She reflects about her insecurities on not maturing as quickly as her partner is. Prom season is usually the last big event before graduation for a high schooler, and SZA is too busy living in the moment that she forgets she has her future to look forward to.
This is also around the age when friends are growing apart and have decided where and what they’re doing with their lives, and a lot are trying to hold on to the people they’ve known, even though they’re growing up differently. The person SZA is talking to in the song seems to take everything, even change, to heart.
SZA tweeted:
"Iss called prom cus I ain’t have no friends in high school so I went to Miami w my mama for prom instead . Lol"
Prom
SZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keepin' me up at night
Am I doin' enough?
Feel like I'm wastin' time
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waitin'
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Probably wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
Right now I feel it pourin'
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Right now I feel it pourin'
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please, please
Don't take it personal
Don't take it personal
Darling, like I know you will
Forget to call your mama on the weekend
You should put yourself in time out
Shame, shame on you
But lately you've been feelin' so good
I forget my future, never pull out
Shame, shame on me
Baby the money'll make it easier for me
To run and hide out somewhere
So far away
Hoppin' through poppy fields
Dodgin' evil witches
These houses keep droppin' everywhere
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waitin'
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Prolly wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
Right now I feel it pourin'
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Right now it's really pourin'
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, take it personal
Like winters fall on us, heavy
Take it off me, holy
Like winter, I can't stand this
Snow is falling all on me
In "Prom," SZA sings about the fear of growing up and not doing enough. She feels like she's wasting time and promises to do better as she gets older, with the support of a patient partner. However, she recognizes her flaws and tendencies to forget important things and hopes her partner won't take it personally. The song is filled with metaphors, including references to poppy fields and evil witches, adding to the dreamy and nostalgic tone. SZA also talks about the weight she feels, with winter being a recurring motif, and the need to be free of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Fearin' not growin' up
I'm afraid of the thought of not growing up and staying stagnant in life.
Keepin' me up at night
This fear is causing me to lose sleep at night.
Am I doin' enough?
I constantly question if I am doing enough to grow and succeed in life.
Feel like I'm wastin' time
Sometimes, I feel like I am just wasting time instead of making progress.
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waitin'
I promise to become better and learn from my mistakes as I mature. You are patient with me, but tired of waiting for me to improve.
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Probably wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
I promise to do better, but I know I should have done better in the past. You probably want to let me go, but you can't bring yourself to do it.
Right now I feel it pourin'
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
I am feeling overwhelmed with emotions at the moment and I need a little bit of support to get through it.
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take my actions personally, even though I know you usually do.
Forget to call your mama on the weekend
You should put yourself in time out
Shame, shame on you
I feel guilty for forgetting to call my mom on the weekend. I should take a break and discipline myself for neglecting important relationships.
But lately you've been feelin' so good
I forget my future, never pull out
Shame, shame on me
I have been distracted by my current happiness and failed to plan for my future. I feel ashamed for not being more responsible.
Baby the money'll make it easier for me
To run and hide out somewhere
So far away
Money will help me avoid my problems and responsibilities by giving me the option to escape somewhere far away.
Hoppin' through poppy fields
Dodgin' evil witches
These houses keep droppin' everywhere
I feel like I'm in a fairytale where everything is changing, and I have to navigate through obstacles and challenges to find my way.
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, take it personal
Once again, please don't take things personally, even though I know you usually do.
Like winters fall on us, heavy
Take it off me, holy
Like winter, I can't stand this
Snow is falling all on me
I feel suffocated by the weight of life's struggles and ask for help to lift this burden off of me. I compare this feeling to a heavy winter snowfall that I can't bear on my own.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Solana Rowe, Tyran Donaldson, Carter Lang
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@biancamendoza19
Fearing not growing up
Keeping me up at night
Am I doing enough?
Feel like I'm wasting time
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waiting
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Prolly wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
Right now I feel it pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Right now I feel it pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please, please
Don't take it personal
Don't take it personal
Darling, like I know you will
Forget to call your mama on the weekend
You should put yourself in time out
Shame, shame on you
But lately you've been feeling so good
I forget my future, never pull out
Shame, shame on me
Baby the money'll make it easier for me
To run and hide out somewhere
So far away
Hopping through poppy fields
Dodging evil witches
These houses keep dropping everywhere
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waiting
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Prolly wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
Right now I feel it pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Right now it's really pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Like winters fall on us, heavy
Take it off me, all it off
Winter, I can't stand this
Snow is falling all on me
@Pride317
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Fearing not growing up
Keeping me up at night
Am I doing enough?
Feel like I'm wasting time
[Pre-Chorus]
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waiting
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Prolly wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
Right now I feel it pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Right now I feel it pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
[Chorus]
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please, please
Don't take it personal
Don't take it personal
Darling, like I know you will, ooh
[Verse 2]
Forget to call your mama on the weekend
You should put yourself in time out
(Sh-sh-shame, Sh-sh-shame on you)
But lately you've been feeling so good
I forget my future, never pull out
(SSh-sh-shame, Sh-sh-shame on me)
Baby the money'll make it easier for me
To run and hide out somewhere
(So far away)
Hopping through poppy fields
Dodging evil witches
These houses keep dropping everywhere
[Pre-Chorus]
Promise to get a little
Better as I get older
And you're so patient
And sick of waiting
Promise to do better
Shoulda coulda
Prolly wanna let me go
But you can't, oh
Right now I feel it pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
Right now it's really pouring
I need a little bit
Just a little bit
Just a little bit
[Chorus]
Please don't take it, don't take it personal
Like I know you usually do
Please don't take it, take it personal
[Outro]
Like winters fall on us, heavy
Take it off me, all it off
Winter, I can't stand this
Snow is falling all on me
@lavonnichols3738
just realized...."prom" is short for "promise" which is what she said for most of the song.....wow
@qawie7112
Woah.. wait a minute... You might be on to something 😳
@jonaeboyd475
Wow
@khays9374
mindblowinggggG
@mimimoo8790
wow I have been listening for this song for so long and this is the first time I knew this…..wooow
@--_--ph8rf
Prom is half a promise lol
@eddieace345
This is one of the songs that you skip over countless times until you are busy doing something and let it play in its entirety. Only then do you realize how much of a gem it is.
@xxhpshrebyba
yes this
@kamthaman9129
exactlyyyy
@jadahonee
So true