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In a analogous context, cheetahs are sent out to catch a thief who has stolen a kingdom’s Queen. This makes sense because the setting in this part of the song is taking place in Ancient Egypt.
However, there’s a modern day twist to it. The thief is the person taking Ocean’s lover. This reverberates back to the previous line, the cheetah (cheater) being her.
I'm that nigga but I'm still unemployed Frank Ocean – Pyramids
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T-minus fifteen seconds, guidance is internal
Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, ignition sequence start
Six, five, four, three, two, one, zero, all engines running
Lift off, we have a lift off JAY-Z & Kanye West (Ft. Beyoncé) – Lift Off
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Paralyzed by the pain, I can barely move JAY-Z & Kanye West – Welcome To The Jungle
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What is this?
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What is this?
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What is this?
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Lucky Number Slevin
6 million ways to die
Saw Seven Jean Grae (Ft. Pharoahe Monch) – Killin Em
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Movie night with Pharoahe. Michael Myers is the killer in the Halloween movies. Psycho is an Alfred Hitchcock directed horror/thriller. Lucky Number Slevin is a 2006 revenge movie, and Se7en is a serial killer based thriller (it could also be Saw 7 – another horror movie)
In keeping with the song’s title, Monch establishes the theme of his verse as “killin'”, as all of the mentioned films feature it strongly
“6 million ways to die…choose one” is a popular quote from the Cutty Ranks song “A Who Seh Me Dun”. It adds to the numbers wordplay within this section’s film references
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A twist on the opening line. The single from an album is the song played on the radio to promote it. It’s often not the best song, but is the most accessible
Here, the subject is one of those people who eat up the sweet, sugary sounds of radio singles, instead of digging into the deeper album cuts.
Relating to the single metaphor, this line could also suggest that they are enjoying the single life, and have no need to get into a serious relationship.
The best parts of this individual Frank is talking about, is not surface. In fact, Frank sees them for the whole album they truly are. But, this person promotes themselves based off their “single” ( aka surface assets). Although Frank acknowledges that he sees something more, he understands why this person presents shallow. He even alludes to the fact that this person downplays their fullness & falls into the form that makes most sense to the perceptions of others; in the following line “You couldn’t turn your radio down”.
I think these two lines refer to the idea that although the subject is in a relationship and it is better than being single, he/she cannot help but sleep around. This relates to the album metaphor in which the album (a relationship) is better than the single the subject always hears about (being single).
Frank is reverberating the first line, establishing that the more meaningful things in live are the things beyond the veil. But despite that understanding, his love interest continues to consume the superficial. Not being able to turn the radio is referring to the single, which plays on the radio while the album cuts don’t. Not being able to turn the radio down is just referring to this addiction to the superficial.
100
doesn’t listen to album cuts… hmm…
SICKO MODE has joined the game
0
The true emotionally intimate songs aren’t the ones that are first released to promote an album. It’s the one that’ll grab the attention of the audience it was designed for. For the “hype”. Frank uses the analogy because the referred-to individual doesn’t even realize how accessible true happiness and emotional release is because the ‘radio is too loud’. Said individual has too much noise going on literally and in one’s thoughts, so the true treasure of life cannot be seen will clarity. Peace within. The beauty within. The beauty of being in the now and seeing how beautiful it is when you search a little deeper and stumble upon a great song you wouldn’t have listened to if you hadn’t.
I believe what he’s trying to get across is that the significant other he was with doesn’t want to continue the relationship and only wanted what both obviously wanted (sex) and that they don’t want to look deeper into the person and find what’s best about them (how deep there love goes). This whole song in my opinion is a great metaphor about a person he sleeps with probably often and he wishes this person saw the love he’s trying to present “the sweet life.”
He’s twisting the opening line now by saying he’s the best song on the album but not the one on display, but she can’t stop listening to the song on the radio, which is also being the relationship she/he is in.
i feel like it’s more likely that this line is about persuing someone romantically even though you know they aren’t single, or maybe even settling for someone less because they are signle
It suggest the girl was not single either..she was in a relationship perhaps. However, her “radio signals” can be seen as her beauty and attractability, which are very strong and difficult to ignore.
The second line also suggest that although she is not single, she still maybe flirts.
321
no, they can’t be enjoying the single life because the subject in’t single… but it could mean although in a relationship..
the subject with him just exalts in a higher happier joy or frequency where they can’t really stop just carpe diem the moment together away.