person doesn't have the same capacity for love and sacrifice as the singer does.
Oh, no no no
The entire situation is problematic and painful, as confirmed by the repeated use of the word 'no.'
Contributed by Annabelle J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mina Boules
Great job buddy :) I'm a musician as well, and I'm telling you from a musical standpoint in my opinion, that you really have an awesome, authentic voice....it's not easy to cover such a great song so well! Keep it up man...peace.
Jingely
so far this is the best cover :)) not just the singing, it's the whole thing - the beats, the extra piano melody behind; the vocal accompaniment.. your style. love it, very original!
peludomolina
So far, out of all the different covers of this song, yours is my favorite because your voice tone is lower than Bruno's and it makes your interpretation more original. Keep it up, you are an excellent singer.
leanne jackson
this is incredible,you have so much passion and emotion when you sing.totally mesmorizing!!!!!!
Noor Shirazie
The chorus gave me goosebumps. This song is perfect for your vocal range :)
Laura Broad: Coyote Vocalist
This was beautiful- I love how much effort you put into your videos x
MOTat18
Awesome voice, awesome range, awesome lyrics so your singing and look just add to it. I especially like that you're away from the 'booth' for a change. Ace, dude.
Jeremy Chin
Amazing as always! What do you use to produce your instrumentals? Do you recommend one for a beginner (for PC)?
peludomolina
Awesome!!! This is an excellent interpretation. But, I wouldn't compare it with Bruno's. Since Bruno wrote this song, he sings with heart and it makes a big difference to all other interpretations.
Venus Kiddo
I love the editing and your vocal work in this one very much!