The Prodigy first emerged in the underground rave scene in the early 1990s and achieved popularity and worldwide recognition with UK number one singles such as "Firestarter" and "Breathe", both singles coming from their UK and US chart topping album The Fat of the Land (1997). A third single from the album, “Smack My Bitch Up”, was also successful. They earned titles like "the premiere dance act for the alternative masses" and "the Godfathers of Rave", and remain one of the most successful electronic acts of all time. They have sold an estimated 25 million records worldwide, and won numerous music awards during their career, including two Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Kerrang! Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, and received two Grammy Award nominations.
The Prodigy were founded in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by keyboardist and songwriter Liam Howlett. He had taken piano lessons in his youth and gained the ability to play difficult passages in just a few run-throughs. After he decided to pursue a music career, Howlett met dancer and vocalist Keith Flint in mid-1989 at a rave at which Howlett was DJing. After Flint requested Howlett make a mix tape for him, Howlett obliged, returning a cassette several days later with a collection of his own songs on the other side. Howlett had scratched the word "Prodigy" onto the cassette, the same name as the Moog Prodigy analogue synthesiser, and Howlett's moniker. The tape was well-received by Flint and keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill who developed new dance sequences to the music and suggested to Howlett they begin a group together. They were soon joined by MC and vocalist Maxim, then known as Maxim Reality, and female dancer and vocalist Sharky, a friend of Flint's. Together they became the first line-up of the Prodigy.
On 4 March 2019, Keith Flint was found dead at his home in Essex, just weeks after playing six live dates in Australia and New Zealand. On 5 March, the band announced on Twitter that "all forthcoming concerts in 2019 would be canceled, effective immediately".
Following Flint's death, fans began using the Twitter hashtag "Firestarter4Number1" on various social media platforms to get "Firestarter" to top the British singles charts again. This was done out of respect for Keith Flint and to raise awareness of suicide among men.
On 20 August 2019, one day before his 48th birthday, Liam Howlett posted on the band's official Instagram page, saying he is "back in the studio making noise [...] brand new Prodigy tunes are gonna roll", referring to his intention to keep on releasing music under the Prodigy moniker.
Along with the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, the Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. The Prodigy, however, is not considered entirely representative of the genre as their production "often reflected the more intelligent edge of trip-hop, and rarely broke into the mindless arena of true big beat" according to AllMusic. The Prodigy are also considered alternative dance, techno, electronica, breakbeat hardcore, and rave.
Liam Howlett cited early electro as a big influence, mentioning tunes like "Clear" by American music group Cybotron and "Al Naafiysh" by Hashim. Liam Howlett also cited The Bomb Squad, Public Enemy, and Rage Against the Machine as influences.
Trials of Love
The Prodigy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come here darling, have a seat, we need to speak
Look straight in my eyes, tell me what you see?
Is it that same nigga that you fell for from the door
Ain't I that same nigga we was both on the train goin' hard
And then your shit surfaced
Takin' the phone in the bathroom, whisperin' wit your girlfriends
Try to play me on some jerk shit
Oohh shit
Kid, I kept it tight for you
Turned niggas down, didn't go out all them nights for you
And I ain't even that type of bitch
I heard about Jones Beach and Luke's Freak Fest
Nevertheless I still put my faith in you
You was my dog, so I stayed faithful
But I'll be goddamned if I be some nigga dumb bitch
It's fucked up it gotta go down like this
Yo, have you ever had a bitch that'll pop guns for you?
Type of nigga you'll do anything he ask to?
Snake bitch turn around and backstab you?
Crab nigga found out he fuckin' 'round too?
Threw her cash, threw in the smash, that's boo
Rockin' your 4 wheel drive and tattoo
Talk sweet thinkin' that he rockin' you to sleep?
Who me? Fall for that bullshit, you got it twist
You was once my bunny, now you want to act funny
I'm that same nigga from the first day who dress bummy
Same grimy style nigga, I'm still hungry
I never lost my thirst for takin' that money
I never lost my lust for chicks lovely
You met me on those terms, so that's how I'm runnin'
I still walk up in the crib 5 in the mornin'
And still count my cash before I crash
What you thought, you had a dunny? I ain't the one honey
You skim 20's out of my stacks of Benny's
You done found yourself a street life love, to death do us
Remember that shit, now everything's ass-backwards
We was more like Mickie and Mallory
You fouled out on me, found another man math in your Bally bag, damn
I wish you luck though, you sneaky bum ho
Catch you on the corner while I pass in my truck though
Yeah aight
First of all fuck you, and everything you own nigga
You got a lotta nerve, nigga
I should throw a brick through your shit, fuck your whips
It ain't about that, it's about you givin' out my dick
Or so it seems, I can only call it how I see it
Got hoes callin' the crib, hangin' up not speakin'
Come on, what type of shit is that?
