As part of the Neptunes, Williams has produced numerous hit singles for various recording artists. Williams has earned eleven Grammy Awards including two with the Neptunes. He currently owns a media venture that encompasses entertainment, music, fashion, and art called i am OTHER, a multimedia creative collective and record label that serves as an umbrella for all of Pharrell Williams' endeavors, including Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream apparel, Billionaire Girls Club, textile company Bionic Yarn and a dedicated YouTube channel launched in 2012. The channel was launched on May 12, 2012 as part of YouTube's $100 million original channel initiative.
So Ambitious
Pharrell Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fuck y'all
The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be
Oh well
This a special dedication, (thank y'all)
I wanna thank you for the fuel
No really thank you
(Y'all better hear this shit)
I felt so inspired by what my teacher said
Said I'd either be dead or be a reefer head
Now sure if that's how adults should speak to kids
Especially when the only thing I did was speak in class
I teach his ass
Even betters what my uncle did
I pop my demo tape in, start to beat my head
Peaked out my eye, see if he was beating his
He might as well say beat it kid, he's on the list
Its like I'm searching for kicks like a sneaker head
He goin' keep pushing me until I reach the ledge
And when I reach the ledge I'll tell em all to eat a dick
Take a leap of faith and let my eagle wings spread
Spread spread spread
The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be
Oh well (hey, hey)
I'm so ambitious (hey)
I might hit two sisters
Hey I'm on a mission
No matter what the conditions
Forget personal issues
When you been what I been through
Hey if you believe it
Then you could conceive it
Yeah yeah yeah
I had to lace up my boots even harder
Father is too far away to father
Further-more are the kids either smoke reefer
Or either move white, there's few writers in my cipher
So they made lighter, my type a dreams seem dumb
They said wise up, how many guys a
You see making it from here
The world don't like us
Is that not clear, alright, but
I'm different, I can't base what I'm gonna be off a what everybody isn't
They don't listen
Just whispering behind my back
No vision, lack of ambition
So wack
The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be
Oh well (hey, hey)
I'm so ambitious (hey)
I might hit two sisters
Hey I'm on a mission
No matter what the conditions
Forget personal issues
When you been what I been through
Hey if you believe it
Then you could conceive it
Had a couple of meetings no offers yet
Maybe I ain't good enough for these offices
Back to the drawing board ducking officers
It's all good cause the streets is A and R'in this
So with or without any of y'all involvement
We coming for all of this, respect my conglomerate
I went from pauper to the President
Cause every deal I ever made set precedent
Niggas probably thought I'd fall without old buddy
Oh buddy, what I do is make more money
Dear teacher, your probably somewhere near a speaker
I'm balling outta control, can you hear my sneakers
Fuck y'all
The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be
Oh well (hey, hey)
I'm so ambitious (hey)
I might hit two sisters
Hey I'm on a mission
No matter what the conditions
Forget personal issues
When you been what I been through
Hey if you believe it
Then you could conceive it
The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be
"So Ambitious" by Pharrell Williams is a song that speaks to his determination and ambition to prove people wrong and overcome obstacles in his path to success. The lyrics convey Pharrell's gratitude for the doubters and naysayers who motivated him to work harder and achieve his goals.
The song begins with Pharrell cruising down the Westside highway at three in the morning, feeling unstoppable with the top down. He dismisses anyone who doubts him, acknowledging that their disbelief only fuels his motivation. He then dedicates the song to those who provided him with the fuel to succeed, expressing his sincere gratitude.
Pharrell reflects on his journey and recalls a teacher who doubted his potential, warning him that he would either end up dead or a drug user. However, instead of succumbing to others' negative opinions, he used their words as inspiration. Pharrell mentions how he excelled academically, teaching his teacher a valuable lesson. He then intertwines his uncle's accomplishments, implying that he is even better than his own family members.
As Pharrell listens to his demo tape, he realizes that success will not come easy. He compares his struggle to that of a sneaker head seeking rare kicks, indicating that he is always in search of new challenges. Pharrell's perseverance continues to be tested by those who criticize him, but he refuses to let their negative energy bring him down. He mentions reaching the edge and then defying his critics, taking a leap of faith and letting his talents soar.
Throughout the song, Pharrell emphasizes that the motivation to prove others wrong is what drives him. He remains unfazed by personal issues and the difficulties he faced in life. He encourages his listeners to believe in their own abilities and that success is attainable through perseverance and determination.
