Like Smoke
Nas/Amy Winehouse Lyrics
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I just needed company
Don't want to get dependent on
Your time or who you spend it on
I lose it when you love me
Like smoke, I hung around in the unbalanced
Woah, oh
I’ll spit some untruths to dumb fools and groupies
Fun to punctuate, pronounciate the funds I make
The miles I take put in your face
Oh my mistake, you’re not a floozy
Then excuse me
Before I talk, my style introduced me
Get your name and phone number like one two three
Y’all know the story, y’all know the commentary
I kick the narrative, this is legendary
The good samaritan, hood thespian
Like a polygamist, with a twist
Will I marry again? Maybe, I guess
I hold a lady’s interest, I just met
The love scholar, she’s the teacher’s pet
Every other eve we meet and make each other sweat
I feel triumphant, no strings
Just a fling to have fun with
I be out in london, camden
Huntin’ for the answers, why did god take away the homie?
I can’t stand it
I’m a firm believer that we all meet up in eternity
Just hope the big man show me some courtesy
Why ‘cause I’m deemed a heart breaker
Like smoke, girls linger ‘round a player
I never wanted you to be my man
I just needed company
Don't want to get dependent on
Your time or who you spend it on
I lose it when you love me
Like smoke, I hung around in the unbalanced
Woah, oh
Yo, this recession is a test
It’s affecting my complexion
Misdirectin' my affection
My concerns are bill collections
The facts is the taxes, they after me
Chapter three, my property
My handlers, they dealt with me improperly
I say some things I should probably keep privately
Evaluate the world bank trusts like i’m ieg
Those fly suites and my bourgeoisie
Tall freak, she wouldn’t protest with me at wall street
She says, no you’re so deep
I said, no let’s go through it
Historically so ruthless as feds came for joe louis
She said, my man you need to laugh sometimes
Classifies me as a whore, I tell her have some wine
You colder than penguin pussy, in her dismay
She’s thinkin’ that’s just so silly to say
But if you really think about it hussy
See a penguin, he drags his ass on the ground all day
And it’s a dragon, it’s a bastard you’re in tune with, just lust
I’m through with you after my crush
So is that humorous enough?
The smoke I puff
Tell the car to go to aura, funky buddah, whisky mist on mayfair
I hope I meet monie love so she can show me love
Nyc to uk I might stay there
Everybody in the club tonight say, “yeah”
You know how me and amy are, straight players
Oh, oh, oh, oh
The song brings together two legends of modern music, Amy Winehouse and Nas, in a melancholic yet powerful ode to impermanence and pleasure. As the title suggests, it's a song about fleeting moments and how they can't be contained. Amy sings that she never intended for the man in question to be her own, she only really sought out his company. She's not interested in getting needy, she doesn't want to depend on him or anyone else. But she admits that she loses control when he loves her. The metaphor she uses to describe her feelings is smoke, which over time, fades away from our lives. In the second verse, Nas jumps in to tell us his story, lamenting about how the recession is taking a toll on his life, affecting his complexion and his love life. He talks about Bill collections and the tax man is after him. Nas is a deep and thoughtful rapper, evident by the heavy topics he covers in his lyrics. He's all about evaluating the world and the banks that control it. But despite his heavy thoughts, Nas also knows how to have fun, and he finishes his verse with a shoutout to his partner in crime, Amy.
Line by Line Meaning
I never wanted you to be my man
I wasn't looking for a serious relationship
I just needed company
I wanted someone to spend time with
Don't want to get dependent on
I didn't want to rely on you
Your time or who you spend it on
I didn't want to be jealous of your other commitments
I lose it when you love me
I get overwhelmed by your affection
Like smoke, I hung around in the unbalanced
I lingered in a situation that wasn't good for me
Yo, this recession is a test
The economic downturn is a challenge
It’s affecting my complexion
It's causing stress and taking a physical toll
Misdirectin' my affection
It's making it hard for me to focus on my love life
My concerns are bill collections
I'm worried about paying my bills
The facts is the taxes, they after me
I owe money to the government
Chapter three, my property
My financial situation is complex
Those fly suites and my bourgeoisie
I have expensive tastes
Tall freak, she wouldn’t protest with me at wall street
My girlfriend didn't want to participate in protests
She says, no you’re so deep
She thinks I'm overthinking things
I said, no let’s go through it
I want to address our issues together
You colder than penguin pussy, in her dismay
She was offended by what I said
She’s thinkin’ that’s just so silly to say
She thought my comment was ridiculous
See a penguin, he drags his ass on the ground all day
I'm comparing her to an animal that's not very graceful
And it’s a dragon, it’s a bastard you’re in tune with, just lust
Our relationship was based on physical attraction
I’m through with you after my crush
I'm ready to move on after this fling
So is that humorous enough?
Was my attempt at humor successful?
The smoke I puff
I'm smoking weed
Everybody in the club tonight say, “yeah”
I'm trying to get everyone excited
You know how me and amy are, straight players
Amy Winehouse and I are just having fun
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY WINEHOUSE, SALAAM REMI, NASIR JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind