High Life
Nelly Furtado Lyrics

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They say I was always destined for fortune and fame
Now that I've gotten what I wanted everything's changed
And now I'm living the
High life, high life
I never looked back once I left my hometown
High life, high life
I left behind everybody I know

And now I'm singing like
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
And everybody sings along like

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
Be careful when you're wishing for the high life

They say you have to come clean with your past to move on
All of my dreams have come true but something still feels wrong
But I'm still living the
High life, high life
I never looked back once I left my hometown
High life, high life
Said goodbye to everybody I know

And now I'm singing like
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
And everybody sings along like

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
Be careful when you're wishing for the high life

Everybody's dreaming of the high life
It may look good from the outside
But all I really wanted was a good life
With a memory reel of all the highlights
All I want is to sleep good at night
Look myself in the mirror knowing that I live right
So when I'm six feet in the ground
I'll be singing like

A million dollars in palm
Not a worry in the world, that's everything I want
I'm wishing I was there I feel like it's where I belong
I wanna be able to go pay all the bills for my mom
And make her smile
Pick up my family and take em out
On me
And my over capacitated bank account
Money is all I think about
Of my life it's a highlight
Tired of being low I'm ready for the high life
Look at me now
Look at how I get down
Stubs and Wooten on my feet
I'm the flyest youngin in town
But I'm loosin it
My vision has just become an illusion
And Now my highlife is low again
Struggling to hold it in I was on a mission
And messed everything up making all the wrong decisions
I know it's not the end Well then again it might be
And it's sucks god forbid you ever end up like me

And now I'm singing like
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
And everybody sings along like

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
Be careful when you're wishing for the high life
Be careful when you're wishing for the high life

Be careful when you're wishing for the high life
Be careful when you're wishing for the high life

Overall Meaning

In "High Life," Nelly Furtado reflects on the highs and lows of success as she sings about hoping for the "high life" while acknowledging the pitfalls that come with it. She starts by acknowledging that people always said she was destined for success, and now that she has it, she realizes that everything has changed. She left her hometown behind, along with everyone she knew, and is living a life full of luxury and fame. However, she also recognizes that it's not all it's cracked up to be, as she says that even though she's achieved her dreams, something still feels wrong.

The chorus features Nelly cautioning listeners to be careful what they wish for, warning that the "high life" might not be what they expect. She suggests that people have to come clean with their past to move forward, indicating that she has perhaps struggled with the consequences of her newfound success. Nevertheless, she continues to sing about the allure of the high life, including the need for money and the desire to make her family happy. She ends the song on a pessimistic note, suggesting that her vision of the "high life" has become an illusion and that she may have made all the wrong decisions, but still admitting that she may not be at the end yet.

Overall, "High Life" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of success and the perils of fame that might not be immediately obvious to outsiders. Despite her reservations, Nelly Furtado is still drawn by the high life, making the song a complex reflection on the cost of ambition.

Line by Line Meaning

They say I was always destined for fortune and fame
People thought I was meant for success since the beginning

Now that I've gotten what I wanted everything's changed
Now that I've achieved my goals, things are not what I expected

And now I'm living the High life, high life
Despite the changes, I am still living a luxurious life

I never looked back once I left my hometown High life, high life I left behind everybody I know
To pursue success, I left my past behind without a second thought

And now I'm singing like La la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la And everybody sings along like La la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la
I am happy on the surface, but there's a deeper dissatisfaction

Be careful when you're wishing for the high life
Success may come with unforeseen consequences and challenges

They say you have to come clean with your past to move on All of my dreams have come true but something still feels wrong
I have achieved success but still feel unfulfilled and haunted by my past

I'm still living the High life, high life I never looked back once I left my hometown High life, high life Said goodbye to everybody I know
Despite my doubts, I am still living in luxury and ignoring my past

Everybody's dreaming of the high life It may look good from the outside But all I really wanted was a good life With a memory reel of all the highlights All I want is to sleep good at night Look myself in the mirror knowing that I live right
Success may seem desirable, but true happiness comes from living a good life and being at peace with oneself

So when I'm six feet in the ground I'll be singing like
In the end, all that matters is being content with one's life choices

A million dollars in palm Not a worry in the world, that's everything I want I'm wishing I was there I feel like it's where I belong I wanna be able to go pay all the bills for my mom And make her smile Pick up my family and take em out On me And my over capacitated bank account Money is all I think about Of my life it's a highlight Tired of being low I'm ready for the high life Look at me now Look at how I get down Stubs and Wooten on my feet I'm the flyest youngin in town But I'm loosin it My vision has just become an illusion And Now my highlife is low again Struggling to hold it in I was on a mission And messed everything up making all the wrong decisions I know it's not the end Well then again it might be And it's sucks god forbid you ever end up like me
Describing the lure and pitfall of money and fame, while acknowledging their fleeting nature and the risk of losing oneself in their pursuit.

Be careful when you're wishing for the high life
Once again, cautioning against blindly pursuing success without considering the consequences

Be careful when you're wishing for the high life
A final reminder that success may not be what it seems and should be approached thoughtfully

Be careful when you're wishing for the high life
One last warning about the dangers of pursuing success without foresight

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NELLY FURTADO, NIKO WARREN, RODNEY JERKINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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