One of the most popular African-American comedians of the late 1990s, TV star turned screen actor Jamie Foxx first became known for his many roles on Keenen Ivory Wayans’ long-running comedy variety show In Living Color. Since then, Foxx has played both raucous and sensitive nice-guy roles in a number of films, and earned particular acclaim for his portrayal of a talented but egotistical quarterback in Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday.
Born Eric Bishop in the small town of Terrell, Texas, on December 13, 1967, Foxx was raised by his grandparents after his parents separated. He enjoyed a happy upbringing, going to church every day with his grandparents and excelling at everything from academics to music to football. During his teen years he had his first taste of the entertainment business as his church’s choir director and music director, and also started his own R&B band. Foxx studied music while a student at the U.S. International University in San Diego; it was during his college days that he got his start as a stand-up comedian. Attending a comedy club one night with some friends, he was encouraged to take the stage and perform some impersonations, which proved incredibly popular with the audience. Foxx’s enthusiastic reception led to his decision to move to L.A. and pursue a comedy career. At the age of 22 he was hired for In Living Color, and he subsequently landed a recurring role on Charles Dutton’s sitcom Roc in 1985.
Foxx was ultimately given his own show in 1996; that same year, he appeared in a supporting role in The Truth About Cats and Dogs, which cast him as a friend of Ben Chaplin. He was also featured in the boxing satire The Great White Hype, and the following year he got star billing opposite fellow comedian Tommy Davidson in the poorly received comedy Booty Call. After playing a DJ in Ice Cube’s The Players Club (1998), Foxx earned some of his best reviews to date for his role in Any Given Sunday (1999). He subsequently returned to straight comedy, starring in Antoine Fuqua’s crime comedy Bait as an ex-con trying to mend his ways, and as a man caught in a convenience stored robbery in Held Up.
In 2001, Foxx was given an opportunity to again flex the dramatic chops he displayed in Any Given Sunday with a role as Drew Bundi Brown in Michael Mann’s biopic Ali. Then, after a role in the barely seen 2003 Sylvester Stallone drama Shade, Foxx embarked on his busiest year yet. 2004 saw him star in no fewer than four films, the most noteworthy of them being the thriller Collateral. The tense summer flick not only saw Foxx again under the direction of Mann, but cast on an equal level with Hollywood uber-star Tom Cruise. His turn as a hapless cab driver who is forced into a menacing partnership slowly advancing Foxx’s dramatic screen presence, the role served as proof to many that his talents extended well beyond what many may have suspected. When it was announced shortly thereafter that Foxx would be donning the trademark sunglasses to essay the role of legendary blues pianist Ray Charles in Director Taylor Hackford’s eagerly anticipated biopic Ray, it was only a matter of time before audiences found out how deep Foxx’s talents as an actor truly ran. So effective was Foxx in recreating Charles’ unique style and unmistakable visage that many critics speculated an Oscar nomination may be in calling for the one-time funnyman turned dramatic powerhouse. When the star-studded evening in February did finally arrive and the envelope that would reveal the best actor of 2005 was breathlessly opened, Foxx did indeed take the prize — raising already stratospheric expectations regarding his future career to a fever pitch.
Foxx subverted expectations by capitalizing on his Oscar win with an R&B album that garnered respectable reviews and solid sales. He returned to films in the summer action flop Stealth — in a supporting role to would-be superstar Josh Lucas — and appeared as a leader of men in Sam Mendes’ Gulf War film Jarhead. In 2006 he reteamed with Michael Mann, starring as Tubbs in the big-screen adaptation of Miami Vice. Late in the year, he starred in the much-anticipated adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls, opposite fellow actor-musicians hyphenates Eddie Murphy and Beyoncé Knowles. He is also known for his big leading role in Law Abiding Citizen.
Overdose
Jamie Foxx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Addicted to what we had.
Heartbreaks know fading fast.
Vitals low might not last.
Strep down while sirens ring.
Holding on trying to breathe
Not like this I can't leave.
Look what you've done to me.
I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
They said I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
Cause I want you close. I need you the most.
Without you I'm just through.
So I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
Rushing me switching lanes.
IVs going through my veins.
Blood tests say no cocaine.
They don't know you're the blame.
Cause your deep inside of me.
So this is goodbye to me.
But with you I'll die happily.
One more hit I'll be free.
I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
They said I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
Cause I want you close. I need you the most.
Without you I'm just through.
So I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
Cause I know that you would kill me.
Cause I'm sweating, tweaking, feigning.
Never been so hurt.
But damn I love this feeling.
Cause I'm aching, breaking, shaking.
I'ma make it through the night.
And now my body is cold.
I'm losing, cause I was abusing it. Oh no
Can't nobody help, I did it to myself.
And that's why I'll do it again and again.
I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
They said I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
Cause I want you close. I need you the most.
Without you I'm just through.
So I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
The lyrics to Jamie Foxx's song Overdose are about a toxic relationship that the singer cannot seem to shake. He has become so addicted to the love and attention of his partner that he is willing to die for them. The opening line, "They said I had it bad, addicted to what we had," speaks to the idea that he is aware of his behavior but cannot help himself. The heartbreaks that he's experienced have taken a toll on him and his health, as he mentions his "vitals low might not last."
The chorus of the song, "I've overdose overdose overdose on you, they said I've overdose overdose overdose on you," repeats this idea that his addiction to this person is like an overdose. He can't get enough of them and wants to be as close to them as possible. However, he knows that this relationship is toxic and that it will eventually kill him. He is "sweating, tweaking, feigning," and "never been so hurt," but he still loves the feeling of being with this person. The line "And now my body is cold, I'm losing cause I was abusing it" seems to indicate that he has finally succumbed to his addiction and has died because of it.
Overall, Jamie Foxx's song Overdose is a cautionary tale about the dangers of toxic relationships and how they can consume a person to the point of death.
Line by Line Meaning
They said I had it bad.
People noticed that I was excessively consumed by something.
Addicted to what we had.
I was hooked on our relationship and couldn't get enough of it.
Heartbreaks know fading fast.
I was trying to move on from being heartbroken, but it was happening too quickly.
Vitals low might not last.
I was in a bad state, and my survival was questionable.
Strep down while sirens ring.
I was losing consciousness as the emergency services were arriving.
Holding on trying to breathe
I was struggling to stay alive and taking every breath that I could.
Not like this I can't leave.
I knew that if I died, it couldn't be in this way, consumed by my addiction.
Look what you've done to me.
I blamed the other person for the dire situation I found myself in.
I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
I've consumed too much of the other person, in every possible way.
Cause I want you close. I need you the most.
I crave their presence, and I believe I can't live without them.
Without you I'm just through.
I'm incomplete or worthless without their presence and love.
Rushing me switching lanes.
I was living my life in a hurry and without any direction.
IVs going through my veins.
I had come to the point where medical intervention was necessary to sustain me.
Blood tests say no cocaine.
I had not taken any drugs, but it didn't matter.
They don't know you're the blame.
I knew they were responsible for my state, but others didn't know.
Cause your deep inside of me.
I couldn't escape their presence and the hold they had over me.
So this is goodbye to me.
I knew I had to say goodbye to myself and the life I used to know.
But with you I'll die happily.
If I couldn't live without them, I would choose to die with them.
One more hit I'll be free.
I believed that one last time with them would set me free of my addiction.
Cause I know that you would kill me.
I was aware that they were a danger to me, and yet I couldn't resist them.
Cause I'm sweating, tweaking, feigning.
I was experiencing physical and emotional symptoms of withdrawal.
Never been so hurt.
I had never been hurt as much as I was by them.
But damn I love this feeling.
Despite the pain, I couldn't deny the pleasure of my addiction.
Cause I'm aching, breaking, shaking.
I was suffering intensely because of my addiction and the situation it had put me in.
I'ma make it through the night.
I believed I would survive this episode, even though it seemed unlikely.
And now my body is cold.
The consequences of my addiction had taken a toll on me.
I'm losing, cause I was abusing it. Oh no
I was losing my life because of my addiction to the other person, and it was too late to change anything.
Can't nobody help, I did it to myself.
No one could help me out of the situation because I had been responsible for putting myself in it.
And that's why I'll do it again and again.
I was resigned to the fact that I would repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DURRELL BABBS, JOSEPH BEREAL, JASON BONNER, JAMIE FOXX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind