Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), bette… Read Full Bio ↴Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), better known by her stage name Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, is an American Grammy Award winning rapper, singer, producer, actress and former member of the R&B group Sista. With sales of over seven million in the United States alone she is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA and has worked extensively as a producer for many other artists along with her childhood friend Timbaland. She released her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 and has since released 1999's Da Real World, 2001's Miss E… So Addictive, 2002's Under Construction, 2003's This is Not a Test! and 2005's The Cookbook. She has been working on her seventh studio album, Block Party, since 2007.

Elliott is one of the first female hip hop superstars, known for a long series of hits including "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", "Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee", "Get Ur Freak On", "One Minute Man", "Work It", and "Lose Control". In addition she has received recognition as one of the most successful songwriters of the modern music era, having crafted a number of hit records for artists such as Aaliyah, 702, Total, Ciara, Nicole Wray and Tweet, often with production-partner and childhood friend Timbaland. She was the third female rapper to ever go Platinum, behind Lil' Kim and Da Brat.

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, she began her career in the all-girl R&B group, Sista in 1993. Eventually, the band folded and Elliott began her career as a solo rapper. Since the early 1990's, Elliott has won six Grammys, recently scoring one for her video of "Lose Control."

Other releases are 'Teary Eyed' and 'We Run This', and the last of these two songs will be the main single of the new greatest hits album titled 'Respect M.E.: Best Of' featuring 17 tracks from her six albums.

Selfish
Missy Elliott Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Boy, stop playin' tricks on me
Cause when I think I found the right one
I end up lonely
So don't judge me
Before you get to know me
I don't wanna share your love
Make me your one and only
Ooh, oh yeah

I don't want nobody else
I want you to myself
You can call me selfish if you want to
I don't need nobody else
I don't wanna share your love
I wanna be the only one you run to

My heart
Can't take another heart break
Because every time I fall deep in love
Somebody go and hurt me
So this time
There will be no mistakes
If you allow me to prove myself
Boy, I can make you happy
Ooh, oh yeah

I don't want nobody else
I want you to myself
You can call me selfish if you want to
I don't need nobody else
I don't wanna share your love
I wanna be the only one you run to

I'm stingy with my man
I'm stingy with the goodies
If you think my style fly
Then check the way I boogie
This one tough cookie
With shell toes and hoodies
Will approach any chic that walk up to my man
Never understand my man, be my man
I shut the game down
This dude is mine now
Bring it to the ring
K.O. in one round
Miss Demeanor and Fantasia with the break down, uh

I want to be the only one (i want to be)
The only one that you run to (suga', suga', suga', suga', suga')
I sure don't need nobody else (baby i don't need)
You're the one, you're the one, you're the one, you're the one
I wanna be (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I want to be the only one (oh baby)
The only one that you run to (only one that you could run to)
I sure don't need nobody else (I don't need nobody else)
You're the one, you're the one, you're the one, you're the one
I wanna be (oh, yeah)

I don't want nobody else
I want you to myself
You can call me selfish if you want to
I don't need nobody else

I don't wanna share your love
I wanna be the only one you run to

Overall Meaning

In Missy Elliott's song Selfish, the artist expresses her desire to be the only one her lover runs to. She pleads with her partner not to play tricks on her and to allow her to prove herself as the right one. Missy is tired of heartbreak caused by falling deeply in love and being hurt by their partners each time. She admits to being selfish and wanting her love all to herself, and she is willing to fight for it.

Missy's confidence exudes as she proclaims that she's "stingy with the goodies," not willing to share her man with anyone. This tough cookie is not afraid to shut the game down and fight for her man, and she's got the moves to back it up. Miss Demeanor and Fantasia also join in the break down, adding layers of female empowerment to the song's message.

Overall, Selfish is a confrontational love song that boldly expresses Missy's desire to be loved exclusively. She is willing to be called selfish for wanting this, and her confidence and strength make the song an empowering anthem for women who refuse to settle for anything but the best when it comes to love.

Line by Line Meaning

Boy, stop playin' tricks on me
Stop deceiving me or manipulating me.

Cause when I think I found the right one
Whenever I feel like I've found someone special to share my love with.

I end up lonely
I always end up heartbroken and alone.

So don't judge me
Don't be quick to criticize me or make assumptions about me.

Before you get to know me
Take the time to understand who I am, and what I'm looking for.

I don't wanna share your love
I don't feel like I should have to compete for your affections.

Make me your one and only
I want to be the sole recipient of your love and attention.

My heart
Refers to the artist's emotional vulnerability.

Can't take another heart break
I am at my limit for suffering heartbreaks, and can't endure another one.

Because every time I fall deep in love
Each time I've fallen head-over-heels in love.

Somebody go and hurt me
Someone has come along and shattered those feelings by doing something hurtful.

So this time
For this particular relationship, I want to ensure it's different.

There will be no mistakes
I will not allow myself to be hurt again.

If you allow me to prove myself
If you give me the chance to demonstrate my commitment.

Boy, I can make you happy
I believe that I'm capable of making you feel happy and loved.

I'm stingy with my man
I'm protective of the person I am seeing, and don't want to share their affection with anyone else.

I'm stingy with the goodies
I am not interested in being physically intimate with anyone else other than the person I am seeing.

Never understand my man, be my man
Other women may not truly understand the complexity and depth of the relationship I share with my partner.

This dude is mine now
I am in exclusive control of my partner's affections and love.

Bring it to the ring
Let's fight this out.

K.O. in one round
I'll take you down in one swift movement.

Miss Demeanor and Fantasia with the break down, uh
These are the names of two of the main singers in the song, and the line is a musical reference.

I want to be the only one (i want to be)
I desire to be the singular focal point of my partner's love.

The only one that you run to (suga', suga', suga', suga', suga')
I want to be the person my partner always turns to for affection and care.

I sure don't need nobody else (baby i don't need)
I definitely do not require anyone else to appease my emotional needs.

You're the one, you're the one, you're the one, you're the one
The person the singer is devoted to and loves.

I wanna be (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
The feeling of wanting to have exclusive love and attention from another person.

Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CRAIG BROCKMAN, MELISSA A ELLIOTT, CORTE ELLIS, CAINON LAMB

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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