In the music video, André plays an alien (or “ATLien“) landing on Earth and falling in love with a woman, who he ends up changing his life for at the conclusion of the video. André directed the video himself and said the following about the concept:
If M. Night Shyamalan [writer/director of The Sixth Sense and The Village] had a wife who wrote romance novels, this would be it. I’d like to make a love video that is as hauntingly beautiful as the track itself. So rather than try to tell some disingenuous love story about an ordinary man and woman, I’d like, instead, to set our narrative in a tableau of magic realism.
“I actually wrote it in mind for Janet Jackson to sing. I wanted to just submit for her to sing the song…Once I layed down a demo, it feels better, it feels realer if I did it.“
– André 3000, Broken Record podcast with Rick Rubin, 12/17/19
Prototype
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If not, you are the prototype
We'll tiptoe to the sun
And do things I know you like
I think I'm in love again
I think I'm in love (love) again
Baby, you are the prototype
Do something out of the ordinary
Like catch a matinee
Baby, you are the prototype
I think I'm
I think I'm in love again
I think I'm in love (love) again
If we happen to part
Lord knows I don't want that
But hey, we can't be mad at God
We met today for a reason
I think I'm on the right track now
I think I'm in love again
I think I'm in love (love) again
(Let's go, let's go) to the movies, yeah
(And action)
Come here
Nah, come here
Uh-uh, I said, "Come here"
Come here
I think I'm in love again
Girl, right now I wanna say
I think I'm in love (love)
I wanna say (again)
I wanna say stank you (stank you) very much (very much)
For picking me up and bringing me back to this world
I think I'm in love again
I can't, I'm not
I can't afford to not record
I think I'm in love again
I think I wanna say
I think I wanna say, stank you
I think I'm in love (stank you, smelly much) again
For pickin' me up, pickin' me up out to this world
Stank you (ay, ay, John) very much
Are we recording our ad libs?
I think I'm in love (really?)
(Love) again
Were we recording just then?
Let me hear that (stank you), the first one I first
(Very much)
I think I'm in love again
Stank you very much
I think I'm in love
The opening lines of the song 'Prototype' represent the excitement of falling in love, hoping that the person you’ve developed feelings for is the “one.” The second line, “If not, you are the prototype,” implies that if the person isn’t meant to be the one, they are the model or example for the person they are meant to be with. The lyrics show that the singer wants to spend time with the person and do things that they would enjoy. There’s a sense of positivity and hope that they have found someone special.
The lyrics then shift to an affirmation of love, with the singer feeling confident that they have fallen in love again. They acknowledge the role of fate in bringing them together, and that if they part ways, it was meant to be. The chorus repeats the sentiment of falling in love, underlining the powerful emotions the singer is experiencing. The closing lines of the song express the joy and gratitude of being loved, with the singer thanking the other person for bringing them back to life.
Line by Line Meaning
I hope that you're the one
I am looking for the right person
If not, you are the prototype
But if it's not you, it may be someone like you
We'll tiptoe to the sun
We will carefully explore our love
And do things I know you like
And I will do things to make you happy
I think I'm in love again
I believe I have found love once more
Today must be my lucky day
Today is a blessed day, and I have met you
Do something out of the ordinary
Let's try something new and fun together
Like catch a matinee
Like go to the movies in the daytime
If we happen to part
If we ever break up
Lord knows I don't want that
I pray that won't happen, but in case it does
But hey, we can't be mad at God
We can't be angry with God's plan
We met today for a reason
Our meeting is meaningful and destined to happen
I think I'm on the right track now
I feel that I am moving in the right direction with you
Let's go to the movies, yeah
Let's go have fun together
Come here
Come closer to me
Nah, come here
No, come closer than that
Uh-uh, I said, "Come here"
I want you close to me
Girl, right now I wanna say
Girl, at this moment I want you to know
I wanna say stank you (stank you) very much (very much)
I want to say thank you very much (with a humorous twist on the word)
For picking me up and bringing me back to this world
For giving me hope and making me feel alive again
I can't afford to not record
I have to capture this feeling in my work as an artist
Are we recording our ad libs?
Is this improvisation being recorded?
Let me hear that (stank you), the first one I first
Let me listen back to the first take of that (stank you)
Were we recording just then?
Did we capture that on tape?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andre Benjamin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JordanWelch
a real classic
@chanceForNotBeingRapper
missed this duo, Big Boi alone had good projects but andre 3k😢 only tons of features in decades, from Rick Ross to even Killer Mike. Dream crossover did happen, but I prefer Big Boi and Andre reunite
@sphnixs
just watched ur newest vid at school today and here u are 🤣thats crazy
@MPZC
Andre paved the way for the Frank oceans, miguel's, joji's, tyler the creator's, childish gambino's and many others music we enjoy today. His vision and artistry was beyond his time.
@0Linerider0forever0
Could call him the prototype
@famelito007
The one artist that comes to mind while hearing this is THUNDERCAT. It literally sounds like he influenced him as well.
@teahgurl
And wait, there’s more 😂😂😂
@mxverick69
@@famelito007factos
@okaydmuzikkk6771
yea hes definetly inspired by Andre 3000 fr tho. @@famelito007
@themmoog
Me and my girlfriend had just started dating when Outkast released this album. I played this song for her because the lyrics were just spot on how I felt for her.. We're still together to this day and have a beautiful son :) Love you B & G, forever and ever and ever ever!