The energetic collab is about going with the universal flow of life, to not think too much and let life work its magic. Both Cudi and André rap about their unique methods and tendencies in music and life. Their differences separate them from their peers, but make their lives much more exciting.
Interestingly, André 3000 is credited by his birth name, “André Benjamin.”
By Design
Kid Cudi Lyrics
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Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
Born from dusk to dawn, I am truly alive
The satellite that sits in frame to illuminate this shaded place
He's a rose that don't belong, the music, the magic, take the lead
Come on with it
Mmm, come on
Moments don't pass me up, no, no
'Cause I seize them in stride
Tell them winnin' never gave me in then
And when I eternally have faith
In the choices you made, it's all by design
Go with it, mmmm
Come on, don't fuck up the Feng shui
Feng shui, Feng shui, Feng shui
I see every thing with new beams, I do dream
My eyes are glowing mood rings, you're boring
Stop dueling with the true thing, I do think
When you think too much you're removing what's moving (oh)
Stuck inside a statue, look at you (oh)
Go ahead and pogo, something gon' catch you (oh)
A petty logo, shed all my tattoos
I read all the bad news that says I'm too careful
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
The universe never steered me wrong, the universe never lied
Take me bound to the come me down, the fantasy in this remedy
Free from where you don't belong in the concept of time
New levels
Mmm, come on
Moments don't pass me up, no, no
'Cause I seize them in stride
Tell them winnin' never gave me in then
And when I eternally have faith
And the choices you made, it's all by design
Go with it, mmmm
Come on, don't fuck up the Feng shui
So twisted in emotional notions, oh yeah
I savor your love
Don't fuck up the Feng shui
I see every thing with new beams, I do dream
My eyes are glowing mood rings, you're boring
Stop dueling with the true thing, I do think
When you think too much you're removing what's moving (oh)
Stuck inside a statue, look at you (oh)
Go ahead and pogo, something gon' catch you (oh)
A petty logo, shed all my tattoos
I read all the bad news that says I'm too careful
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light (mhm)
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light (mhm, mh-mh)
Feel I'm being tested every minute
Feel like yesterday I was blind, I've been lost
Seems I've stumbled on a path, no coincidence
Truly in my essence, I've arrived
Who am I? Who am I? Don't remind me
Too alive, too alive, new arriving
You were right, I was left in it before
To the light, to the light, I am Carol Anne
Parallel to paradise, I reach out for my lifeline
The angels laugh in paradise, they say I am my own lifeline
Look in you
To the night, to the night I'm abandoned
To deny, to deny, what a sandpit
Couldn't I, couldn't I have an angel?
To the light, to the light, I am Carol Anne
So twisted in emotional notions, oh yeah
I savor your love
Don't fuck up the Feng shui
I see every thing with new beams, I do dream
My eyes are glowing mood rings, you're boring
Stop dueling with the true thing, I do think
When you think too much you're removing what's moving (oh)
Stuck inside a statue, look at you (oh)
Go ahead and pogo, something gon' catch you (oh)
A petty logo, shed all my tattoos
I read all the bad news that says I'm too careful
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
"By Design" by Kid Cudi is a song that urges the listener to tap into their own frequency of life and embrace the universe's design. Cudi opens the song with the lines, "Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light," emphasizing the idea of finding one's rhythm and frequency. Furthermore, the lyrics suggest an existential revelation, a realization of the self, and one's place in the universe. The verse "The universe never steered me wrong, the universe never lied," reflects the singer's inner peace and spiritual awakening. Additionally, the phrase, "don't fuck up the Feng shui" repeats a few times, reminding listeners to stay true to their designed path and avoid wrecking the balance of life.
Overall, "By Design" by Kid Cudi carries an inspirational and motivational message that urges the listener to understand and follow the purpose of their life. The lyrics suggest a feeling of enlightenment and inner peace that comes from embracing what is natural and allowing the universe to guide one's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
Get in touch with the energy of the universe
Ooh, tap in to the frequency, light
Get in touch with the energy of the universe
Born from dusk to dawn, I am truly alive
I feel alive and energized from the start of the day till the end of it
The satellite that sits in frame to illuminate this shaded place
I am like a satellite illuminating the gloomy areas of life
He's a rose that don't belong, the music, the magic, take the lead
I am like a rose that stands out from all the others, and music is my magic
Come on with it
Let's do this!