What, I'm supposed to sit back, stay up all night for you to get back?
Like the world revolves around P
So while you strolled in at 5 I was comin' in at 3, 3:30
Niggas wanna play dirty
Fuck it, that's how you wanna rock? Let's get dirty
Yeah, condom wrappers in the back of the Azure
Talkin' 'bout you let your mans get off, your G ain't strong
I'm gone, you ain't worth the tears
You lost the best thing you ever had in your life, a waste of my years
Have you ever had a bitch that'll pop guns for you?
Type of nigga you'll do anything he ask to?
Snake bitch turn around and backstab you?
Crab nigga found out he fuckin' 'round too?
Threw her cash, threw in the smash, that's boo
Rockin' your 4 wheel drive and tattoo
Talk sweet thinkin' that he rockin' you to sleep?
Who me? Fall for that bullshit, you got the wrong bitch
I might give out, but I'll never give in
We might as well, be friends, yes we have
The lyrics to The Prodigy's "Trials of Love" depict a tumultuous relationship filled with betrayal, lies, and a sense of being taken for granted. The song captures the frustration and disappointment felt by both parties involved. The verses alternate between two perspectives, with each person expressing their grievances and calling out the other's actions.
In the first verse, one person confronts their partner about their deceitful behavior, specifically referencing secret phone conversations and hidden numbers. They express their disappointment and frustration that things have come to such a point. The second verse is a response from the other person, claiming that they have been loyal and dedicated, even turning down other opportunities for the sake of the relationship. However, they assert that they won't be taken for a fool, challenging their partner's assumptions and pointing out their own independence and determination.
The chorus reinforces the theme of betrayal and deception, asking if they have ever had someone who would seemingly do anything for them but ultimately hurt them. The final lines suggest that despite the hurt and anger, there is still a lingering connection and desire for friendship between the two.
Overall, "Trials of Love" portrays a volatile and troubled relationship, highlighting the complexities of trust, loyalty, and the consequences of betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo
Hey
Come here darling, have a seat, we need to speak
Come sit down, we need to talk
Look straight in my eyes, tell me what you see?
Look into my eyes, tell me what you really see
Is it that same nigga that you fell for from the door
Is it still the same person you fell in love with from the beginning?
Ain't I that same nigga we was both on the train goin' hard
Am I not the same person we were both hustling together on the train?
And then your shit surfaced
And then your true colors came out
Takin' the phone in the bathroom, whisperin' wit your girlfriends
Taking calls in the bathroom, whispering with your friends
Try to play me on some jerk shit
Trying to deceive me with some disrespectful actions
Numbers underneath the sole of your lady Timb's
Phone numbers hidden under the sole of your Timberland boots
Oohh shit
Oh shit
Kid, I kept it tight for you
I stayed committed to you
Turned niggas down, didn't go out all them nights for you
Rejected other guys and stayed in for you
And I ain't even that type of bitch
I'm not the type of person to let this happen
I heard about Jones Beach and Luke's Freak Fest
I heard rumors about you going to parties and events
Nevertheless I still put my faith in you
But despite that, I still trusted you
You was my dog, so I stayed faithful
You were my partner, so I remained loyal
But I'll be goddamned if I be some nigga dumb bitch
But I refuse to be played for a fool
It's fucked up it gotta go down like this
It's unfortunate that it has to end like this
Yo, have you ever had a bitch that'll pop guns for you?
Hey, have you ever had a woman who would fight for you?
Type of nigga you'll do anything he ask to?
Someone you would do anything for?
Snake bitch turn around and backstab you?
A deceitful woman who betrays you?
Crab nigga found out he fuckin' 'round too?
A disloyal man who cheats on you?
Threw her cash, threw in the smash, that's boo
Gave her money and had sex with her, that's nothing
Rockin' your 4 wheel drive and tattoo
Driving your fancy car and showing off your tattoo
Talk sweet thinkin' that he rockin' you to sleep?
Talking sweet, thinking he can manipulate you
Who me? Fall for that bullshit, you got it twist
Me? Fall for that nonsense? You're mistaken
You was once my bunny, now you want to act funny
You used to be my love, now you're acting strange
I'm that same nigga from the first day who dress bummy
I'm still the same person from day one, dressing casually
Same grimy style nigga, I'm still hungry
Same gritty guy, I'm still ambitious
I never lost my thirst for takin' that money
I never lost my desire to make money
I never lost my lust for chicks lovely
I never lost my attraction to beautiful women
You met me on those terms, so that's how I'm runnin'
You accepted me with those qualities, so that's how I'm living
I still walk up in the crib 5 in the mornin'
I still come home at 5 in the morning
And still count my cash before I crash
And still count my money before I go to sleep
What you thought, you had a dunny? I ain't the one honey
What did you think, you had an easy target? I'm not that person, honey
You skim 20's out of my stacks of Benny's
You stole twenties from my stacks of hundred dollar bills
You done found yourself a street life love, to death do us
You found yourself a lover in the street life, till death do us part
Remember that shit, now everything's ass-backwards
Remember that situation, now everything is messed up
We was more like Mickie and Mallory
We were more like Mickie and Mallory (characters from the movie Natural Born Killers)
You fouled out on me, found another man math in your Bally bag, damn
You cheated on me and found another man's contact information in your Bally bag, damn
I wish you luck though, you sneaky bum ho
I wish you luck, you deceptive person
Catch you on the corner while I pass in my truck though
I'll see you on the corner as I drive by in my truck
Yeah aight
Yeah, okay
First of all fuck you, and everything you own nigga
First of all, fuck you and everything you have
You got a lotta nerve, nigga
You have a lot of audacity
I should throw a brick through your shit, fuck your whips
I should vandalize your belongings, fuck your fancy cars
It ain't about that, it's about you givin' out my dick
It's not about material things, it's about you betraying me
Or so it seems, I can only call it how I see it
At least that's how it appears to me, I can only judge based on what I see
Got hoes callin' the crib, hangin' up not speakin'
I have women calling the house, hanging up without saying anything
Come on, what type of shit is that?
Come on, what kind of behavior is that?
What, I'm supposed to sit back, stay up all night for you to get back?
What, I'm supposed to wait and stay up all night for you to return?
Like the world revolves around P
Like the world revolves around me
So while you strolled in at 5 I was comin' in at 3, 3:30
So while you casually walked in at 5, I was coming in at 3 or 3:30
Niggas wanna play dirty
People want to play dirty
Fuck it, that's how you wanna rock? Let's get dirty
Fine, if that's how you want to behave, let's get down and dirty
Yeah, condom wrappers in the back of the Azure
Yeah, used condom wrappers in the back of the luxury car
Talkin' 'bout you let your mans get off, your G ain't strong
Talking about how you allowed another man to have sex with you, showing your lack of loyalty
I'm gone, you ain't worth the tears
I'm leaving, you're not worth crying over
You lost the best thing you ever had in your life, a waste of my years
You lost the best thing you've ever had, and it was a waste of my time
Have you ever had a bitch that'll pop guns for you?
Have you ever had a woman who would use guns for you?
Type of nigga you'll do anything he ask to?
The kind of guy you would do anything for?
Snake bitch turn around and backstab you?
A deceitful woman who betrays you?
Crab nigga found out he fuckin' 'round too?
A disloyal man who cheats on you?
Threw her cash, threw in the smash, that's boo
Gave her money and had sex with her, that's nothing
Rockin' your 4 wheel drive and tattoo
Driving your fancy car and showing off your tattoo
Talk sweet thinkin' that he rockin' you to sleep?
Talking sweet, thinking he can manipulate you into submission
Who me? Fall for that bullshit, you got the wrong bitch
Who, me? Fall for that nonsense? You've mistaken my character
I might give out, but I'll never give in
I might get tired, but I'll never surrender
We might as well, be friends, yes we have
We might as well just be friends, that's all we have left
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN MAMAN, ALBERT JOHNSON, JOHN HERBERT JR. HARRIS, LOU BOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Dthesun
It's a beautiful song. Prodigy doesn't get enough respect for his story telling ability.
@erinholloman2914
💯💯🤞🤞
@spooneyfolkz
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
@alverorivera3253
He dont Cuz he was 2 real .. nas n jay went the commercial route.. mobb deep and P kept it real
@pwest1101
@Dthesun still don't get his just due as a MC period. Rest in power LMNO-P
@trentyates418
But us hip hop heads give him the respect. He up there with nas scarface and dmx as the best storytelling MCs ever.
@nikibabes169
I still listen to this song 22 years later.. or maybe even more but it will always be part of my playlist.. 💯
@pwest1101
Same here lol
@StylzGTNT
The way this track mixes into H.N.I.C is the one the dopest transitions I have ever heard in Hip- Hop.
@sokratisfrantzis5763
What a beautiful song. Across all genres one of the most moving love songs ever made. What an album. Summer of 2001 HNIC was onrepeat.