Down On My Luck
Vic Mensa Lyrics

When I get down on my luck I hide behind my eyes in Hollywood
When I'm feeling helpless, I distract myself from the reality of my situation by becoming absorbed in the superficial lifestyle that Hollywood offers.

They say ain't what you know but who you know
People assert that social connections are more important than knowledge or skill in order to be successful.

You need to know someone to know no one
Getting to know someone can lead to meeting people you didn't know before.

When I get down on my luck
In moments of desperation, I feel hopeless and vulnerable.

I roll one up and roll around all by my lonesome
To cope with my problems, I smoke and wander aimlessly on my own.

Lost some years, I used to know
I've lost track of time and lost touch with parts of myself that I used to understand well.

I know my fate like bullets in a shotgun
I have a sense of what the future holds for me, and it's a scary feeling like staring down the barrel of a gun.

She loves to dream, living in and off and out of mind
She enjoys losing herself in her imagination and living in a fantasy world that exists only in her thoughts.

In space and time, she takes a line and lies her life
She creates a false reality for herself, where she tells stories and believes them as though they are true.

Away you might just say she stays to go nowhere
Despite busying herself with these dreams, she's not actually going anywhere in life.

Midnight scenes from an old romantic movie
These romantic fantasies she has are reminiscent of scenes from classic films, and she submerges herself in those illusions.

Usually you'd be there today I say was different
Normally, the person she's addressing would be present with her during these daydreams, but today she's alone.

I can take you with me wandering, if you wanna go there
He offers to take her on a journey with him, but it's one of aimless wandering, with no clear destination or purpose.

Do you think about the things you say you don't?
Are you truly being honest with yourself about your thoughts and feelings?

I know you do, white wine she over cool
He knows she's lying to herself and trying too hard to seem sophisticated and cool by drinking white wine.

Ooh look at you, look at you
He's pointing out her pretentious behavior and calling her out on it.

Do you think the things you do or who you know?
Are your actions based on your own choices and beliefs, or are they influenced by the people you associate with?

'Cause they told you to, why you listen to 'em?
If you're only doing something because someone else told you to, why are you letting them control your life?

Hands up, middle finger to 'em
He's advocating for standing up to those who try to control you and telling them to stay away.

Fuck that, get down
He's suggesting that in order to truly be free from external influence and live your own life, you need to let loose and dance to your own rhythm.

When I get down on my luck
The chorus is a reminder of the feeling of helplessness he experiences in hard times.

When I get down on my luck, when I get down on my luck
He repeats the line for emphasis, emphasizing the depth of his feelings at these low points.

Down on my luck, Down on my luck
He summarizes his struggles with a simple, repeated phrase.