Both Of Us
Taylor Swift Lyrics


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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us
Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us

Ever thought about losing it
When your money's all gone and you lose your whip
You might lose your grip when the landlord tell ya that you're due for rent
And the grass so green on the other side
Make a nigga wanna run straight through the fence
Open up the fridge bout twenty times
But still can't find no food in it
That's foolishness
And sometimes I wonder, why we care so much about the way we look
And the way we talk and the way we act
And the clothes we bought, how much that cost?
Does it even really matter?
'Cause if life is an uphill battle
We all tryna climb with the same ol' ladder
In the same boat, with the same ol' paddle
Why so shallow? I'm just asking
What's the pattern for the madness
Everybody ain't a number one draft pick
Most of us ain't Hollywood actors
But if it's all for one, and one for all
Then maybe one day, we all can ball
Do it one time for the underdogs
Sincerely yours, from one of y'all

I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us
Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us

I can feel your pain, I can feel your struggle
You just wanna live, been everything so low
That you could drown in a puddle
That's why I gotta hold us up, yeah hold us up
For all the times no one's ever spoke for us
To every single time that they play this song
You can say that that's what Bobby Ray wrote for us
When the tides get too high
And the sea up underneath get so deep
And you feel like you're just another person
Getting lost in the crowd, way up high in the nosebleed
Uh, because we won't be near yet, both of us
But we still stand tall with our shoulders up
And even though we always against the odds
These are the things that have molded us
And if life hadn't chosen us
Sometimes I wonder where I would've wound up
'Cause if it was up to me, I'd make a new blueprint
Then build it from the ground up, hey
But if it's all for one, and one for all
Then maybe one day, we all can ball
Do it one time for the underdogs
From Bobby Ray, to all of y'all





I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us
Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us

Overall Meaning

The song "Both of Us" by Taylor Swift and B.o.B is a powerful track that speaks to the struggles of everyday people. The opening lines, "I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us" hint at the idea that despite the difficulties we all face, we should strive to help each other. The chorus repeats this sentiment, reflecting the hope that one day we will all be strong enough to support each other.


The first verse delves into the financial struggles that many people face. The line "When your money's all gone and you lose your whip" refers to losing your car or mode of transportation, which for many, is a crucial part of daily life. The thought of being unable to pay rent and losing one's home is frightening, as is the feeling of constantly searching for food, as the line "Open up the fridge bout twenty times but still can't find no food in it" suggests. B.o.B highlights the idea that despite these struggles, we should not be concerned with material possessions like expensive clothing, but rather with finding a way to survive and uplift each other.


The second verse reinforces the message of unity, touching on the isolation that people may feel when they are struggling. The lines "And you feel like you're just another person / Getting lost in the crowd, way up high in the nosebleed" suggest that even when we feel alone, there are others who are experiencing similar struggles. The line "To every single time that they play this song / You can say that that’s what Bobby Ray wrote for us" acknowledges that the song is meant to be an anthem for these individuals.


Overall, "Both of Us" is a song that urges listeners to support each other despite our differences and struggles, emphasizing the importance of unity and compassion.


Line by Line Meaning

I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us
I aspire to have enough strength to carry both of us one day


Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us
I am confident that one day I will have enough strength to carry both of us


Ever thought about losing it
Have you ever considered falling apart


When your money's all gone and you lose your whip
When you are broke and lose your car


You might lose your grip when the landlord tell ya that you're due for rent
You may lose your composure when the landlord demands rent money


And the grass so green on the other side
The idea that other situations may appear better


Make a n**** wanna run straight through the fence
It can be so tempting that one feels like they have to break free from their situation


Open up the fridge bout twenty times
You check the fridge so many times


But still can't find no food in it
But there is still no food inside


That's foolishness
That is nonsense


And sometimes I wonder, why we care so much about the way we look
And at times I question why we place so much significance on our appearance


And the way we talk and the way we act
And the way we speak and behave


And the clothes we bought, how much that cost?
And the money we spend on the clothes we purchase


Does it even really matter?
Is it truly that significant?


'Cause if life is an uphill battle
Because if life is a constant struggle


We all tryna climb with the same ol' ladder
We are all attempting the climb with the same insufficient resources


In the same boat, with the same ol' paddle
We are all in the same situation, with the same limited opportunities


Why so shallow? I'm just asking
Why are our aspirations so superficial? This is just a question


What's the pattern for the madness
What is the logic behind the chaos?


