On “Bad Intentions”—a raw but smoldering R&B ballad whose lyric video shot to more than a million views soon after its January 2014 release, largely on the strength of her staggering social-media presence—Niykee’s near-lifelong devotion to sharpening her songwriting is more than evident. “I realized early on that the only way to make my voice heard and say what I wanted to was through music,” says Niykee, whose older sister Rachel battled cancer for most of her life and died when Niykee was 12. “It was less like a hobby for me and more like a lifesaver,” she adds. Since her family couldn’t financially support her musical education, Niykee gave herself vocal training by singing along to a Diana Ross greatest-hits CD, and learned to play guitar by holing up in her room with an acoustic handed down to her by a family friend. And when it came to her songwriting, Niykee relied on a natural sense of rhythm she attributes both to her South African roots and passion for hip-hop, yet also drew a great deal of inspiration from the bare-bones authenticity of singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits (two artists beloved by her sister and older brother).
In her early teens, Niykee began posting pop covers on YouTube while continuing to cultivate her songwriting. “On Friday and Saturday nights when all the other kids were going out, I was staying home and writing songs or, when I got a little older, driving hours to some broke-down bar and begging them to let me get up and play,” says Niykee, who struggled with bullying throughout her school years. “I was doing everything I could to move my music along, but nothing was working out at all.” Having promised her sister that she’d make an impact with her songs, Niykee told her parents that she’d put songwriting aside and go to college if her music career hadn’t made any major strides by the time she turned 18. Then, the day before her 18th birthday—and shortly after she’d ditched the pop covers and started posting her acoustic takes on tracks by hip-hop artists like Chief Keef, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and Pusha T—Niykee wound up on WorldstarHipHop and found herself fielding interest from a flood of record labels. Instead of aligning herself with a label right away, she graduated high school six months early and self-financed the recording of a host of her own songs, eventually signing with Steve Rifkind and Russell Simmons’ All Def Music and setting to work on her debut EP.
With her personal highlights so far including getting hand-picked by Snoop Dogg to accompany him onstage at the YouTube Brandcast in May 2013, Niykee has kept up a steady songwriting routine despite the whirlwind of recent years. Now a magnet for up-and-coming producers, she constantly combs through beats sent her way and finds that many end up sparking song ideas. “I’ll know if a beat’s good after the first five seconds, and then I’ll get a song in my head and start writing immediately,” she says. “I go out to my back porch with my guitar and the words just come, and usually it’s all done in under 30 minutes.” As she continues develop as a lyricist, Niykee notes that the pain of her past serves as an endless source of unlikely inspiration. “Even when I’m not writing literally about things that have happened to me, all the pain of my childhood and losing my sister ends up getting pushed into my music,” she says. “It shapes my songs and builds this deeper meaning under everything, which is one the most important things to me—I need to know that I could listen to any of my songs 20 years from now, and still be proud of what I had to say.”
Starting Over
Niykee Heaton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why do you crash my party?
How do you always call me
Right when I start feeling like I'm strong enough to let it all go?
How do you always show up
Right at the perfect moment?
As soon as I'm forgetting all about you, you end up at my door
How do you? How do you?
How do you know?
How do you? How do you?
How do you know?
How do you? How do you?
How do you know
If you really love me then let me go now
Find somebody new and take 'em home now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
So can we stop from starting
Something that we know that we can't handle?
Find somebody new, a different angle
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
And we need to start all over again
And again, and again, and again, and again
Why do you call me only
Just 'cause you can't be lonely?
Stop begging me, now, can't you see
I finally got back on my feet? (On my feet)
How do you find my weakness
Just when I think I'm free this?
As soon as I'm forgetting all about you, you end up at my door
How do you know?
How do you? How do you?
How do you know?
How do you? How do you?
How do you know?
How do you? How do you?
How do you know
If you really love me then let me go now
Find somebody new and take 'em home now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
So can we stop from starting
Something that we know that we can't handle?
Find somebody new, a different angle
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
And we need to start all over again
Why do you crash my party?
(And again, and again, and again...)
Why do you always call me?
(And again, and again, and again...)
Why do you crash my party?
(And again, and again, and again...)
You need to let me go
If you really love me then let me go now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
If you really love me then let me go now
Find somebody new and take 'em home now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
So can we stop from starting
Something that we know that we can't handle?
Find somebody new, a different angle
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
And we need to start all over again
And again, and again, and again, and again
The lyrics to Niykee Heaton's song "Starting Over" appear to be written from the perspective of someone trying to move on from a past love or relationship. The question "why do you crash my party?" could be interpreted as the past love interest constantly interrupting the singer's personal growth and healing process. The line "how do you always show up right at the perfect moment?" suggests the love interest may be monitoring the singer's progress and intentionally inserting themselves back into their life when they think the time is right.
The repeated inquiry of "how do you know?" indicates frustration and confusion over the love interest's actions and motivations. The singer may feel like they are being toyed with, or unsure if the love interest really cares or is just playing games.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of conflict between the desire to move on and the lingering feelings for the past love interest. The singer recognizes that starting over and finding someone new may be the healthiest choice, but their heart and emotions make it difficult to fully let go.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmhmm
Expression of agreement or acknowledgement
Why do you crash my party?
