Macy Gray was originally hesitant to record a studio album due to what is, arguably, her most recognizable feature -- her voice. She started her music career as a songwriter. Her first album was actually a mistake; she was at the studio waiting for the person who was supposed to be singing her song, and the producer wanted to hear what one of the songs was supposed to sound like. Once she started singing, the producer liked the rough sound of her voice so much he offered her a record deal.
Wake Up
Macy Gray Lyrics
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My heart with nothin’,
Someone told me not to cry.
But now that I’m older,
My heart’s colder,
And I can see that it’s a lie.
Hold your mistake up,
Before they turn the summer into dust.
If the children don’t grow up,
Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We’re just a million little god’s causin rain storms turnin’ every good thing to rust.
I guess we’ll just have to adjust.
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’ to be
When the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am go-goin’
You better look out below!
Macy Gray's song Wake Up is a meditation on the disillusionment that comes with growing up and realizing that the world is not as idealistic as it once seemed. The opening verses describe the emptiness that comes with the loss of innocence, as the singer's heart is filled with nothingness after being told not to cry. As she grows older, she sees that the comforting words were a lie, and she's left in a world that's cold and harsh. The song takes on a desperate tone from here, as the singer implores children to wake up and hold their mistakes up before they turn the summer into dust. She warns that if they don't grow up, their bodies will get bigger but their hearts will get torn up, and they'll become like a million little gods causing rain storms and turning every good thing to rust. The chorus repeats the phrase "we'll just have to adjust," underscoring the despair and hopelessness that comes with feeling powerless to change the world's problems.
The second half of the song takes a more surreal turn, as the singer envisions the reaper reaching out to touch her hand, and she sees where she's going with her "lighnin' bolts a glowin'." Her warning takes on a more menacing tone as she advises listeners to "look out below," hinting at some impending danger or reckoning.
Line by Line Meaning
Somethin’ filled up
My heart with nothin’,
Someone told me not to cry.
There was an emptiness in my heart which I couldn't fill with anything, and someone advised me not to cry about it.
But now that I’m older,
My heart’s colder,
And I can see that it’s a lie.
As I grew older, my heart grew colder and I realized that the advice not to cry was a lie.
Children wake up,
Hold your mistake up,
Before they turn the summer into dust.
Wisdom to the young: Realize your mistakes before they cause irreversible damage.
If the children don’t grow up,
Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We’re just a million little god’s causin rain storms turnin’ every good thing to rust.
If children fail to mature, they cause chaos in the world and destroy everything worth preserving.
I guess we’ll just have to adjust.
We must learn to adapt in order to survive in a constantly changing environment.
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’ to be
When the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.
With my foreknowledge, I can predict my final destination when death finally claims me.
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am go-goin’
With my intuition and insight, I can perceive where my path leads, and it is clear to me.
You better look out below!
Be wary of imminent danger that may be lurking, lest it catch you off-guard.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JONATHAN PAUL KELLER, MARTIN ROBERT COYLE, RICHARD PARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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