Updated 04/23/2022: You don’t know Jai Wolf like you think you do. After hundreds of millions of streams on indie-dance anthems like “Indian Summer” and “Starlight,” blockbuster festival sets from Indio to India, and co-signs from the likes of Skrillex and ODESZA, it’s clear from the opening notes of Jai Wolf’s long-awaited debut album The Cure to Loneliness that he sees the expectations around his name as an opportunity to challenge convention.
The Cure to Loneliness finds Jai Wolf completing his evolution from upstart bedroom remixer to future bass DJ to builder of lush musical worlds. While still very much dancefloor-focused, some tracks on the LP conjure the angular riffage of The Strokes and Phoenix, weave melodies through the sugary happysad of M83 and CHVRCHES, or build up walls of sound like Explosions in the Sky—all while maintaining the melodious polish and evocative groove to which fans have grown so close.
“In my heart, this album is me,” says Jai Wolf. “From the sounds to the lyrics, it’s everything that I’ve always wanted to do.” Taking a different approach to many of his contemporaries under the wing of indie darling label Mom+Pop (Courtney Barnett, Flume, Jagwar Ma, Alina Baraz), Jai Wolf largely eschewed singles over the course of two years to patiently craft The Cure to Loneliness. The result is a thoughtfully framed, confidently expressed musical vision that will tug at heartstrings in 2019 and long beyond.
The Cure to Loneliness available everywhere April 5th
The World Is Ours
Jai Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna name me woe dey
Dadadada woe dey
Gonna name me woe dey
Dadadada woe dey emo baby woe
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby
Dadadada woe dey emo baby woe
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby woe
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby woe
Dadadada woe dey emo baby woe
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby woe dadadada
Now now now now
Now now now now
Woe dey emo baby woe
Dadadada now now now now
Now now now now
Woe dey emo baby woe
At first glance, the lyrics of Jai Wolf's song "The World Is Ours" may seem nonsensical, with the repeated chant of "woe dey" and "emo baby woe." However, the lyrics can be seen as a reflection of the feelings of detachment and existential angst that many people experience in the modern world.
The repeated phrase "woe dey" can be seen as a play on the phrase "woe is me," which is used to express self-pity or sorrow. The addition of "dey" to the end could be interpreted as a nod to the rapper Jay-Z's nickname "Hova," which is a play on the word "Jehovah." In this way, "woe dey" becomes an alter ego or nickname for the singer, who is struggling with feelings of sadness and disconnection.
Similarly, the phrase "emo baby woe" can be seen as a reference to the emo music subculture, which emerged in the early 2000s and was characterized by its emotional and confessional lyrics. The singer is thus positioning themselves as an "emo baby," someone who is in touch with their feelings and perhaps struggling with mental health issues.
Overall, the lyrics of "The World Is Ours" are open to interpretation but can be seen as exploring themes of identity, disconnection, and emotional vulnerability in the modern world.
Line by Line Meaning
Woe dey
I am in a state of sorrow or distress
Gonna name me woe dey
I have chosen to be called by the name of my sadness
Dadadada woe dey
The repetition of my name emphasizes the weight of my pain
Gonna name me woe dey
I have accepted my suffering as a part of my identity
Dadadada woe dey emo baby woe
My sadness is so intense that it becomes a defining characteristic, even as a child
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby
I have embraced my emotional struggles since an early age
Dadadada woe dey emo baby woe
My pain is a constant presence in my life
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby woe
I am determined to live with my sadness and make it a part of my existence
Dadadada woe dey emo baby woe
The repetition of my name and description highlights my emotional state
Gonna name me woe dey emo baby woe dadadada
My sadness is all-consuming and defines who I am
Now now now now
An abrupt transition to the present, indicating an emphasis on my current state of being
Woe dey emo baby woe
I am still in a state of sorrow or distress
Dadadada now now now now
The repetition of a sound creates a sense of urgency and intensity in my emotional state
Now now now now
Emphasizing the importance and immediacy of my emotional state
Woe dey emo baby woe
My sadness has become an integral part of my identity and cannot be ignored
Contributed by Wyatt P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@injecthd5252
This artist definitely needs more recognition...I wonder why he hasn't been featured by the big edm genre channels:/
@ricardibutler2024
he's not a sellout or produce mainstream content
@edfisher2401
Indian Summer is the song for GoPro Hero 5. That's quality recognition in my mind
@WhosNathaniel
yes <3
@TRNQUL
His song was also on Trap Nation.
@ailron4117
He's recognized by ODESZA and is usually in their sets.
@MystikAzn4vr
Recently got to see Jai Wolf perform LIVE and he's instantly on my top 5 list. He takes the best things in life and puts it into his music.
@sraey8133
Jai wolf is going to be on the top of the charts really soon...
Such a good tune...🙌🙏
Just don't ever change....😍
@RuztyShackelford
I could never be sick of this song. Wish it lasted longer.
@hugoatm2770
The sound of falling in love