FML
Verse 1: Kanye West
I been waiting for a minuteFor my ladySo I can't jeopardize that for one of these hoesI been livin' without limitsAs far as my businessI'm the only one that's in controlI been feeling all I've givenFor my childrenI will die for those I loveGod, I'm willingTo make this my missionGive up the womenBefore I lose half of what I ownI been thinking'Bout my visionPour out my feelingsRevealing the layers to my soulMy soulThe layers to my soulRevealing the layers to my soulChorus: The Weeknd
They wish I would go ahead and fuck my life upCan't let them get to meAnd even though I always fuck my life upOnly I can mention meVerse 2: Kanye West
See, before I let you goOne last thing I need to let you knowYou ain't never seen nothing crazier thanThis nigga when he off his LexaproRemember that last time in Mexico?Remember that last time, the episode?Asking me why the hell I text in code?Four times just to say, "Don't text me, ho"Told you four times, "Don't test me, ho"And we finna lose all self-controlBut you ain't finna be raising your voice at meEspecially when we in the Giuseppe storeBut I'ma have the last laugh in the end'Cause I'm from a tribe called "Check-a-ho"Yeah, I'ma have to laugh in the end'Cause I'm from a tribe called "Check-a-ho"And I…Chorus: The Weeknd
Wish I would go ahead and fuck my life upCan't let them get to meAnd even though I always fuck my life upOnly I can mention meWish I would go ahead and fuck my life upCan't let them get to meAnd even though I always fuck my life upOnly I can mention meOutro: Kanye West & Section 25
See through the veilAnd forget all of your caresThrow themThrow them awayDon't stop your lovingDon't stop for nothingNo, not for nothingThey don't wanna see me love youDon't now, don't stop itThey always love itThey always wannaThey don't wanna see me love youSee through the veilThey don't wanna see me love youAnd forget all your caresThey don't wanna see me love youThrow themThrow them awayOoh, life's a feeling andOoh, the body is a feeling, yeahWhat the song means
The song is a raw, restless confession about a man who feels pressure from every side: his love life, his business, his children, and his own mind. The opening verse describes a promise to his partner and a determination to stay in control. He says he will die for the people he loves, and he talks about giving up other women to protect what he has built. Then he turns inward, promising to pour out his feelings and reveal "the layers" of his soul. The chorus, sung by The Weeknd, shifts the focus to outside critics who want him to fall apart, and it insists that only he has the right to define himself.
The second verse becomes more confrontational and chaotic. He addresses someone from his past, recalling arguments, misunderstandings, and moments when his emotions spiraled out of control. He jokes about his mental state and his medication, and he presents himself as a figure who refuses to be silenced or pushed around. The mood moves from resolve to frustration and then to a sort of defiant humor, as if he is laughing at his own worst behavior before finishing with the last word.
The outro is more dreamlike. Repeated phrases about seeing "through the veil," throwing cares away, and not stopping love suggest a wish to escape worry and simply feel. The line about people not wanting to see him love someone captures the idea that other people's judgment is always present. The closing lines about life and the body being a feeling sum up the song's central theme: emotion, not logic, drives everything here.
Key phrases explained
- fuck my life up
- ruin my life / mess everything up — Used in the chorus as a bitter, self-destructive phrase that shows how the speaker feels both pressured and reckless.
- off his Lexapro
- without his antidepressant medication — Refers to going without prescribed medication, suggesting the speaker's emotions become unpredictable and intense.
- a tribe called "Check-a-ho"
- an invented, mocking name for a group — A playful, made-up label that turns a crude insult into a joke about the speaker's own identity and humor.
- finna
- going to / about to — Informal African American Vernacular English slang, used to add a casual, spoken rhythm and a sense of imminence.
- See through the veil
- look beyond the surface / see what is hidden — Key image in the outro suggesting escaping illusions or social pressures to reach a more honest emotional state.
Song info
- Release date
- 2016-02-14
- Album
- The Life of Pablo
- Written by
- Kanye West, CyHi, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Keyon Christ, Metro Boomin
- Produced by
- Kanye West, Keyon Christ, Metro Boomin, MIKE DEAN, Noah Goldstein, Andrew Dawson
- Featuring
- The Weeknd
- Samples
- Section 25 – Hit, Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
- Interpolates
- Kanye West – Fall Out of Heaven (Demo), Kanye West – FML (Metro Boomin Demo), Kanye West – FML (Original Demo)
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