Smile
Wale Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got my family
And I got my squad
And as long as they got me
Then I'll be just fine
So I give God the glory
'Cause I have my child
And America don't want me
That's when I realized
That we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
I said we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
But we gon' survive
That's why we all need
A reason to smile

And a possible bigot slash misogynist is 'bout to run the whole damn thing
('Bout to run the whole damn thing)
And the ballot my sister filled in
In another city didn't do a goddamn thing

Shit I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
But I gotta do my goddamn thing

The Alt Rights hate us
Some black baby mommas hate us
We only learn half of the drama, other side crazy
On behalf of Charlamagne I'm sure he ain't trading sides
Maybe I should meet Tomi Lahren, I'll Lauryn Hill her
Train her, she miseducated anyway
Prolly hate the color of my face
I'm just a young black rapping ass African
Ain't never wanted to have it and now he has it his own way
I'm smoking purple, the law enforcement be murking brothers
The moon lit and I'm Cottonmouth like Mahershala
Its like you got a curse if your currency low
The world is a dirty fucking experiment
They don't care if its hurting us
Black lives matter, 'cause black lives target practice
Can't even imagine what would happen with no phone cameras
Black lives matter, black love the dopest ever
Just wanna remind you, I think it's time that we show it better

I got my family
And I got my squad
And as long as they got me
Then I'll be just fine
So I give God the glory
'Cause I have my child
And America don't want me
That's when I realized
That we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
I said we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
But we gon' survive
That's why we all need
A reason to smile

Giving knowledge and uplifting our brothers and daughters
Is how this whole thing change
(Is how this whole thing change)
But the power that's in the pussy or the dollar
Is enough to make us all insane

Shit I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
But I gotta do my goddamn thing

And I've been living like I got one
A couple hundred on me, still in the gold shotgun
You do the most, stop son
Our people not exempt
They in the land of free
You in the land of free to an extent
Fuck that, I'mma ruffle some feathers
Mess with the temperature, shuffle the weather
Fuck who do ever, Keisha or Heather
Beef is whatever
Kill me, you die and I live forever
When you live without fear
It don't get much better
Naw, hmm
Look at how far that we've come
Look at the world we inspired
And look at the stars that we brung
They think that when that literal big wig starts that we done
They think because Hillary lost the cards will be Trumped
You out you mind nigga

I got my family
And I got my squad
And as long as they got me
Then I'll be just fine
So I give God the glory
'Cause I have my child
And America don't want me
That's what I realized
That we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
I said we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
But we gon' survive




That's why we all need
A reason to smile

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Wale's song "Smile" reflect the state of the world we currently live in, and the struggle for black people to find a reason to smile amidst the chaos. The first verse acknowledges the importance of family and friends, as well as faith in God, to find happiness and strength. Wale then touches on the current political climate, where a bigoted and misogynistic leader threatens to take control of the country. He references the futility of voting in some places and the need for a reason to smile in the face of adversity. The chorus then emphasizes the importance of finding reasons to smile and how it can help us survive.


The second verse highlights the struggles of black people, both from external and internal sources. Wale discusses the hate from the alt-right and some black women, as well as the importance of learning the full history and context of issues. He mentions the potential of reaching across the aisle to someone like Tomi Lahren to educate her, while also acknowledging the challenges of being a young black man in America. The second half of the verse shows the frustration with the unequal treatment of black people by authorities, and how it can lead to feelings of hopelessness.


The final verse discusses the need for change, how giving knowledge and uplifting one another is the key to transformation. Wale notes that while the power of the dollar or the female body can cause chaos, it's the courage to stand up and take risks that will make the most significant impact. He encourages people to "ruffle some feathers" and fight for what they believe in, even in the face of danger.


Overall, "Smile" is a powerful call for resilience and unity in the face of adversity. It urges listeners to find reasons to smile, to hold on to their faith and loved ones, and to continue to work towards change, no matter how daunting the odds may seem.


Line by Line Meaning

I got my family
My loved ones are with me


And I got my squad
And I have a strong support system


And as long as they got me
I know everything will be okay as long as they are there for me


Then I'll be just fine
I can face anything with them by my side


So I give God the glory
I acknowledge the role God plays in my life


'Cause I have my child
As a parent, my child brings me joy and purpose


And America don't want me
I feel rejected by my country


That's when I realized
It was then that I understood


That we all need, yeah
That everyone requires


A reason to smile
Something to bring us happiness and hope


Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
Things are about to get more difficult


But we gon' survive
But we will make it through


And a possible bigot slash misogynist is 'bout to run the whole damn thing
A person who may hold biased and discriminatory views is about to hold a position of power


('Bout to run the whole damn thing)
(They are about to lead the country)


And the ballot my sister filled in
The vote my sibling cast


In another city didn't do a goddamn thing
Did not make an impact and did not count


The Alt Rights hate us
The Alternative Right dislikes us


Some black baby mommas hate us
Some black mothers of children hate us


We only learn half of the drama, other side crazy
We only hear some of the issues, while the other side is also experiencing difficulties


On behalf of Charlamagne I'm sure he ain't trading sides
For Charlamagne, I am certain he will not switch his beliefs and values


Maybe I should meet Tomi Lahren, I'll Lauryn Hill her
Maybe I should talk to Tomi Lahren and educate her as Lauryn Hill did


Train her, she miseducated anyway
Teach her properly, she has been taught incorrectly


Prolly hate the color of my face
She probably dislikes me because of my skin color


I'm just a young black rapping ass African
I am a young black person who raps and is of African descent


Ain't never wanted to have it and now he has it his own way
He never desired fame, but now he has achieved it on his own terms


I'm smoking purple, the law enforcement be murking brothers
I am smoking marijuana, while police are unfairly killing black men


The moon lit and I'm Cottonmouth like Mahershala
The moon is shining and my mouth is dry, like Mahershala Ali's character in a TV show


Its like you got a curse if your currency low
It feels like a curse when you do not have much money


The world is a dirty fucking experiment
The world is a corrupt and unfair place


They don't care if its hurting us
Those in power do not care about the harm they cause us


Black lives matter, 'cause black lives target practice
The Black Lives Matter movement is important because black individuals are treated as target practice


Can't even imagine what would happen with no phone cameras
It is difficult to envision what would occur if people did not have access to cameras on their phones


Black lives matter, black love the dopest ever
Black lives matter, and the love within the black community is incredibly strong


Just wanna remind you, I think it's time that we show it better
I want to remind you that it is time to display our love and unity in a more public and visible way


Giving knowledge and uplifting our brothers and daughters
Sharing information and inspiring our peers and children


Is how this whole thing change
Is how we can bring about positive change


(Is how this whole thing change)
(This is the key to transformation)


But the power that's in the pussy or the dollar
But the power that money and sex hold


Is enough to make us all insane
Is enough to drive us all crazy


And I've been living like I got one
I have been living like I only have one life


A couple hundred on me, still in the gold shotgun
I have a few hundred dollars on me and am still pursuing my dreams


You do the most, stop son
You are doing the most and need to slow down


Our people not exempt
Our community is not immune


They in the land of free
They are supposed to be in a free country


You in the land of free to an extent
You only have so much freedom in this country


Fuck that, I'mma ruffle some feathers
I am going to stir things up and challenge the status quo


Mess with the temperature, shuffle the weather
I will shake things up and cause a change


Fuck who do ever, Keisha or Heather
I do not care about the opinions of others, whether their names are Keisha or Heather


Beef is whatever
Conflict is insignificant to me


Kill me, you die and I live forever
If you hurt me, I will not allow you to harm me forever


When you live without fear
When you live without being afraid


It don't get much better
Life cannot get much better than this


Look at how far that we've come
Reflect on how much progress we have made


Look at the world we inspired
Observe the positive impact we have had on the world


And look at the stars that we brung
And recognize the famous individuals within our community


They think that when that literal big wig starts that we done
They believe that when Donald Trump takes office, our progress will be halted


They think because Hillary lost the cards will be Trumped
They assume that since Hillary Clinton lost the election, Donald Trump will have all the power


You out you mind nigga
You must be crazy


That's what I realized
That is when I came to understand


That we all need, yeah
That each person requires


A reason to smile
Something that gives us hope and joy


Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
Things are about to get even more difficult


But we gon' survive
But we will make it through


That's why we all need
This is why we all require


A reason to smile
Something that brings us happiness and hope




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARVIN GAYE, OLUBOWALE VICTOR AKINTIMEHIN, PHIL ADE, PRO REESE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@civan2855

I got my family
And I got my squad
And as long as they got me
Then I'll be just fine
So I give God the glory
'Cause I have my child
And America don't want me
That's when I realized
That we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
I said we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
But we gon' survive
That's why we all need
A reason to smile

And a possible bigot slash misogynist is 'bout to run the whole damn thing
('Bout to run the whole damn thing)
And the ballot my sister filled in
In another city didn't do a goddamn thing

Shit I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
But I gotta do my goddamn thing

The Alt Rights hate us
Some black baby mommas hate us
We only learn half of the drama, other side crazy
On behalf of Charlamagne I'm sure he ain't trading sides
Maybe I should meet Tomi Lahren, I'll Lauryn Hill her
Train her, she miseducated anyway
Prolly hate the color of my face
I'm just a young black rapping ass African
Ain't never wanted to have it and now he has it his own way
I'm smoking purple, the law enforcement be murking brothers
The moon lit and I'm Cottonmouth like Mahershala
Its like you got a curse if your currency low
The world is a dirty fucking experiment
They don't care if its hurting us
Black lives matter, 'cause black lives target practice
Can't even imagine what would happen with no phone cameras
Black lives matter, black love the dopest ever
Just wanna remind you, I think it's time that we show it better

I got my family
And I got my squad
And as long as they got me
Then I'll be just fine
So I give God the glory
'Cause I have my child
And America don't want me
That's when I realized
That we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
I said we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
But we gon' survive
That's why we all need
A reason to smile

Giving knowledge and uplifting our brothers and daughters
Is how this whole thing change
(Is how this whole thing change)
But the power that's in the pussy or the dollar
Is enough to make us all insane

Shit I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
I'mma go crazy yeah
But I gotta do my goddamn thing

And I've been living like I got one
A couple hundred on me, still in the gold shotgun
You do the most, stop son
Our people not exempt
They in the land of free
You in the land of free to an extent
Fuck that, I'mma ruffle some feathers
Mess with the temperature, shuffle the weather
Fuck who do ever, Keisha or Heather
Beef is whatever
Kill me, you die and I live forever
When you live without fear
It don't get much better
Naw, hmm
Look at how far that we've come
Look at the world we inspired
And look at the stars that we brung
They think that when that literal big wig starts that we done
They think because Hillary lost the cards will be Trumped
You out you mind nigga

I got my family
And I got my squad
And as long as they got me
Then I'll be just fine
So I give God the glory
'Cause I have my child
And America don't want me
That's what I realized
That we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
I said we all need, yeah
A reason to smile
Shit 'bout to be O.D.'d, yeah
But we gon' survive
That's why we all need
A reason to smile



All comments from YouTube:

@ishayarhawadwficle4720

this definitely getting played at the family cookouts this summer

@TimXMan1000

For Real this getting played at every Family Function and Cookouts, Partys, Birthdays, Graduation why not lol

@Kevvvy_G

Saw Wale live and now I cant stop playing S.H.I.N.E. Like he said he did this for himself and I am lovin every moment of it.

@TimXMan1000

I GOT MY FAMILY and i got my SQUAD... And as long they got me then I'll be just fine So i give GOD the GLORY. Thats some good stuff right there Wale Giving your fans a Reason to Smile lol

@EmantheHeartbreak

This is one of Wale's best songs

@theophilusomogbai9491

The feel good '90s' laid back vibe is on point and priceless

@feinpain7365

THE WAY HOW IT JUST ENDS IS AMAZING

@setaBC

This needs more views and a video....Wale did the damn thing so did Phil Ade

@jayemmernb22

Wale is a poet and I don’t how people don’t pay attention on his work.

@jamesakim8873

As i finish the album Wale has given me a reason to SMILE

More Comments

More Versions