She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000), which was a critical and commercial success that spawned two top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "I'm Like a Bird" and "Turn Off the Light". The first of the two singles won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado's introspective folk-heavy 2003 second album, Folklore, explored her Portuguese roots. Its singles received moderate success in Europe, but the album's underperformance compared to her debut was regarded as a sophomore slump.
Furtado's third album, Loose (2006), was a smash hit and became her bestselling album, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, also making it one of the bestselling albums of the 2000s. Considered a radical image reinvention, Furtado continued to explore her Portuguese heritage while leaning heavier into hip hop. The album spawned four successful number-one singles worldwide; "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)".
She released her first Spanish-language album, Mi Plan, in 2009, which won her a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. In 2012, Furtado released her nostalgia-inspired fifth album The Spirit Indestructible. Furtado split with her management and went independent thereafter, releasing her indie-pop sixth album, The Ride, in 2017 under her own label Nelstar Entertainment.
She has won many awards throughout her career, including one Grammy Award from seven nominations, one Latin Grammy Award, ten Juno Awards, one BRIT Award, one Billboard Music Award, one MTV Europe Music Award, one World Music Award, and three Much Music Video Awards. Furtado has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, and was awarded Commander of the Order of Prince Henry on February 28, 2014, by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the then-President of Portugal.
I Am
Nelly Furtado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I've been right here
With you walking out the door
And I won't fight it
I think you already know
Don't try to hide it
You know this time I will go
And I won't come back
You said you would
Be so different
And your old habits
You would switch them
Look at this picture
Could it get any clearer?
But youre wasting my time
Chorus:
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
I think I've seen you before
With that sullen face
Telling me that you don't know why I'm so angry
While you were having some fun
You left me right here
You said you loved me so much
And I don't want you to say you're sorry
I know it's a deeper story
You're not fine well
I'll ignore it
cause I made up my mind
Chorus
Look at the stars now baby
Don't let it drive you crazy
And you said
Baby they calling out you're name
And I said maybe I don't want to be your baby no more
Chorus
The lyrics of Nelly Furtado's song "I Am" seem to depict a troubled relationship where the singer has been cheated on and hurt too many times to continue. She talks about previous instances where she has left, implying a cycle of the same pattern repeating itself. She calls out her partner's empty promises of changing their ways, showing disappointment and frustration at being wasted time with their inaction. The chorus sings about her resolve to move on, focusing on self-improvement and proving that her strength and intelligence is not dependent on her partner's presence. In the final verse, the singer encourages her partner to let go of their obsession with their name being called out among the stars, refusing to be their "baby" any longer.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I've been here before
I have experienced this situation before
Yeah I've been right here
I am in the same place
With you walking out the door
Leaving the relationship
And I won't fight it
I will not resist it
I think you already know
You are aware of the issue
Don't try to hide it
Do not conceal it
You know this time I will go
I will leave this time
And I won't come back
I will not return
You said you would
You promised
Be so different
Change your ways
And your old habits
Repetitive behaviors
You would switch them
You would change them
Look at this picture
Consider the evidence
Could it get any clearer?
Is it not obvious?
But you're wasting my time
You are using up my time
And if you see me walking by
When you witness me walking past
You don't have to spend your time
You do not need to invest your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Inquiring if I'm okay
Do I look smarter?
Do I appear more intelligent?
Do I look stronger?
Do I seem more resilient?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Is it not curious?
Well I am, well I am
Yes, I am
I think I've seen you before
I have encountered you previously
With that sullen face
With that gloomy expression
Telling me that you don't know why I'm so angry
Claiming you are unaware of my frustration
While you were having some fun
While you were enjoying yourself
You left me right here
You abandoned me in this place
You said you loved me so much
You professed your love for me
And I don't want you to say you're sorry
I do not want an apology from you
I know it's a deeper story
I understand there are underlying issues
You're not fine well
You are not doing well
I'll ignore it
I will disregard it
Cause I made up my mind
I have made a firm decision
Look at the stars now baby
Observing the stars now dear
Don't let it drive you crazy
Do not let it make you feel insane
And you said
You claimed
Baby they calling out you're name
Darling, they are calling out your name
And I said maybe I don't want to be your baby no more
And I responded that I am no longer interested in being your beloved
Chorus
Refrain repeated multiple times throughout the song
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thiago
I Am
I think I've been here before
Yeah I've been right here
With you walking out the door
And I won't fight it
I think you already know
Don't try to hide it
You know this time I will go
And I won't come back
You said you would
Be so different
And your old habits
You would switch them
Look at this picture
Could it get any clearer?
But you're wasting my time
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
I think I've seen you before
With that sullen face
Telling me that you don't know
Why I'm so angry
While you were having some fun
You left me right here
You said you loved me so much
And I don't want you to say you're sorry
I know it's a deeper story
You're not fine
Well, I'll ignore it
'Cause I made up my mind
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
Look at the stars now, baby
Don't let it drive you crazy
And you said
Baby, they're calling out your name
And I said
Maybe I don't want to be your baby no more
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
Kilo Lee
this is probably one of Nelly's best songs. Simply amazing.
Mimi YuYu
Sux that this song is basically a ghost. Not on iTunes or Spotify or rhapsody. My fave song by her
rai dynamics
its on soundcloud by the nelstar project
Gustavo Correa
Amazing and powerful song. To this day I still find it compelling, attractive. It draws me to it, it’s like a heart claiming a feeling. “If you see me walking by, you don’t have to spend your time, asking me if I’m alright... do I look smarter, do i look stronger, does it make you wonder?.. we’ll, I AM!!! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽⚡️
Goncalves Anderson
I LOVE NELLY FURTADO 🎧💜🎧
Nelly minha DIVA TOP 2020 🇧🇷
Jhonatan Silveira
eu amo essa musica da nelly furtado
Goncalves Anderson
Nelly minha Diva👑🥰💘💯🔊✌🔝🎶🎼🎵✌😁👉👉👉💚🇧🇷💚🇧🇷💚🎧2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣
Goncalves Anderson
I love Nelly Furtado 💕
Thiago
I Am
I think I've been here before
Yeah I've been right here
With you walking out the door
And I won't fight it
I think you already know
Don't try to hide it
You know this time I will go
And I won't come back
You said you would
Be so different
And your old habits
You would switch them
Look at this picture
Could it get any clearer?
But you're wasting my time
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
I think I've seen you before
With that sullen face
Telling me that you don't know
Why I'm so angry
While you were having some fun
You left me right here
You said you loved me so much
And I don't want you to say you're sorry
I know it's a deeper story
You're not fine
Well, I'll ignore it
'Cause I made up my mind
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
Look at the stars now, baby
Don't let it drive you crazy
And you said
Baby, they're calling out your name
And I said
Maybe I don't want to be your baby no more
And if you see me walking by
You don't have to spend your time
Asking me if I'm alright
Do I look smarter?
Do I look stronger?
Doesn't it make you wonder?
Well I am, well I am
Gabriel Oliveira
Probably this song could be a hit, I loved at first listen! <3