Moments don't pass me up, no, no
I make sure to seize every moment that comes my way
'Cause I seize them in stride
I quickly take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way
Tell them winnin' never gave me in then
I never give up on winning
And when I eternally have faith
I always have faith in what I do
In the choices you made, it's all by design
Everything happens for a reason and is part of a bigger plan
Go with it, mmmm
Just go with the flow
Come on, don't fuck up the Feng shui
Let's make sure everything is in harmony
Feng shui, Feng shui, Feng shui
The Chinese concept of arranging furniture and things in a room to achieve harmony and balance
I see everything with new beams, I do dream
I see things in a completely different way now and have dreams
My eyes are glowing mood rings, you're boring
My eyes reflect my mood and energy, while yours seem dull and uninteresting
Stop dueling with the true thing, I do think
Stop fighting against what's really important, is what I believe
When you think too much you're removing what's moving (oh)
When you overthink things, you lose your momentum
Stuck inside a statue, look at you (oh)
You're like a statue stuck in one place, unable to move
Go ahead and pogo, something gon' catch you (oh)
Just go ahead and try something new, something will happen
A petty logo, shed all my tattoos
Superficial symbols don't matter to me, I don't care about tattoos either
I read all the bad news that says I'm too careful
People say that I am too cautious and careful, but I don't buy it!
The universe never steered me wrong, the universe never lied
I trust the universe, I always follow my path in life, and the universe never steers me in the wrong direction
Take me bound to the come me down, the fantasy in this remedy
I always look for solutions and a way to better myself. Bringing me peace, allowing me to escape reality
Free from where you don't belong in the concept of time
I am free from the constraints of time, living in the present.
New levels
I will take my life to new heights!
So twisted in emotional notions, oh yeah
I am stuck in a bunch of confusing feelings
I savor your love
I really appreciate your love
I see every thing with new beams, I do dream
I view everything with a new perspective, and am unafraid to dream big
My eyes are glowing mood rings, you're boring
My eyes reflect my passions, while yours seem dull and uninspired
Stop dueling with the true thing, I do think
Stop fighting against what really matters
When you think too much you're removing what's moving (oh)
Overthinking takes away from progress
Stuck inside a statue, look at you (oh)
You're stuck in one place and can't move forwards
Go ahead and pogo, something gon' catch you (oh)
Try something new and things will begin to happen
A petty logo, shed all my tattoos
I don't allow superficial symbols to define me
I read all the bad news that says I'm too careful
Some people say I'm too cautious
Feel I'm being tested every minute
I feel like I'm constantly facing challenges
Feel like yesterday I was blind, I've been lost
It feels like I was just lost and confused yesterday
Seems I've stumbled on a path, no coincidence
I feel like I've found a path, and it doesn't feel like pure coincidence
Truly in my essence, I've arrived
I've finally arrived at my true self
Who am I? Who am I? Don't remind me
I sometimes wonder who I really am, but try to push those thoughts away
Too alive, too alive, new arriving
I'm full of life and energy and am on a new path
You were right, I was left in it before
You were right, I was wrong before
To the light, to the light, I am Carol Anne
I am on the right path, headed towards the light
Parallel to paradise, I reach out for my lifeline
I'm trying to find my way to paradise, and am reaching out for help to get there
The angels laugh in paradise, they say I am my own lifeline
It seems like the angels in paradise are laughing at me, saying that I need to figure things out for myself
To deny, to deny, what a sandpit
It's hard to deny the struggle and chaos of life
Couldn't I, couldn't I have an angel?
I wish I had an angel to guide me through the chaos of life
To the light, to the light, I am Carol Anne
I am headed towards the light and am determined to get there
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Pat Reynolds, Pharrell L Williams, Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind