WANTED U cover art

WANTED U

Joji English

Verse 1

Here I amTorn into a thousand shapes and foldsTorn into a thousand ways, I knowFornicate inside your broken homesBefore I throw a smile your way, no more

Verse 2

I can't tellIf all my answers correlate at allI'm telling you a thousand things I know

Chorus

I've been missing a long timeTo know I had to moveI've been waiting my whole lifeTo know I wanted youAre you feeling me slowly?You can take your fucking timeAnd I promise I won't lieWe'll make it out alive

Verse 3

I'm on trialI'm not so good at hiding wholesome truthsYou see it on my face when I turn blueSo punish me, I'm hanging on your nooseSo pull me up so I can breathe with you

Chorus

I knowI've been missing a long timeTo know I had to moveI've been waiting my whole lifeTo know I wanted youAre you feeling me slowly?You can take your fucking timeAnd I promise I won't lieWe'll make it out alive

Outro

Ah, ah, ah, ah
What the song means

WANTED U is a confession from someone who feels scattered and pulled apart, unsure of their own thoughts and afraid of being exposed. The opening verses describe a fragmented self, pushing away a partner while admitting they can't even tell whether their own answers make sense. The mood is anxious and self-critical, as if the speaker is on trial for their own feelings.

As the song moves toward the chorus, the tone shifts from defensiveness to longing. The singer admits they spent a long time lost and only understood what they needed once they found the person they want. The chorus is patient and tender, asking the listener to take their time and promising honesty, with the hope that the two can get through the struggle together. The third verse grows more intense, using images of suffocation and a noose to show someone who feels both punished and rescued by the same person.

Key images like turning blue, hanging on a noose, and being pulled up to breathe express a desperate need for emotional air, meaning closeness and connection. The repeated "ah" outro leaves the feelings unresolved, like a breath held and then released. Overall, the song balances the fear of losing oneself with the wish to be truly known.

Key phrases explained
turn blue
to turn pale or bluish from lack of air — Describes the speaker visibly struggling to breathe, a sign of emotional suffocation.
hanging on your noose
dependent on someone who could destroy you — An image of being at someone's mercy, both punished and held up by them.
Are you feeling me slowly?
Do you understand me gradually? — "Feeling me" is slang for connecting with or understanding someone.
take your fucking time
take all the time you need — Casual, emphatic reassurance that the listener doesn't need to rush.
make it out alive
survive a difficult or dangerous situation — Idiom suggesting the couple will get through their struggles together.
Song info
Release date
2018-10-26
Album
BALLADS 1
Written by
Joji
Produced by
Joji

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Joji

12 songs

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