Everybody ain't a number one draft pick
Not everyone can be the best


Most of us ain't Hollywood actors
The majority of us are not famous actors


But if it's all for one, and one for all
But if we are all in this together


Then maybe one day, we all can ball
Perhaps we can all achieve success together


Do it one time for the underdogs
Let's do it for those who are underestimated


Sincerely yours, from one of y'all
Yours truly, from someone who understands your struggles


I can feel your pain, I can feel your struggle
I empathize with your suffering


You just wanna live, been everything so low
You just want to survive, having gone through challenging circumstances


That you could drown in a puddle
To the point where even a small problem can seem insurmountable


That's why I gotta hold us up, yeah hold us up
That's why I must support us both in our circumstances


For all the times no one's ever spoke for us
For all the times when we never had a voice


To every single time that they play this song
For every time this song is played


You can say that that’s what Bobby Ray wrote for us
You can say that Bobby Ray wrote this song for us


When the tides get too high
When things get too difficult


And the sea up underneath get so deep
And the pressure becomes too much


And you feel like you're just another person
And you feel like you are insignificant


Getting lost in the crowd, way up high in the nosebleed
Feeling like you are far away from success and recognition


Uh, because we won't be near yet, both of us
Because we are not close yet, yet we are in this together


But we still stand tall with our shoulders up
But we stand strong and continue to persevere


And even though we always against the odds
Even though the odds are always against us


These are the things that have molded us
These are the experiences that have shaped us


And if life hadn't chosen us
And if we were not dealt these cards


Sometimes I wonder where I would've wound up
I sometimes think about where I would be


'Cause if it was up to me, I'd make a new blueprint
If I had complete control, I would create a new plan


Then build it from the ground up, hey
And start from scratch


From Bobby Ray, to all of y'all
From Bobby Ray, to all of you




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Clarence III Montgomery, Bobby Ray Jr. Simmons, Lukasz Gottwald, Ammar Malik, Henry Russell Walter, Jamieson Xavier Jones, Stephen Joshua Hill

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@matthewquiazon7540

13 Facts you probably didn’t know about Taylor Swift & B.o.B’s Both of Us.

1. The lyrics of "Both of Us" talks about racism and bullying.

2. The Dr. Luke and Cirkut produced the track, B.o.B finds identifying with underdogs, as he rhymes about battling pain and hardships in life.

3. It was received critical acclaim, praising Swift's feature, with some calling the country rap collaboration as a sweet and melodic catchy song.

4. In the music video, Taylor wore the dog tags of Sgt. Wade Wilson, who was killed in Afghanistan. He was a huge Taylor fan; Taylor sent his family flowers after she saw a video uploaded by his friend about him.

5. There is an alternate version of this song where B.o.B sing along with Taylor in some of the lyrics of the chorus.

6. The song was leaked on April 11, 2012.

7. It was Taylor's idea to collaborate with B.o.B on this song (which she actually co-wrote). She decided to reach out to him after she visited his record label.

8. B.o.B told The Boombox that his collaboration with Taylor began with him getting a text message from someone claiming to be Taylor Swift. "I was like, 'This isn't Taylor Swift,' " he recalled. "She invited me to her show, to bring me out to her show to do 'Airplanes.' Lucky for me I'm a really trusting person so I moved forward. Usually if someone's like, 'This is Tupac,' you're gonna be like 'Whatever' [laughs].

9. B.o.B recounted the story of the song to The Boombox: "I wasn't in Atlanta at the time so she arranged for me to come to Dallas. I remember I had a show in Alabama and they let me use her tour bus to come to her show in Dallas. When I played her ['Both of Us'] even before the first verse even dropped, she was onboard. She was like, 'I love it already.' I was like 'She'd be perfect for it.' She recorded her vocals in L.A. I recorded my vocals in Atlanta. [When I first heard the song with both our parts] it instantly felt magical].

10. B.o.b had to re-sing some of my parts so they could really blend with Taylor [vocals]. He rewrote one of his verses as well. "It started as a blueprint and it really continued to grow into something tremendous," he said.

11. Director Jake Nava's inspiration for the visual representation of the tune was what he calls "a collage of different aspects of humanity in the Southern states, particularly around Nashville." While the footage shows scenes from a farm, a bar and home, one aspect he didn't anticipate was the bugs.

12. The song sold 143,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the week's top debut.

13. It was certified PLATINUM in the US & Australia, and GOLD in New Zealand.
#7YearsofBothOfUs

source: Songfacts, taylor_swiftfacts on tumblr, theBoot, Wikipedia



All comments from YouTube:

@ecodabalos3625

One of the rarest collaborations of Taylor Swift has, so much nostalgia reminiscing of this song. I missed those good old days..

@yasawa2646

It’s these memories that bring us back😢

@sofiaswift9604

Yes! idk why but something about this song gives me so much nostalgia

@nathaniellestrain9609

Come on baby don't be getting like that if you're having a homey right bike that we talked about some blues on the track man you make me all upset what's up with the construction that don't know the confection so all these alcoholic construction sometimes these defections I'm looking at the pills prescription says it's coming down to be the intent got to be mixed a non-medical presented look in my nurse and tend to be the doctor presented now she's coming to the bayou mention now it's coming to my dimension and I'm looking I eat presented. Now let's eat honey are you for me or is it just something to present and maybe just be😊 NASA in NASA's national-security scene love you Swift always will sorry Bob it was that down on the track and mess with you but I'm just saying I am the scene MD's we run those things

@kotlofthelight7398

yup a nigga and a white girl colab

@Chancey388

Now it's Ice Spice

4 More Replies...

@mimieaaron5165

And then 10 years later I still enjoy it like it's a new song ..

@nubembaite8008

Really babby

@kdash6892

same

@GreenLantern1916

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

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