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.
Why
Jamie Foxx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was your favorite guy
And somehow I thought that we'd always be down (down)
We went through crazy times,
Inside this crazy mind,
Somehow I thought that you would always be around.
Somehow we changed up, we flamed up
And every day you're fighting with me.
And then it came up, I asked did you love me,
Who knew that would be the last time we speak.
All I could say is why (why, why)
What did I do? What did I say? I didn't see this coming
All I can say is
Why why, why why why why why why why why
For the last two months I was
Kissing you goodbye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
Kissing you goodbye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
Behind your lovely eyes,
Couldn't see those lovely thighs
That couldn't break her in over a course of time
You could unbreak this glass heart,
By just saying we're not apart
By how can I go on knowing my love is blind?
So many makes ups, So many break ups
I never thought I'd see u leave, (you leave, you leave)
I'ma put it to rest; because all I want is the best for you,
You still haven't told me how I hurt so I deserve the answer to,
All I could say is why (why, why)
What did I do? What did I say? I didn't see this coming
All I can say is
Why why, why why why why why why why why
For the last two months I was
Kissing you goodbye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
Kissing you goodbye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
All baby how, can you leave me like this
Through all the smiles, and all the cries,
The love we had I thought was divide
No why, could u do me like this,
I guess love question lesson would have learned to say
There are no real answers to
Why (why, why) oh
What did I do? What did I say? I didn't see this coming
Oh
Why why, baby why
For the last two months I was
Kissing you goodbye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
Baby why, shawty why.
You are my favorite girl,
I was your favorite guy
And somehow I thought that we'd always be down (down)
The song Why by Jamie Foxx is a heart-wrenching reflection on a failed relationship. The lyrics speak to the confusion and pain the singer feels as they try to understand why their partner left them. The first verse highlights the connection and optimism they once shared, believing that they would always be together. However, as time passed, they began to drift apart, and instead of working through their problems, they became confrontational, leading to the eventual breakup. The chorus repeats the question, "why?" as the singer grapples with the loss and tries to understand what went wrong. The second verse expresses regret, wishing they could have done more to mend the relationship, but ultimately recognizing that they deserve to know why their partner left.
Foxx's soulful delivery and the sparse, piano-driven production create a melancholic and intimate atmosphere that perfectly captures the emotional weight of the lyrics. The song is a powerful reminder of the pain of lost love and the importance of understanding why relationships end.
Line by Line Meaning
You are my favorite girl,
You were the one I loved most
I was your favorite guy
You loved me the most
And somehow I thought that we'd always be down (down)
I believed our love would last forever
We went through crazy times,
We faced difficult situations
Inside this crazy mind,
Within my troubled thoughts
Somehow I thought that you would always be around.
I assumed you would never leave me
Somehow we changed up, we flamed up
We changed and became distant from each other
And every day you're fighting with me.
And every day, we argue
(baby, baby, baby)
And then it came up, I asked did you love me,
And then, I asked if you really loved me
Who knew that would be the last time we speak.
Unfortunately, that was the last conversation we had
All I could say is why (why, why)
The only question I have is why
What did I do? What did I say? I didn't see this coming
I don't understand what I did or said wrong, I didn't expect this to happen
All I can say is
Why why, why why why why why why why why
I keep asking why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why
For the last two months I was
For the last two months, I was
Kissing you goodbye
Saying goodbye with a kiss
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye
Behind your lovely eyes,
Behind your beautiful eyes
Couldn't see those lovely thighs
I couldn't see the problems you were hiding
That couldn't break her in over a course of time
That you couldn't overcome over time
You could unbreak this glass heart,
You could heal this fragile heart
By just saying we're not apart
By saying that we're still together
By how can I go on knowing my love is blind?
But, how can I move on when my love is blind to the problems in our relationship?
So many makes ups, So many break ups
We had reconciliations and breakups multiple times
I never thought I'd see u leave, (you leave, you leave)
I didn't expect you to leave me
I'ma put it to rest; because all I want is the best for you,
I'll let it go because I only want the best for you
You still haven't told me how I hurt so I deserve the answer to,
You haven't told me how I hurt you, and I deserve to know the answer
All baby how, can you leave me like this
How can you leave me like this, my love?
Through all the smiles, and all the cries,
Throughout all the happy and sad times
The love we had I thought was divide
I thought the love we had was unbreakable
No why, could u do me like this,
I can't think of a reason why you would treat me this way
I guess love question lesson would have learned to say
I suppose the lesson is to question love
There are no real answers to
There are no clear answers to
Why (why, why) oh
Why, why, why
What did I do? What did I say? I didn't see this coming
I don't know what I did wrong, I didn't expect this to happen
Oh
Why why, baby why
Why, why, baby, why?
For the last two months I was
For the last two months, I was
Kissing you goodbye
Saying goodbye with a kiss
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye
Baby why, shawty why.
Baby why, why, shawty?
You are my favorite girl,
You were the one I loved most
I was your favorite guy
You loved me the most
And somehow I thought that we'd always be down (down)
I believed our love would last forever
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNIE LENNOX, DAVID ALLAN STEWART, PAVLE KOVACEVIC, RAPHAEL LOUIS RENE SOUDRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind