SZA bares her soul on this track. Admitting that she doesn’t have her life … Read Full Bio ↴SZA bares her soul on this track. Admitting that she doesn’t have her life together, hoping she keeps all her friends, and doesn’t have her love life together either. She calls the song “20 Something” because this is what many people in their 20’s go through. She prays for all of them because she knows how hard it is to find your way out of your 20s.

The closing track uses similar instrumentation as the opening track, “Supermodel.”

20 Something
SZA Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

How you ain't say you was movin' forward?
Honesty hurts when you're gettin' older
I gotta say I'll miss the way you need me, yeah
Why you ain't say you was gettin' bored?
Why you ain't say I was fallin' short?
How you lead me out so far away?

How could it be? Twenty something

All alone still, not a thing in my name
Ain't got nothin', runnin' from love
Only know fear
That's me, Ms. Twenty Something
Ain't got nothin', runnin' from love
Wish you were here, oh

Stuck in them twenty somethings, stuck in them twenty somethings
Good luck on them twenty somethings, good luck on them twenty somethings
God bless these twenty somethings
(God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh)
Hopin' my twenty somethings won't end
Hopin' to keep the rest of my friends
Prayin' the twenty somethings don't kill me, don't kill me

Weird, took us so long to separate
I feel, it's permanent like a riptide, this time
Waves crashing fast, I try
Think of the past, please stay

(How could I be?) How could it be? Twenty something
All alone still, not a phone in my name
Ain't got nothin', runnin' from love
Only know fear
That's me, Ms. Twenty Something
Ain't got nothin', runnin' from love

Wish you were here, oh

Stuck in them twenty somethings, stuck in them twenty somethings
Good luck on them twenty somethings, good luck on them twenty somethings
God bless these twenty somethings
(God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh)
Hopin' my twenty somethings won't end
Hopin' to keep the rest of my friends
Prayin' the twenty somethings don't kill me, kill me

(God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh)
(God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh)
(God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh)
And if it's an illusion, I don't want to wake up
I'm gonna hang on to it
Because the alternative is an abyss, is just a hole, a darkness, a nothingness
Who wants that? You know? So that's what I think about control
And that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it
That was beautiful mommy, that was perfect

Overall Meaning

In SZA's song "20 Something," the singer reflects on the challenges and uncertainties of being in her 20s. The lyrics explore a range of emotions, from the pain of a breakup to the fear of failure and the desire for love and companionship. The song begins with SZA questioning why her ex didn't communicate his feelings before ending the relationship, and expressing her sadness at losing someone who once needed her. She then moves on to reflect on her own struggles, feeling stuck and alone in her 20s, unsure of her path forward and afraid of making the wrong choices.

The chorus repeats the phrase "stuck in them 20 somethings," emphasizing the feeling of being trapped in a difficult and confusing period of life. SZA wishes to hold onto the illusion of control and the hope that her 20s won't end, fearing the emptiness and darkness that may come if she lets go. The song ends with a touching conversation between SZA and her mother, where the singer finds comfort and support in her mother's words.

Overall, "20 Something" is a poignant and relatable reflection on the challenges of young adulthood, capturing the pain and confusion of trying to find one's place in the world while holding onto hope and dreaming of a brighter future.

Line by Line Meaning

How you ain't say you was movin' forward?
Why didn't you tell me you were moving on with your life?

Honesty hurts when you're gettin' older
Telling the truth becomes harder as you age and can cause pain.

I gotta say I'll miss the way you need me, yeah
I will miss feeling needed by you.

Why you ain't say you was gettin' bored?
Why didn't you communicate that you were losing interest?

Why you ain't say I was fallin' short?
Why didn't you tell me I wasn't living up to your expectations?

How you lead me out so far away?
Why did you guide me so far from where I wanted to be?

How could it be? 20 something
I can't believe I'm still in my twenties and haven't accomplished anything yet.

All alone still, not a thing in my name
I am still alone and haven't achieved anything significant.

Ain't got nothin', runnin' from love
I have nothing and am afraid of love.

Only know fear
I am consumed by fear.

That's me, Ms. 20 Something
I am, unfortunately, just a lost twenty-something trying to find my way.

Wish you were here, oh
I wish I had someone here with me.

Stuck in them 20 somethings, stuck in them 20 somethings
I feel stuck in my 20s with no direction.

Good luck on them 20 somethings, good luck on them 20 somethings
It's going to take a lot of luck to get through this difficult period of life.

God bless these 20 somethings
May God help us get through our 20s.

(God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh God bless, oh)
A prayer for guidance and support from God.

Hopin' my 20 somethings won't end
I hope my 20s won't end without any significant achievements.

Hopin' to keep the rest of my friends
I hope to maintain my friendships throughout this challenging time.

Prayin' the 20 somethings don't kill me, don't kill me
I pray that these struggles don't break me.

Weird, took us so long to separate
It's strange that it took us so much time to break up.

I feel, it's permanent like a riptide, this time
This time, the break up feels permanent and overwhelming, like a powerful ocean current.

Waves crashing fast, I try
I am trying to cope with the fast and overwhelming emotions.

Think of the past, please stay
I wish the good times from the past could stay forever.

And if it's an illusion, I don't want to wake up
I don't want to face reality if it's worse than my current illusions.

I'm gonna hang on to it
I'm going to cling to these illusions to avoid feeling lost and hopeless.

Because the alternative is an abyss, is just a hole, a darkness, a nothingness
The alternative to my illusions is a feeling of emptiness and nothingness.

Who wants that? you know?
Who would want to feel that way?

So that's what I think about control
I'm trying to hold onto any sense of control in my life, even if it's an illusion.

And that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it
This is how I feel, and I'm standing by it.

That was beautiful mommy, that was perfect
A compliment from a child to their mother, unrelated to the rest of the song.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Solana Rowe, Tyran Donaldson, Carter Lang

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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