In 2007, Knowles began to record music again. Her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008) deviated from the pop-oriented music of her debut to Motown-inspired sounds from the 60's and 70's. It peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics. She followed this up with the 1980s pop and R&B-inspired EP True (2012) on Terrible Records and her imprint Saint Records. Her third studio album, A Seat at the Table (2016) was released to widespread critical acclaim and became her first number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single, "Cranes in the Sky" won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance. Her fourth studio album, When I Get Home, was released in March 2019 to further critical acclaim.
Knowles was heavily influenced by Motown girl groups and says that her first passion is songwriting. Frequently compared by the media to her sister Beyoncé, Knowles has claimed that they have different aspirations and are musically different. She has been ranked by Billboard as the 100th most successful dance artist of all-time, and in 2017 was honored with the "Impact Award" at Billboard Women in Music. Her other ventures include an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a line of hip-hop-oriented merchandise for young children.
Sleep in the Park
Solange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little while longer
That way they'll never figure us out
Induce in the morning
Sleep in the park
And eat on the corner
'Cause there we gonna spend it for life
No, we got a long way
No, we got a long, long way to go
No, we got a long way
Yeah, we got a long, long way to go
We can't survive on love baby (baby)
No, no, ah
We can't survive on love baby
We can't survive on just the, just the love baby (baby)
We can't go alone, oh love
If we do, then we die
Take out the trash
And throw out your wallet
Been living in the shack in your heart
And waste out my college
Dress me in rags
Just make sure my shoes fit
To walk around this life like I have
No, we got a long way
No, we got a long, long way to go
No, we got a long way
Yeah, we got a long, long way to go
We can't survive on love baby (baby)
No, no, ah
We can't survive on love baby
We can't survive on just the, just the love baby (baby)
We can't go alone, oh love
If we do, then we die
Yeah, we got a long, long way to go
We can't survive on love baby
We can't survive on love baby (baby)
No, no, ah
We can't survive on the love
We can't survive on just the, just the love baby (baby)
We can't go alone, oh love
If we do, then we die
The lyrics to Solange's song "Sleep in the Park" paint a picture of two people who are struggling to survive in a world that seems to be against them. The singer makes a plea to "stand in the dark a little while longer" so that they can remain unseen and unbothered by society. They have no money, no home, and no means to support themselves, but they have each other and their love.
The phrase "induce in the morning" suggests a morning after a night of partying or drug use, which could be a temporary escape from their struggles. The line "sleep in the park and eat on the corner" shows that they have resorted to sleeping in public places and begging for food in order to survive.
The chorus emphasizes that love alone cannot sustain them: "We can't survive on love, baby. We can't survive on just the love, baby. We can't go alone, oh love. If we do, then we die." The singer acknowledges that they have a long way to go, but they need more than love to get there.
The next verse talks about getting rid of material possessions and reducing themselves to "rags" in order to stay alive. The singer asks to be dressed in rags as long as they have shoes to walk in. This is yet another example of their willingness to sacrifice their dignity in order to survive.
Overall, "Sleep in the Park" is a haunting and poignant depiction of poverty and desperation in modern society. Solange expertly captures the emotions of two people who are clinging to each other for survival, and the song serves as a reminder of the struggles that many face every day.
Line by Line Meaning
Stand in the dark
Stay hidden and unnoticed in the darkness.
A little while longer
Keep doing this for a bit more time.
That way they'll never figure us out
By doing this, it will be impossible for them to discover us.
Induce in the morning
Do this until morning comes.
Sleep in the park
Spend the night in the open air.
And eat on the corner
Have some food on the street corner.
'Cause there we gonna spend it for life
We will have to live like this for the rest of our lives.
No, we got a long way
We still have a long journey ahead of us.
No, we got a long, long way to go
Our journey is long and difficult.
We can't survive on love baby (baby)
Our love for each other is not enough to sustain us.
We can't survive on love baby
We need more than just love to survive.
We can't survive on just the, just the love baby (baby)
Love alone is not enough to keep us going.
We can't go alone, oh love
We need each other to survive.
If we do, then we die
If we try to do this by ourselves, we will fail.
Take out the trash
Get rid of the useless things we don't need.
And throw out your wallet
We don't need money to survive.
Been living in the shack in your heart
We've been living in a place of emotional distress and pain.
And waste out my college
We wasted time and effort in things that didn't matter.
Dress me in rags
I don't need fancy clothes to be happy.
Just make sure my shoes fit
As long as my shoes fit comfortably, I am content.
To walk around this life like I have
To live life the way I see fit.
Yeah, we got a long, long way to go
Our journey is going to be long and hard.
We can't survive on love baby (baby)
Our love is not enough to carry us through.
We can't survive on love baby
We need more than love to get by.
We can't survive on just the, just the love baby (baby)
Love alone won't be able to sustain us.
We can't go alone, oh love
We need each other to survive.
If we do, then we die
If we try to do this by ourselves, it's not going to end well.
Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.