Paul's 2007 demo "BTSTU" received widespread blog coverage throughout 2010, and has been played on UK national radio by DJs including Gilles Peterson, Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw, Reggie Yates and Fearne Cotton.
In December 2010, Paul was longlisted for the BBC Sound of 2011 poll.
"BTSTU (Edit)" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 following its release as a digital download on April 21, 2011, via XL. The single received favourable reviews, and was made 'Hottest Record in the World' on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show.
On May 20, 2011, Canadian hip hop artist Drake leaked a track titled "Dreams Money Can Buy" via his blog. Shortly afterward, "Till The End Of Time", a song by American R&B artist Beyoncé surfaced online. Both tracks feature a sample of Paul's "BTSTU" demo. On August 30, 2011, "BTSTU (Edit)" was included on Radio Nova's "Nova Tunes 2.4" compilation in France, and on October 25 of the same year the track appeared on "Annie Mac Presents 2011" in the UK (listed as "BTSU").
On March 30, 2012, Jai Paul uploaded a new demo titled "Jasmine (Demo)" to his SoundCloud page. The demo was given an official release via XL on April 9, 2012. Pitchfork named it “Best New Track” within an hour of its appearance on Paul’s Soundcloud page, where it clocked over 500,000 plays within a month. On April 2, "Jasmine (Demo)" was played on BBC Radio One by Zane Lowe, who chose it as his Next Hype Track. On April 9, Annie Mac named it her Record of the Week. "Jasmine (Demo)" received universal critical acclaim in the media, with The New York Times praising its “Prince era sensuality” and The Guardian simply describing the production as “amazing.”
There has been media speculation about Paul's background and motivation, as he has remained out of the public eye. The British publication Clash commented on Jai’s mysteriousness, saying “Hype is a fascinating commodity. Where some quickly melt down the attention for liquid purpose, promising talent Jai Paul removed all his music from MySpace and went to get his shit together”. XL Recordings founder and owner Richard Russell acknowledged Paul's unpredictability, saying, "Jai is a wizard...the way he's going about things is, I think for many, baffling. But...he's going about things in the most Jai Paul way you could possibly go about things. And who knows where that may lead."
On April 14th, 2013, an unknown user leaked a number of his unfinished tracks on Bandcamp as a self-titled project. The leak is believed to have come a misplaced burned CD, according to Jai, himself. The music press would soon report on this release and would publicize the release as his debut album. Because of this, the album leak would end up on two year end lists by both The Guardian and Pitchfork, as the 28th and the 20th best album of 2013, respectably, as well Pitchfork's 2014 "The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far" list at 99. The music press would also call into account if the release was orchestrated by Jai and his record label, XL. The leak would deal a heavy blow to Jai personally, and following a City Of London police investigation into finding those reasonable for the leak and refunding the money from sales of the album from their PayPal accounts, Jai would find it hard to deal with those in the public and the media who believed his was the one behind the leak, and would be in his words, the main reason he felt a "loss of trust" and why he "withdrew from life in general" for a few years. In the meantime, Jai and his brother, A.K. Paul, would launch the Paul Institute in 2016, where he would work on the production for some of its single releases.
It wouldn't be until 2019 following "therapy of various kinds", that he felt it was time for him to return to music and officially release the unfinished music that was leaked 6 years earlier. On June 1st, 2019, Jai and XL Recordings would officially release the leaked album under the title "Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)" alongside the 'double B-side' "Do You Love Her Now" / "He". The release of the album also came with a letter from Jai in which he addressed the leak and his hiatus from music. Following its official release, the album would included in Pitchfork's "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s" list, as the 95th best album of the decade, and Jai provided miscellaneous production on Childish Gambino's song "Time" off his "3.15.20" album. Reissues of "BTSTU" and "Jasmine" on vinyl followed suit.
In 2023, the world was again shocked as Paul announced his intentions to debut his catalogue at Coachella. After his critically acclaimed set, "Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)" was released on vinyl for the first time. Paul followed suit with a number of band-backed live performances internationally, as well as supporting Paul Institute creative Fabiana Palladino on the 2023 single "I Care".
