2. Based in Los Angeles, American recording-artist & producer JIMMY is a jack-of-all-trades visionary. After releasing several projects of his own in high school from his bedroom, in 2018 he led PRISM TRIBE (an alternative hip hop art collective he founded) through their first collective release PTWW$$EW Vol. I and went on to release the WELCOME TO DARKNESS trilogy— three EPs released in the span of four months in 2019. Since then, he has worked diligently with PRISM TRIBE, leading to their latest offerings DOG DAYS (2020) & THE FOUR HORSEMEN EP (2021). JIMMY then ushered in the next chapter of his evolution in 2021 with the release of his full-length album, GNARLY. Following that release, he shared a string of promotional singles & mixtapes leading up to his previous offering *GHETTOLAND, his most successful project to date. Now JIMMY has unleashed his ambitious follow-up project DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.
That's The Way
Jimmy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't play with you no more
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me
My friend, the boy next door
I can't believe what people saying
Gonna let your hair hang down
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day lo-o-o-ong
And when I'm out I see you walking
Why don't your eyes see me
Could it be you've found another game to play
What did mama say to me
That's the way
Oh, that's the way it ought to be, ahh-ohh, ohh-ahh, ahh-ahh, ohh-ohh, don't you know
Mama said, ohh, mama said
That's the way it ought to stay, ohh-hoh
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
Had they got you hypnotized
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
But all that lives is born to die
And so I say to you that nothing really matterrs
And all you do is stand and cry
I don't know what to say about it
When all your ears have turned away
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see, ohhh
Is that the way it ought to stay
That's the way
Ohh, that's the way it oughta be, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, no-no-no
Oh, don't you know now
Mama said, oh, mama said that's the way it's gonna stay, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, ohhh
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhhhhh
Ahhh ahhhhh
The lyrics to Jimmy's song "That's the Way" can be interpreted in a few ways, but some overarching themes are evident. The song is about a relationship that has ended, and the singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that they can't play with their friend anymore. This could be a romantic relationship or a platonic friendship, but either way, the singer is saddened by the fact that they can't continue as they were before. The lyrics "I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me" could suggest that the singer's mother has advised them to end the relationship, causing them inner turmoil.
The second half of the song seems to be a reflection on life and death. The singer sees someone crying by a river and wonders if they've been hypnotized by the water, and observes that all that lives is born to die. The line "nothing really matters" could suggest that the singer is feeling nihilistic, or it could be a commentary on the fleeting nature of life; if nothing really matters, then we should live our lives to the fullest while we can. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "that's the way it oughta be," as if the singer has come to accept that things must end and life must go on, no matter how painful it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know how I'm gonna tell you
I am unsure about how I will inform you
I can't play with you no more
I am unable to continue playing with you
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me
I am unsure about how to comply with my mother's instructions
My friend, the boy next door
You are my friend, the boy next door
I can't believe what people saying
I find it difficult to trust the rumors being spread
Gonna let your hair hang down
You should let yourself be carefree
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day lo-o-o-ong
I am content with working for extended periods of time
You're in the darker side of town
You live in a less desirable part of town
And when I'm out I see you walking
When I am outside, I see you walking
Why don't your eyes see me
Why are you not noticing me?
Could it be you've found another game to play
Is it possible that you have found another activity to partake in?
What did mama say to me
What advice did my mother give me?
That's the way
That is how things are
Oh, that's the way it ought to be, ahh-ohh, ohh-ahh, ahh-ahh, ohh-ohh, don't you know
That is the ideal way things should be, don't you understand?
Mama said, ohh, mama said
My mother said
That's the way it ought to stay, ohh-hoh
Things should remain that way
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
Yesterday, I noticed you standing next to the river
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes
Did tears fill up your eyes?
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
All the fish that were dying in the polluted water
Had they got you hypnotized
Were you mesmerized by what was happening?
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
Yesterday, I saw you kissing small-sized flowers
But all that lives is born to die
Everything that is alive will eventually perish
And so I say to you that nothing really matterrs
I express to you that nothing truly holds significance
And all you do is stand and cry
You only stand and cry
I don't know what to say about it
I am unsure about what to say regarding this situation
When all your ears have turned away
When everyone has stopped listening to you
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see, ohhh
This is the moment to reflect and reassess what you observe
Is that the way it ought to stay
Is that how things should continue?
Ohh, that's the way it oughta be, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, no-no-no
That is the way things should be, don't you see?
Oh, don't you know now
Don't you understand?
Mama said, oh, mama said that's the way it's gonna stay, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, ohhh
My mother said that things will remain in that way
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhhhhh
Vocalization
Ahhh ahhhhh
Vocalization
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carlin R Nicholson
"That's The Way"
I don't know how I'm gonna tell you,
I can't play with you no more,
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me,
My friend, the boy next door.
I can't believe what people saying,
You're gonna let your hair hang down,
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long,
You're in the darker side of town.
And when I'm out I see you walking,
Why don't your eyes see me,
Could it be you've found another game to play,
What did mama say to me.
That's the way, oh,
That's the way it ought to be,
Yeah, yeah, mama say
That's the way it ought to stay.
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river,
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes,
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying,
Had they got you hypnotized?
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers,
But all that lives is born to die.
And so I say to you that nothing really matters,
And all you do is stand and cry.
I don't know what to say about it,
When all you ears have turned away,
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see,
Is that the way it ought to stay?
That's the way...
That's the way it oughtta be
Oh don't you know now, mama said..
bradh716
A bit of the magic is lost without JPJ.
Kenneth Wilson
@The Family Ghost t
Lowell Calavera
Greg Hubbard Take your medication
mark
@EVIL UBUNTU I saw her do it too.
EVIL UBUNTU
@ARTHUR D DUDA Your mom hates you and secretly pees in your cereal every morning.
ARTHUR D DUDA
@We love cricket Get a life.. they were all great at what they did... and uh i think Robert and Jimmy have done more solo work since so i think they are quite capable of writing and producing.
Jamie Goldsman
I love this song, so beautiful!
Lisa Weaver
Robert is a poetic justice!
charlie33009
1 of my so many favs
miro devaco
yes