Song Cry
Jay-Z Lyrics

Picture all the possibilities
The singer is considering what could have been in a relationship, imagining all of the ways things could have worked or gone differently.

Sounds like a love song
The singer is acknowledging the sentimentality of the song he is about to sing, recognizing that his heartache may come across as a traditional love ballad.

The most incredible, baby
The singer is addressing someone he loved and stating how much he valued them, even if things ultimately fell apart between them.

Uh, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm
This is an expressive noise that could indicate uncertainty, pain, or pondering emotions.

Yeah, yeah, uh
This is an affirmative response, indicating that the artist is ready to address the issues that caused the relationship to fail.

I can't see 'em comin' down my eyes
The singer is crying silently, holding back tears he does not want to show.

So I gotta make the song cry
The singer is expressing that he needs to share his emotions through music because he cannot reveal them openly in person.

Good dude, I know you love me like cooked food
The artist acknowledges that his partner is a good person who loved him very much, using a metaphor to describe the strength of their affection.

Even though a nigga gotta move like a crook move
The artist admits to having made mistakes, perhaps even illegal ones or ones that did not align with conventional morality.

We was together on the block since free lunch
The artist and his partner have known each other since childhood, spending time together on the city block where they grew up.

We shoulda been together havin' Four Seasons brunch
The singer regrets that he and his partner could have achieved a more luxurious lifestyle and greater success if they had stayed together.

We used to use umbrellas to face the bad weather
The artist and his partner supported each other through difficult times, using whatever means necessary to stay together.

So now we travel first class to change the forecast
The singer acknowledges that both he and his partner have achieved notable success, which has given them access to luxuries they could not have dreamt of before.

Never in bunches, just me and you
The singer and his partner had a deeply intimate relationship, spending time together without large groups surrounding them.

I loved your point of view 'cause you held no punches
The singer appreciated their partner's honesty and straightforward way of communicating, even if it was sometimes hard to hear critcism.

Still I left you for months on end
The artist admits to having abandoned his partner for long stretches of time, perhaps due to work or other pressures.

It's been months since I checked back in
The artist has not been in contact with his partner for a long time, even though they loved each other deeply.

We're somewhere in a small town, somewhere lockin' a mall down
The singer and his partner are in a generic location, but one where they still managed to create happy memories together.

Woodgrain, four and change, Armor All'd down
The singer is describing his car, which is luxurious and well-maintained.

I can understand why you want a divorce now
The artist understands why his partner would no longer want to be with him given his pattern of neglect and abandonment.

Though I can't let you know it, pride won't let me show it
The artist is admitting to having pride, which makes it difficult for him to show vulnerability or emotional weakness in front of others.

Pretend to be heroic, that's just one to grow with
The artist is acknowledging that he needs to pretend to be strong and responsible, even though he knows he has made mistakes and is hurting deeply.

But deep inside a nigga so sick
The singer is acknowledging that he is suffering from his mistakes and the loss of his partner, unable to get over what has happened between them.

On repeat, the CD of Big's "Me and My Bitch"
The artist is recalling listening to Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Me and My Bitch," which tells a similar story of a failed relationship.

Watchin' Bonnie and Clyde, pretendin' to be that shit
The singer and his partner watched the film Bonnie and Clyde together, perhaps imagining themselves in a similar partnership.

Empty gun in your hand sayin', "Let me see that clip"
The singer is recalling an event in which his partner held a gun, perhaps out of fear or desperation.

Shoppin' sprees, pull out your Visa quick
The singer and his partner enjoyed going shopping together, using credit to purchase things that made them happy.

A nigga had very bad credit, you helped me lease that whip
The artist admits to having poor credit, but his partner helped him lease a car that he otherwise would not have been able to afford.

You helped me get the keys to that V dot 6
The artist's partner helped him get the keys to a luxurious car, again emphasizing how much they supported each other during happy times.