He
Jai Paul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He, he
He, he
He, he
He, he
Oh, we're in loving, in your loving arm
I think about the time, it's heavy on my mind still
Glowing in the dark is a mountain lion (he, he)
Because all I can think about is I've been there
Trying to make sense of it, to bring us there (he, he)
All this burden and the hell you made
There's something on the wind, the howling wind, ha
He, he
He, he
(Jeeze) he, he
He, he (ra)
Ohh, in, in the mind of you
You can be another swing in the line yeah
He risen from the dust
The spirit in the night
I'll be holding on to you (he, he), holding on for us
Because (he), all you can think about is I know you (he, he)
Trying to make sense of it, it's up to you (huh)
I can't shake this feeling that I belong here
The mind of the wind, the howling wind
Just as time has its way of becoming healing (he, he)
Now I found some way to trust, to give everything (huh)
(He, he) no one can fuck with me, by believing
Black rider on the wind, the howling wind
He is love, always
So go on check yourself and just go make a change
Ooh, his soul's travelling for the long road
Keep riding like the wind, the howling wind
He is love, always (he is love)
He is the one that I can be cool with
Let me shake this up, uh
The storm in the sky, gleaming in your eye (he, he)
You know times are changing, I will never leave, no
Storms are rising high, I'm blinded by the light
We can reconnect, rain hit the weatherman (he, he)
Child goes by, burning with desire
Staring rings of ire, spreading through the night, oh
Driving me to stay, rain won't say
A shadow of a doubt, who we need is now
A cigarette design, thrown through the line
Say you're letting go, every game that I know
Push on and on
The lyrics to Jai Paul’s “He” are evocative and dreamlike, blending imagery of nature with allusions to emotional pain and personal growth. The repeated refrain of “he, he” adds an enigmatic layer to the sparse lyrics, leading listeners to speculate about who or what the singer might be referencing. The opening lines describe a sense of safety and belonging in a lover’s arms, juxtaposed with the weight of past experiences that linger in the singer’s mind like a heavy burden. The line “glowing in the dark is a mountain lion” suggests a wild and untamed aspect of the singer’s own psyche, while the repeated phrase “he, he” might indicate an attempt to processing and communicating these complex emotions.
As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest a desire for change and growth. The lines “just as time has its way of becoming healing / now I found some way to trust, to give everything” suggest that the singer has been through a process of personal transformation and is now ready to meet the future with renewed energy and optimism. The image of a “black rider on the wind” adds a haunting quality to the lyrics, but the repeated declaration that “he is love, always” offers reassurance and hope.
Overall, the lyrics to “He” are poetic and abstract, encouraging listeners to interpret the imagery in their own way. The song offers a sense of emotional depth and complexity, while also inspiring a sense of resilience and perseverance in the face of life’s challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
He, he
Repetition of the word 'he' for emphasis
He, he
Repetition of the word 'he' for emphasis
He, he
Repetition of the word 'he' for emphasis
He, he
Repetition of the word 'he' for emphasis
Oh, we're in loving, in your loving arm
We are currently in a state of love, and I am in your arms
Honey, I belong to you, stay safe (he, he)
I belong to you and I want you to be safe, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
I think about the time, it's heavy on my mind still
I'm still thinking about the past and it weighs heavily on me
Glowing in the dark is a mountain lion (he, he)
There is a mountain lion that is glowing in the dark, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
Because all I can think about is I've been there
The only thing I can focus on is the fact that I have experienced a similar situation before
Trying to make sense of it, to bring us there (he, he)
I'm trying to understand and make sense of everything to help us get through this, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
All this burden and the hell you made
The burden and pain you caused
There's something on the wind, the howling wind, ha
There is a feeling in the air, represented by the howling wind sound with emphasis on 'ha'
Ohh, in, in the mind of you
In your mind
You can be another swing in the line yeah
You can become another part of the situation that we are in
He risen from the dust
He has arisen from the dust, potentially referring to a person or situation
The spirit in the night
The spirits that come out at night, potentially referring to ghosts or something spiritual
I'll be holding on to you (he, he), holding on for us
I will hold on to you, for the benefit of both of us with emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
Because (he), all you can think about is I know you (he, he)
Because of something that you are thinking, I know what you are thinking, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
Trying to make sense of it, it's up to you (huh)
It's up to you to try to make sense of everything, with emphasis on 'huh' for unknown reason
I can't shake this feeling that I belong here
I have a feeling of belonging here and it's difficult to ignore
The mind of the wind, the howling wind
The feeling represented by the sound of the wind
Just as time has its way of becoming healing (he, he)
Time heals all wounds, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
Now I found some way to trust, to give everything (huh)
I have found a way to trust and give my all, emphasis on 'huh' for unknown reason
(He, he) no one can fuck with me, by believing
For some reason, emphasizing 'he' again, and stating that no one can negatively affect me as long as I believe
Black rider on the wind, the howling wind
A potentially ominous or harmful being is represented by the sound of the wind
He is love, always
He represents love, and that love is always present
So go on check yourself and just go make a change
Check yourself and take actions to make a positive change
Ooh, his soul's travelling for the long road
His soul is travelling a long journey
Keep riding like the wind, the howling wind
Keep going and pushing forward, like the sound of the wind implies
He is love, always (he is love)
He represents love and that love is always present, emphasizing 'he' again
He is the one that I can be cool with
He is someone that I can be comfortable and relaxed with
Let me shake this up, uh
Let me change things up, with emphasis on 'uh'
The storm in the sky, gleaming in your eye (he, he)
There is a storm in the sky and it's reflected in your eyes, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
You know times are changing, I will never leave, no
You know that things are changing, but I will never abandon you
Storms are rising high, I'm blinded by the light
The intensity of the situation is making it difficult to see
We can reconnect, rain hit the weatherman (he, he)
We can come together again, and it will happen unexpectedly, emphasis on 'he' for unknown reason
Child goes by, burning with desire
Time is passing quickly, and I have a strong desire
Staring rings of ire, spreading through the night, oh
I'm feeling angry and it's spreading through the night, represented by the sound 'oh'
Driving me to stay, rain won't say
I'm feeling compelled to stay, even though the situation is uncertain
A shadow of a doubt, who we need is now
There is a nagging uncertainty about who we need in this situation
A cigarette design, thrown through the line
A design made by a cigarette thrown in a straight line
Say you're letting go, every game that I know
If you say that you're letting go, then everything that I know will change
Push on and on
Keep pushing forward and never stop
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jai Raj Paul
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@julioramirez5303
He, he
He, he
He, he
He, he
Oh, we're in loving, in your loving arm
Honey, I belong to you, stay safe (he, he)
I think about the time, it's heavy on my mind still
Glowing in the dark is a mountain lion (he, he)
Because all I can think about is I've been there
Trying to make sense of it, to bring us there (he, he)
All this burden and the hell you made
There's something on the wind, the howling wind, ha
He, he
He, he
(Jeeze) he, he
He, he (ra)
Ohh, in, in the mind of you
You can be another swing in the line yeah
He risen from the dust
The spirit in the night
I'll be holding on to you (he, he), holding on for us
Because (he), all you can think about is I know you (he, he)
Trying to make sense of it, it's up to you (huh)
I can't shake this feeling that I belong here
The mind of the wind, the howling wind
Just as time has its way of becoming healing (he, he)
Now I found some way to trust, to give everything (huh)
(He, he) no one can fuck with me, by believing
Black rider on the wind, the howling wind
He is love, always
So go on check yourself and just go make a change
Ooh, his soul's travelling for the long road
Keep riding like the wind, the howling wind
He is love, always (he is love)
He is the one that I can be cool with
Let me shake this up, uh
The storm in the sky, gleaming in your eye (he, he)
You know times are changing, I will never leave, no
Storms are rising high, I'm blinded by the light
We can reconnect, rain hit the weatherman (he, he)
Child goes by, burning with desire
Staring rings of ire, spreading through the night, oh
Driving me to stay, rain won't say
A shadow of a doubt, who we need is now
A cigarette design, thrown through the line
Say you're letting go, every game that I know
Push on and on
@videogamedunkey
he's back baby
@user-oc4it3uo9o
videogamedunkey I never knew that dunkey had a good taste in music :^)
@mdogpartyhog
super Mario 64 lp new episodes when??????
@CheeksOfButt
First I see you in the Kendrick I live performance on SNL now here that’s awesome lol keep on rocking in the free world!
@yuxing1512
HI DUNKEY !!! I love that you listen to Jai Paul as well
@in3rtia619
Didn't know id find you here.
@RanzoMoney
I was just sitting at a red light, bumping this masterpiece, when all of a sudden the car to my left rolls down their passenger window. The passenger doesn’t even look at me, but just sticks his phone out the window. I look over and he is Shazaming the track. What a beautiful moment.
@Dropthebeatonit
yeaboiiiiiiii the revolution will not be televised it will be shazamed
@imagination954
Wow..... Sick. Some people knows how to live Their lives right
@fetchstixRHD
What a Gangsta, legendary 😂 might start doing that if there’s a song I like haha