Overall, "So Ambitious" is a powerful anthem about overcoming obstacles, defying expectations, and using negativity as motivation to achieve one's dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah three in the morning on the Westside highway, top down baby
I'm driving on the Westside highway at 3 AM, feeling free and unstoppable
Fuck y'all
I don't care about your opinions or negativity
The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be
The motivation that drives me is people doubting my abilities and telling me what I can't achieve
Oh well
But I don't let their doubts discourage me
This a special dedication, (thank y'all)
This song is a special shout-out and thank you to those who have supported me
I wanna thank you for the fuel
I want to express gratitude to those who have fueled my ambition
No really thank you
I genuinely appreciate your support and encouragement
(Y'all better hear this shit)
Listen closely because what I'm about to say is important
I felt so inspired by what my teacher said
My teacher's words sparked a fire within me
Said I'd either be dead or be a reefer head
My teacher told me I would either end up dead or addicted to drugs
Now sure if that's how adults should speak to kids
I'm not certain if it's appropriate for adults to speak to kids that way
Especially when the only thing I did was speak in class
Especially since all I did was participate and speak up in class
I teach his ass
Now I'm proving my teacher wrong by surpassing his expectations
Even betters what my uncle did
I'm surpassing the achievements of my own family, like my uncle
I pop my demo tape in, start to beat my head
I listen to my demo tape and start nodding my head in rhythm
Peaked out my eye, see if he was beating his
I glance to see if he is also nodding his head to the beat
He might as well say beat it kid, he's on the list
Without saying it directly, he's telling me to leave since I'm not good enough
Its like I'm searching for kicks like a sneaker head
I'm constantly looking for excitement and validation, like a sneaker enthusiast searching for new shoes
He goin' keep pushing me until I reach the ledge
He will continue to test and challenge me until I reach my breaking point
And when I reach the ledge I'll tell em all to eat a dick
But when I prove myself and achieve success, I'll show them all that they were wrong
Take a leap of faith and let my eagle wings spread
I will take a risk and trust in my own abilities, allowing myself to soar like an eagle
Spread spread spread
I will spread my wings and reach for greatness
I had to lace up my boots even harder
I had to push myself even harder and face challenges head-on
Father is too far away to father
My father is physically or emotionally unavailable to be a father figure for me
Further-more are the kids either smoke reefer
Furthermore, the kids around me either smoke marijuana
Or either move white, there's few writers in my cipher
Or they are involved in selling drugs, and there are very few aspiring writers in my social circle
So they made lighter, my type a dreams seem dumb
They made fun of my dreams, making them seem foolish and unrealistic
They said wise up, how many guys a
They told me to be realistic and consider how many people from our background succeed
You see making it from here
They doubted that anyone like us could achieve success
The world don't like us
The world doesn't favor people like us
Is that not clear, alright, but
Isn't that obvious? But
I'm different, I can't base what I'm gonna be off a what everybody isn't
I am unique and can't determine my future based on what others have or haven't achieved
They don't listen
They refuse to listen
Just whispering behind my back
They talk negatively about me when I'm not around
No vision, lack of ambition
They lack vision and ambition
So wack
It's disappointing and uninspiring
Had a couple of meetings no offers yet
I've had a few meetings, but haven't received any job offers yet
Maybe I ain't good enough for these offices
Perhaps I'm not skilled or talented enough for these job positions
Back to the drawing board ducking officers
I have to go back to the beginning and avoid getting caught by law enforcement
It's all good cause the streets is A and R'in this
But it's okay because the streets recognize my talent and potential
So with or without any of y'all involvement
With or without any of your participation or support
We coming for all of this, respect my conglomerate
We are determined to achieve success and demand respect for my group or organization
I went from pauper to the President
I went from being poor to becoming successful and influential
Cause every deal I ever made set precedent
Every business deal I've made has set a new standard for success
Niggas probably thought I'd fall without old buddy
People probably thought I would fail without my old friend's support
Oh buddy, what I do is make more money
But guess what? I've proven them wrong and made even more money
Dear teacher, your probably somewhere near a speaker
Dear teacher, you're probably hearing this song somewhere near a speaker
I'm balling outta control, can you hear my sneakers
I'm incredibly successful and my sneakers make a loud statement as I walk
Fuck y'all
I don't care about your opinions or negativity
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Shawn Carter, Pharrell Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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