Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially in the case of fiery Philadelphia chanteuse Jaguar Wright. As notorious for her impassioned, spine-tingling vibrato as she is for her show-stealing performance at Jay-Z's 1999 MTV Unplugged concert with The Roots, Jaguar is the quintessential soul maven. Her sophomore album, Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul, is appropriately titled because it not only rids her of the dreaded cloak of the manufactured category neo-soul, but represents her musical and personal emancipation. "I am truly divorcing everything from before to start fresh and new," says Jaguar, a married mother of two. "The title lets everyone know I'm divorcing the hype to marry the real. I don't sell anything else but me, or what I believe in or feel. I am finally free to do me, free to do my work."
As such a profound talent, it's hard to fathom that the world may never have received Jaguar's gift of song. Reared in the church, Jaguar's staunchly religious parents did not initially support their daughter's dream of becoming a "secular" singer. But the R&B dynamo knew she had tapped into something powerful when she managed to convert the most unlikely of converts - her teacher mom and drug counsellor father. "My parents wanted me to take the more traditional route...by becoming a litigator, doctor or a practitioner; a professor or a psychologist," says Jaguar. "My father hated that I was singing. It drove him insane, and now he is biggest fan because I earned his respect. I proved that this is not a dream, this was not a fantasy-- this is my life. Singing was my destiny, even before I was born."
Jaguar believes her songwriting skills are innate. "From the second you start hearing and articulating sounds and phonics, everything is influencing you," she says. To that end, many of her sonic influences have come from her diverse musical tastes which span decades of song. Those inspirations include Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Etta James, Sarah Vaughn, Van Halen, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), The Doors, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, among others.
I Don't Know
Jaguar Wright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time you hurt me I don't know
Why I can't throw your clothes out the window
Every time I try to be strong and let you go
You start talking sweet to me like I was you ho
Tell me baby what you want with me, doing this to just embarrass me
Tell me who think you pimping boy when I'm the only one who brings you joy
Never ask you for a fucking thing, and you gave that bitch my diamond ring
I don't know why I try, to believe all your lies
Every time using me, why I act like you playing big deez
Why I still understand, you got more kids than you said you had man
Every time a new girl pops up, I guess I don't give enough
Every time you hurt me I don't know
Why I can't throw your clothes out the window
Every time I try to be strong and let you go
You start talking sweet to me like I was you ho
Tell me baby what you want from me, do you just want to embarrass me
Tell me why I let you steal my
You don't know how bad it hurts me, when my niggaz laugh at me
I don't know what's keeping me but the sex ain't as good as it use to be so
I don't know why I still pay your bail and you deserve to be there
And every time that your?re broke, I pay you money just to leave me alone
Why I don't understand that you ain't no kind of man
Giving me grabbing my clothes, I guess I don't get enough
Every time you hurt me I don't know
Why I can't throw your clothes out the window
Every time I try to be strong and let you go
You start talking sweet to me like I was your ho
Rap (Black Thought)
In Jaguar Wright's song "I Don't Know," she expresses her confusion and frustration with a toxic relationship. Despite being hurt repeatedly, she finds herself unable to let go of her partner, represented by their clothes that she can't bring herself to throw out the window. Whenever she tries to be strong and leave, her partner sweet talks her back, leaving her feeling used and confused. She questions her partner's intentions and wonders why she continues to put up with his lies and cheating. She also expresses her hurt at being laughed at by her friends and the embarrassment of being taken advantage of by someone who doesn't truly love her. Despite her feelings of confusion and pain, she can't seem to escape the hold her partner has on her.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
The singer is emphasizing her frustration and anger through repetition.
Every time you hurt me I don't know
The singer is confused by her partner's actions and does not understand why she keeps getting hurt.
Why I can't throw your clothes out the window
The singer is frustrated that she cannot rid herself of her partner's possessions as easily as she wants to.
Every time I try to be strong and let you go
The singer attempts to resist her partner's advances, but eventually weakens and gives in.
You start talking sweet to me like I was you ho
The singer's partner manipulates her by saying things that make her feel special, even though he is using her for his own benefit.
Tell me baby what you want with me, doing this to just embarrass me
The singer is wondering why her partner keeps hurting her and making her look foolish in front of others.
Tell me who think you pimping boy when I'm the only one who brings you joy
The singer challenges her partner's authority by reminding him that she is the only one who truly cares for him.
And I'm the one who keeps you stash, never make you spend the money you flash
The singer is financially supporting her partner and allowing him to maintain a lavish lifestyle without having to work for it.
Never ask you for a fucking thing, and you gave that bitch my diamond ring
The singer has been extremely generous to her partner but still feels betrayed when she finds out that he gave her belongings to another woman.
I don't know why I try, to believe all your lies
The singer admits that she has been in denial about her partner's untruthfulness, even though she knows he is not being honest with her.
Every time using me, why I act like you playing big deez
The singer realizes that her partner is taking advantage of her, but she still acts as if she has control of the situation.
Why I still understand, you got more kids than you said you had man
The singer acknowledges that her partner has lied about his family and fathered more children than he has revealed.
Every time a new girl pops up, I guess I don't give enough
The singer knows that her partner is constantly seeing other women because she is unable to satisfy him completely.
Tell me baby what you want from me, do you just want to embarrass me
The singer questions her partner's motives and wonders if he is trying to humiliate her deliberately.
Tell me why I let you steal my heart
The singer questions why she was vulnerable enough to allow her partner to take advantage of her emotions.
You don't know how bad it hurts me, when my niggaz laugh at me
The singer is embarrassed when her friends make fun of her for putting up with her partner's behavior.
I don't know what's keeping me but the sex ain't as good as it use to be so
The singer admits that their physical connection is not what it used to be, but she is still unable to let go of her partner.
I don't know why I still pay your bail and you deserve to be there
The singer is confused as to why she is still supporting her partner financially even though he deserves to be punished for his actions.
And every time that your?re broke, I pay you money just to leave me alone
The singer knows that her partner only comes to her when he needs money, but she still pays him to go away because she cannot resist his charm.
Why I don't understand that you ain't no kind of man
The singer finally recognizes that her partner is not a good person and does not deserve her love or loyalty.
Giving me grabbing my clothes, I guess I don't get enough
The singer's partner physically intimidates her as a way to assert his control over her.
Every time you hurt me I don't know
The singer is still confused as to why her partner continues to hurt her.
Why I can't throw your clothes out the window
The singer is still struggling to let go of her partner's possessions as a symbol of their relationship.
Every time I try to be strong and let you go
The singer wants to break free from her partner, but she is weak when he turns on the charm and convinces her to stay.
You start talking sweet to me like I was your ho
The singer's partner manipulates her by saying things that make her feel special, even though he is only using her for his own benefit.
Rap (Black Thought)
This line signifies the start of Black Thought's rap verse.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CECILE CHARLTON, CORDEL BURRELL, CRAIG PARKES, P. WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind