Road of the Lonely Ones
Madlib Lyrics


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Is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Right now

Lost on a lonely road (do, do, do)
I carried such a heavy load (do, do, do)
Lost on a lonely road (do, do, do)
Carried such a heavy load (do, do, do)

(Do, do, do)
I must've done something wrong (do, do, do)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba), (ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)

Where did I go wrong?
Where did I go wrong?
Can you tell me now?
Did I ever treat you bad?
Or did I ever do you wrong?
Or did I
I'd like to know the answer, girl
Where did I go wrong?
I must've done something
(I must've done something wrong)
To be left here with such a lonely song

Lost on a lonely road (do, do, do)
I carried such a heavy load (do, do, do)
Lost on a lonely road (do, do, do)
Carried such a heavy load (do, do, do)

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)

Where did I go wrong?
Where did I go wrong?
Can you tell me now?
Did I ever treat you bad?
Or did I ever do you wrong?
Or did I
I'd like to know the answer, girl
Where did I go wrong?
I must've done something




(I must've done something wrong)
To be left here with such a lonely song

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Madlib's song "Road of the Lonely Ones" explore the experience of feeling lost and alone after a failed relationship. The opening lines, "Is the time, Now is the time, Now is the time, Right now," create a sense of urgency and demonstrate the singer's desire to understand what went wrong. The repetition of "lost on a lonely road" and "carried such a heavy load" reinforces the feeling of being burdened and without direction. The use of the humming sound "do, do, do" adds to the haunting, melancholic atmosphere of the song.


The chorus asks, "Where did I go wrong? Can you tell me now? Did I ever treat you bad? Or did I ever do you wrong?" These lyrics reveal the singer's desire for closure, and his belief that he may be responsible for the breakup. The repetition of "I must've done something wrong" only emphasizes this. Nevertheless, the singer still doesn't know what he did wrong, and is left with "such a lonely song" as a reminder of his pain.


Overall, "Road of the Lonely Ones," with its sparse instrumentation and introspective lyrics, captures the feeling of being lost and disconnected after a failed relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

Is the time
This is the moment.


Now is the time
Right now is the moment.


Right now
This moment in time.


Lost on a lonely road (do, do, do)
Feeling isolated and disconnected from others.


I carried such a heavy load (do, do, do)
Carrying a great burden or weight on one's shoulders.


(Do, do, do)
Vocalization of a feeling of uncertainty or confusion.


I must've done something wrong (do, do, do)
Questioning past actions or decisions that may have led to negative consequences.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba), (ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sounds highlighting the feeling of fruitlessness in searching for answers.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


Where did I go wrong?
Questioning what steps led to a negative outcome or emotional state.


Can you tell me now?
Asking for someone else's perspective or insight into the situation.


Did I ever treat you bad?
Self-reflection on past mistreatment of others.


Or did I ever do you wrong?
Self-reflection on past actions that may have hurt someone close.


Or did I
Continuation of self-reflection on past actions or decisions.


I'd like to know the answer, girl
Expressing a desire for answers or closure.


I must've done something
Acceptance of responsibility for the current situation.


(I must've done something wrong)
Admission of fault for the current situation.


To be left here with such a lonely song
Feeling emotionally drained or isolated despite efforts to find answers.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


(Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
Repetition of nonsensical sound.


Where did I go wrong?
Continuing to search for an answer to what went wrong.


Can you tell me now?
Continuing to seek external perspective or insight.


Did I ever treat you bad?
Continued self-reflection on past mistreatment of others.


Or did I ever do you wrong?
Continued self-reflection on past actions that may have hurt someone close.


Or did I
Continuation of self-reflection on past actions or decisions.


I'd like to know the answer, girl
Continued expression of a desire for answers or closure.


I must've done something
Continued acceptance of responsibility for the current situation.


(I must've done something wrong)
Continued admission of fault for the current situation.


To be left here with such a lonely song
Continued feeling of emotional strain and isolation despite efforts to seek answers.




Lyrics Β© JAMIE MUSIC PUBLISHING CO
Written by: Kieran Habden, Otis Jackson Jr

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@MortonMoep

Lyrics:

[Intro]

Lost in a lonely world
Can not set your head alone
Lost in a lonely world
Can not set your head alone

[Chorus]

Where did I go wrong?
Can you tell me now?
Did I ever treat you bad?
Or did I ever do you wrong?
Or did I
I'd like to know the answer girl
Where did I go wrong?
I must've done something
I must've done something wrong
To be left here with such a lonely song

Lost in a lonely world
Can not set your head alone
Lost in a lonely world
Can not set your head alone

[Chorus]

Where did I go wrong?
Can you tell me now?
Did I ever treat you bad?
Or did I ever do you wrong?
Or did I
I'd like to know the answer girl
Where did I go wrong?
I must've done something
I must've done something wrong
To be left here with such a lonely song



All comments from YouTube:

@rowboat1923

This is Madlib's love letter to his friends

Rest in peace, DOOM and Dilla

@wasntme151

i was playing the 1st podcast from stones throw which is dedicated to Dilla. The starting beat you should check out...

@rowboat1923

@@wasntme151 Thanks a lot! I will

@trentstone1409

This song has been on GTA 5 radio. Not sure if it was recently added or if it was uploaded on his youtube recently. But this song has been around for some time i believe

@milkweed7508

@@trentstone1409 GTA just added it in new update as well as some stuff on FLYLO's station. Beat was previously unreleased.

@trentstone1409

@@milkweed7508 oh shit thats dope thanks for the clarification

25 More Replies...

@purvikbhatt7643

I'm so glad to be alive at a time where madlib's still making music like this! Hello to people that discover this in like 10 years

@jf5447

hello indeed

@ganjamangaaiaaai9396

Right on !

@vampgloshit

promise to be here after years

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