He is also one half of the group Latyrx with fellow MC Lateef the Truth Speaker. Lyrics Born has worked with many artists including KRS-One, Jean Grae, Dilated Peoples, Z-Trip, DJ Shadow, Diverse, Tommy Guerrero, Blackalicious and his wife, Joyo Velarde.
Lyrics Born released his first solo LP in October of 2003, called Later That Day.
In April of 2005, Lyrics Born's second album Same !@#$ Different Day was released on the Quannum Projects label. The album featured remixes of five songs from Later That Day along with a number of new tracks.
LB's hit song Callin' Out was featured in a 2004 Coca Cola television commercial in the United States featuring actor Adrien Brody and was #1 on San Francisco's Alternative Rock station, Live105 for 5 weeks. The song is also featured in the film Waiting... starring Ryan Reynolds.
His songs have been featured in television shows such as HBO's Entourage, Six Feet Under, Skins, Gilmore Girls and the films Collateral by Michael Mann and Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift. Lyrics Born also appears in the upcoming Justin Lin film, Finishing the Game.
His latest album, Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born LIVE! is a live record recorded in Australia and has received praise from critics all across the board who have hailed it as one of the best live hip-hop albums ever made. Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 / 4 Stars.
Lyrics Born is currently recording his latest album which is due for release next year.
You can check out updates via his online video blog, LBTV available on his website and Myspace page.
Shake it off
Lyrics Born Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She just left on a whim and ain't nothin' I can do about it
She left me with a fistful of bills
Not a crisp dollar bill, what the hell am I gon' do about it
Had our differences, I can't believe
This is how she would leave and even get to speak about it
Eleven minutes, seven hours and a week
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, yeah
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, uh
The other night ago the boss called me late
Wants to talk 'bout some thangs, Monday morning come and see about it
I feel it y'all my job's about to go, feelin' throbs in my skull
My God I couldn't sleep about it
He told me that I'm lost on my tracks
Gonna cost me my job, is something we can do about it?
Motherfucker's got the balls to complain with all that I gave
Said do what you gotta do about it
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, yeah
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
Hands in the air y'all
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, yeah
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
Throw your belongings
Now I lay me down to sleep, yeah
Pray the Lord my soul to keep, same one
If I die before I wake, what
Pray the Lord my soul to take, come on
Now I lay me down to sleep, yeah
Pray the Lord my soul to keep, same one
If I die before I wake
Pray the Lord my soul to take, hey, oh
Sydney, hands in the air
Every night I toss and turn in my sleep
And it hurts when I breathe, I'm gettin' a little worried 'bout it
Combination on the stress and the strain, I ain't slept now for days
And I just can't get my head around it
All the drama in the world that we live
We learn how to give, I can't sit back and do nothin' 'bout it
Wanna know whatever happened to love, compassion and drugs
'Cause it seem like we forgot about it
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, oh
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, yeah
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams, oh
One time, shake it off
Two times, shake it off
Three times, shake it off
These bad dreams
The lyrics to "Shake It Off" by Lyrics Born capture the feelings of helplessness and frustration when life throws you unexpected curveballs. In the first verse, the singer's woman leaves him with a mountain of bills to pay, leaving him feeling powerless and frustrated. He can't believe she would just leave like that and can't comprehend how he is going to deal with the financial burden. In the second verse, the singer's boss calls him late at night, hinting that he might lose his job. The singer is again left feeling helpless and powerless, unsure of how to handle the situation. The chorus "One time, shake it off, two times, shake it off, three times, shake it off," is a reminder to the singer and the listeners that sometimes in life, you just need to shake off the bad experiences and keep moving forward.
The song also touches on themes of love, compassion, and drugs that the singer believes the world has forgotten. He questions why we seem to have forgotten how to love and have compassion for one another and have resorted to drugs to numb our pain. The lyrics "All the drama in the world that we live, we learn how to give, I can't sit back and do nothin' 'bout it," reflect the singer's frustration with the state of the world and his desire to change it.
Overall, the lyrics to "Shake It Off" are a reminder to listeners that even when life gets tough, we need to keep moving forward and not let the bad experiences hold us back.
Line by Line Meaning
My woman left me out to twist in the wind
My partner left me in a helpless situation with no support
She just left on a whim and ain't nothin' I can do about it
She left without explanation and there is nothing I can do to change it
She left me with a fistful of bills
She left me with a lot of unpaid bills and financial burdens
Not a crisp dollar bill, what the hell am I gon' do about it
She didn't leave me with any money and I don't know how to handle the situation
Had our differences, I can't believe
Though we had disagreements, I'm shocked that she would leave like this
This is how she would leave and even get to speak about it
I can't believe she would leave and even tell others about our issues
Eleven minutes, seven hours and a week
I can't remember the exact time frame since she left me, but it's been a while
When I was last asleep, it's when she left me, come to think about it
I realized she left me while I was sleeping
The other night ago the boss called me late
My boss called me late at night recently
Wants to talk 'bout some thangs, Monday morning come and see about it
My boss wants to discuss some matters with me and plans to talk in-depth about it on Monday
I feel it y'all my job's about to go, feelin' throbs in my skull
I have a feeling my job is in jeopardy, and I am experiencing a headache due to the stress
My God I couldn't sleep about it
I am having trouble sleeping because I am worried about losing my job
He told me that I'm lost on my tracks
My boss told me I am not meeting expectations in my job performance
Gonna cost me my job, is something we can do about it?
This will result in me losing my job, and I am questioning if there is anything I can do to reverse the situation
Motherfucker's got the balls to complain with all that I gave
My boss has the audacity to complain despite all of the effort and work I have put into the job
Said do what you gotta do about it
My boss is telling me to take action and do whatever I need to do in order to turn things around
Every night I toss and turn in my sleep
I am restless and having a hard time sleeping every night
And it hurts when I breathe, I'm gettin' a little worried 'bout it
I am feeling physical pain when I breathe, and it is causing me concern
Combination on the stress and the strain, I ain't slept now for days
Due to a mix of stress and pressure, I have not been able to get any sleep for several days
And I just can't get my head around it
I am having trouble understanding and accepting the situation
All the drama in the world that we live
There are many stressful situations in the world we live in
We learn how to give, I can't sit back and do nothin' 'bout it
Despite these situations, we must still learn to give and help others, and I cannot just sit back and do nothing about it
Wanna know whatever happened to love, compassion and drugs
I wonder what has happened to love, compassion, and empathy in today's society
'Cause it seem like we forgot about it
It appears that we have forgotten the importance of love, compassion, and empathy in current times
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.