We was so happy poor, but when we got rich
The singer and his partner were content with their love even when they did not have much money, but once they achieved wealth, things began to fall apart.

That's when our signals got crossed, and we got flipped
Once the singer and his partner achieved financial success, they began to have trouble communicating and maintaining their loving relationship.

Rather mine, I don't know what made me leave that shit
The artist is questioning why he left his partner, acknowledging that it might have been a mistake on his part.

Made me speed that quick, let me see, that's it
The artist admits to being impulsive, prone to making quick or rash decisions without considering the consequences.

It was the cheese, helped them bitches get amnesia quick
The artist admits that he cheated on his partner, providing monetary compensation to make the other women forget about him.

I used to cut up they buddies, now they sayin' they love me
The singer is acknowledging that he used to make fun of the other women who pursued him, but now they are professing their love for him after receiving his financial support.

Used to tell they friends I was ugly and wouldn't touch me
The artist's romantic interests used to dismiss him as unattractive or unappealing, but their tune changed once they saw his wealth and success.

Then I showed up in that dubbed-out buggy
The singer is referencing his luxurious car, which he believes makes him seem more attractive and worthwhile to others.

And then they got fuzzy and they don't remember that
After he achieved wealth and success, the women who spurned him suddenly "forgot" about their past opinions of him.

And I don't remember you
The singer is lamenting that he has lost the love of his life, and it is unclear if they will ever be able to repair their relationship.

A face of stone, was shocked on the other end of the phone
The artist is describing his partner's reaction to something he said to her over the phone - her face was unyielding, betraying no emotion.

Word back home is that you had a special friend
The artist has heard rumors that his partner may have been involved with someone else while they were apart.

So what was oh so special then?
The singer is questioning why his partner would be with someone else, when she used to share such a special bond with him.

You have given away without gettin' at me
The singer is acknowledging that he and his partner have not been fully communicating with each other, which may have led to misunderstandings or hurt feelings.

That's your fault, how many times you forgiven me?
The artist is pushing back against his partner, suggesting that she has also made mistakes and should not be so quick to accuse him of wrongdoing.

How was I to know that you was plain sick of me?
The artist is admitting that he did not see the signs that his partner may have grown tired of him, perhaps due to his absences or infidelities.

I know the way a nigga livin' was wack
The artist acknowledges that his previous lifestyle was not healthy or sustainable, but he may still regret the changes in his love life that resulted from his newfound success.

But you don't get a nigga back like that
The singer is suggesting that his partner's actions may be disproportionate to his mistakes, or that he does not deserve to be abandoned in the way she has left him.

Shit, I'm a man with pride, you don't do shit like that
The artist is lamenting that his partner did not show him the same dignity and respect that he believes he has shown her, perhaps in the face of his faults.

You don't just pick up and leave and leave me sick like that
The singer is expressing that he feels a sense of loss and hurt at being abandoned by his partner, especially given the emotional pain he has caused in the past.

You don't throw away what we had, just like that
The singer is suggesting that his partner should have tried harder to work things out between them, even if it was difficult or there were challenges to their relationship.

I was just fuckin' them girls, I was gon' get right back
The singer is admitting that he cheated on his partner, but that he had every intention of returning to her once he was finished with his dalliances.

They say you can't turn a bad girl good
The artist is referencing a common stereotype that women who may have made mistakes or been promiscuous cannot be rehabilitated or returned to a state of respectability.

But once a good girl's gone bad, she's gone forever
The artist is suggesting that his partner, who may have been loyal and committed to him in the past, has now become unattainable and beyond his reach.

I'll mourn forever
The singer is expressing the depth of his heartache and sense of loss at the end of his relationship, suggesting that he will feel this way for an indefinite amount of time.

Shit, I gotta live with the fact I did you wrong forever
The singer is acknowledging that he played a role in the end of his relationship, and will have to live with the guilt and pain that comes with that knowledge forever.