American Hypnosis
Saba Lyrics

Ah, American hypnotize
Saba feels as though he has been hypnotized by the American lifestyle, culture, and way of thinking.

Been sad since about '09
Saba has been feeling troubled since around 2009.

Was scared of shit in my mind, now I smile in my pic's online
He was once consumed by negative thoughts, but now presents a different image online.

Isolation taught me patience 'bout the way to go
Saba learned to have patience and strategize during his time of isolation.

Had to learn my mama depression wasn't my own
Saba learned that his mother's depression was not his own and had to distinguish his own emotions from his mother's.

Trying to convince me that realism was a better vision
People around him tried to convince him that pessimism and realism were more practical than optimism.

Never been accepted in the ghetto, but I'm on Division
Saba says he has never been accepted by those in the ghetto, but is living on Division street.

And I'm livin', inability to be myself in a room full of niggas
Saba reveals that he struggles to be himself when in a room full of men he doesn't know.

Focused on hittin stains and gettin' bitches
Saba admits he was once fixated on impressing women and finding an outlet in illegal activity.

I don't speak, I'm silent as a mouse by my own house
Saba says he prefers to remain silent and not draw attention to himself near his own home.

With a bit of bitterness, worried about fittin' in
Saba reveals that he still carries a bit of bitterness and worries about fitting in.

And my uncle in the pen taught me how to be a man
Saba learned how to be a man from his incarcerated uncle.

But he failed to mention why he did what he did
However, his uncle did not reveal why he ended up in prison.

Why my dad had to dip 'fore I learned how to tie my sneakers?
Saba asks why his father left before he even had a chance to learn basic life skills.

While my mama boyfriend think he hiding the fact he sell reefer
Saba's mother's boyfriend is believed to be selling drugs on the side.

We was kids, that ain't mean we was stupid
Saba clarifies that even though they were young, they were not stupid and could understand what was happening around them.

First time I'd seen a gun, thinking if he'd shoot it
The first time Saba ever saw a gun, he wondered if it was going to be fired.

Shotgun in my mama mouth, please don't do it
Saba recalls the traumatizing event of seeing a shotgun in his mother's mouth, begging the attacker not to harm her.

She ran home naked and came right to us
His mother ran home naked to them after escaping the attacker.

And I go to school the next day like ain't shit happen
The following day, Saba went to school pretending like nothing had happened as if everything was normal.

excelled in great grades and they ain't matter
Saba reveals that even though he did well in school, his good grades didn't really matter in his personal life.

Standardized tests educate data
He doubts the efficiency of standardized tests.

You love the hype shit, but they ain't Saba
Saba feels like all the hype music isn't like his music.

You ain't seen addicts until my family
Saba speaks of the large amount of addicts in his family.

Granny lost her brother, her other brother, her daddy
His grandmother suffered the loss of multiple immediate family members.

You wonder why I don't drink, Wonder why I don't smoke
He doesn't drink or smoke like most people because of his traumatic experiences.

Wonder why I'm so gray, Wonder what's a fun night
Saba is questioning why he feels so different and why he struggles to have fun.

Waiting for the punchlines
Saba is waiting for the good parts in life to come.

Want the beat quantized, you should play some other shit
He tells the listener that he doesn't want everything to be perfect like how quantized not everything in life is perfect so we should try some other music with flaws.

Nigga, we was traumatized, you talkin' 'bout the government?
Saba is noting that his community has faced collective harm and is surprised when people talk about trivial matters.

Had to get my ass whooped, fight's how we settle it
Saba reveals that he had to learn to fight and defend himself as a way to settle disputes.

I wish I didn't have to be famous to be important
Saba wishes he could make an impact without being famous.

I used to wish that my parents could keep it cordial
Saba wishes his parents could get along and keep things civil for the sake of the family.

I hated my life until I played the piano
Music has brought Saba a lot of joy and meaning, and playing the piano has been especially important to him.

They raided my best friend, he red-handed
Saba's best friend was caught committing a crime, directly caught in the act.

Scene of this shit like a scene of a movie
The experience was so surreal it felt like a movie.

Meanwhile, I'm the kid in the private schooling
Saba attended private school while his friend was in trouble with the law.

Wearing my glasses, playing my computer
Saba explains that he was an innocent kid who enjoyed activities like playing on the computer and wearing glasses.

Drawing cartoons, was a straight-A student
He was also an artist and a high-performing student.

On a scholarship and I hated that, Left the hood, somehow I made it back
Saba realizes that despite receiving a scholarship and moving away from the hood, he still ended up back where he started.

Back to life, back to reality
He is coming back to reality from a dream.

Will my life, ever belong to me?
Saba questions whether he will have control of his own life.

Hypothesize the definition of free
He is contemplating the true meaning of freedom.

Realize this dream wasn't meant to be
He is accepting that the dream he had may be unrealistic.

Hey, boss, how ya doin'? It's Pops, here's my bucket list; it's pretty short
Saba's father is reaching out, sharing his brief bucket list with his son.

I want us to go see Vatican City, I wanna go see Mecca, I wanna visit Israel, I wanna visit Morocco, I wanna see the Egyptian pyramids, the Mayan pyramids in South America
The bucket list items for Saba's father are all travel-related and focus on visiting important cultural sites.

But most importantly, what I'm saying is that I want us to all do this together
Above all else, Saba's father wants to spend time with his family and do these activities together.

I'm proud of you, man, Peace
In this brief message to Saba, his father expresses pride and wishes him well.

I too am an American dreamer
Saba expresses that he is also an American dreamer.

I too dream of American freedom
Saba, like many Americans, wishes to be free.

I too sing an American plea
Saba makes a plea to improve the conditions of America.

I too scream 'til liberty rings
Saba screams for liberty and freedom, hoping for a better tomorrow.