Questioning why the person constantly interferes with her life
How do you always call me
Right when I start feeling like I'm strong enough to let it all go?
Asking how the person always knows when she's vulnerable and ready to move on
How do you always show up
Right at the perfect moment?
Asking how the person always knows the perfect moment to interfere
As soon as I'm forgetting all about you, you end up at my door
Expressing frustration at the person's timing of showing up when she's trying to forget them
How do you know?
Questioning how the person has this knowledge
If you really love me then let me go now
Requesting the person to let go if they truly love her
Find somebody new and take 'em home now
Encouraging the person to find someone else to avoid interference
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
Admitting feelings of longing for the person and struggling to move on
So can we stop from starting
Something that we know that we can't handle?
Asking the person to stop trying to start something that won't work
Find somebody new, a different angle
Encouraging the person to find someone else and approach their life differently
And we need to start all over again
And again, and again, and again, and again
Expressing the need to continuously start over and move on from the person's interference
Just 'cause you can't be lonely?
Questioning the person's motivations for contacting her
Stop begging me, now, can't you see
I finally got back on my feet? (On my feet)
Telling the person to stop begging and notice that she's moved on
How do you find my weakness
Just when I think I'm free this?
Questioning how the person finds her vulnerabilities even when she thinks she's moved on
You need to let me go
Directly informing the person to let her go
Writer(s): JORGEN KJELL ELOFSSON, CAROLINE AILIN
Contributed by Stella W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nalanisreagan2484
[Verse 1]
Mm, why do you crash my party?
How do you always call me
Right when I start feeling like
I'm strong enough to let it all go
How do you always show up
Right at the perfect moment
As soon as I’m forgetting all about you
You end up at my door
[Pre-Chorus]
How do you know, how do you
How do you, how do you know, how do you
How do you, how do you know, how do you
How do you, how do you know
[Chorus]
If you really love me then let me go now
Find somebody new and take 'em home now
I look at you, won't miss you when I stop from starting over
So can we stop from starting something that we know that we can’t handle?
Find somebody new, a different angle
I look at you, won't miss you when I stop from starting over
And we need to start all over again
And again and again and again and again
[Verse 2]
Why do you call me only
Just 'cause you can't be lonely?
Stop begging me, can't you see
I finally got back on my feet? (On my feet)
How do you find my weakness
Just when I think I'm free this?
As soon as I'm forgetting all about you
You end up at my door
[Pre-Chorus]
How do you know, how do you
How do you, how do you know, how do you
How do you, how do you know, how do you
How do you, how do you know
[Chorus]
If you really love me then let me go now
Find somebody new and take 'em home now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
So can we stop from starting something that we know that we can’t handle?
Find somebody new, a different angle
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
And we need to start all over again
And again and again and again and again
[Bridge]
Why do you crash my party?
(And again and again and again and again)
Why do you always call me?
(And again and again and again and again)
Why do you crash my party?
(And again and again and again and again)
You need to let me go
If you really love me then let me go now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
[Chorus]
If you really love me then let me go now
Find somebody new and take ’em home now
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
So can we stop from starting something that we know that we can't handle?
Find somebody new, a different angle
I look at you, I miss you and I stop from starting over
And we need to start all over again
And again and again and again and again
@Moonbabes521
Omg I'm bawling my eyes out. My husband just left me and this song hits home too hard. He always finds a way to break my walls just when I get back on my feet. I can't take this!!!!
@idiotsandwich7878
I'm glad that you're staying strong. I'm only 14 but I really feel for you. I know how hard it is having to come home to a problematic house. I hope you're in a better situation now. Once you've endured it, you'll come out a stronger person. Just remember what you're fighting for!!
@Moonbabes521
@@idiotsandwich7878 you're so sweet!!!!
@idiotsandwich7878
Sheila Krimmel no problem :) I hope you’re back on your feet!
@shanilram3179
I'm a guy but I feel your pain sis stay strong especially if u have kids
@brandycherry885
It says you posted this over a2 years ago.... well I honestly hate to say this out loud but I just now found this song and and fell in love and felt the pain of everyone through her voice.... I think it's good that she can make us feel the emotions no matter what it is you gather from her music or pain... I wanted to know about you and your husband as well it's been about 2 years for me as well and I'm not doing so well, I feel that everyday is a new day but I can't seem to move past my own own pain anymore... if you 2 years later tell me, WHATS MY HOPE OF EVER BEING AND FEELING ANY KIND OF NORMALCY AGAIN... AND WILL THE PAIN EVER GO AWAY??? LOOK IM SORRY FOR BEING SO UP IN YOUR FACE BUT I NEED SOMEONE THATS NOT FAMILY TO GIVE ME SOME ADVICE.....
Sincerely BC
@shyrose2386
That “again, again, and again” 2:38 Such a nice touch without trying
@samantharhodes8946
I read this as it was playing that part and I totally agree
@shyrose2386
Sammi Cornell Yes, I loved it‼️
@yaaraleve5047
yessss! I keep listening to that part over and over again. Gives me chills.