Amphetamine by Smino Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Layers of Smino’s Psychedelic Journey
Lyrics
Been like this every night
Walking in stumbling
Fucked up some bread today
Though I said no no this time
Cycles on cycles
It’s like an amphetamine
How it marinate on my mind
Stuck on me, yah
Got no doubt I’ll be alright
If I just make it through the night
Pass me the amphetamine
Right now can’t focus on anything
Why they take lil bro instead of me?
I hurt when you hurt, we was siamese
Nigga was seventeen, when I found out what that cheddar mean
Rats’ll bite holes through the wall to get close
Watch for their trail, man they always be close
Back-a-wood rolla, really a smoker
This louder than when you drive on the shoulder
Stomp on the gas ’til I’m blowin’ the motor
Can’t ‘ford to sit with my thoughts or it’s over
Really but luckily, I got a real one, she fuck wit me
Shawty, she yellow, yeah keep me on my toes, stay mellow
She deserve a fucking ring
I’m off the sedatives
Amphetamine
I don’t know where I’m headed
Don’t know where I’m headed
Sedatives
Amphetamine
Sedatives
I don’t know where I’m headed
Don’t know where I’m headed
Moonlight disrupt the day
Been like this every night
Walking in stumbling
Fucked up some bread today
Though I said no no this time
Cycles on cycles
It’s like an amphetamine
How it marinate on my mind
Stuck on me, yah
Got no doubt I’ll be alright
If I just make it through the night
Moonlight disrupt the day
Been like this every night
Walking in stumbling
Fucked up some bread today
Though I said no no this time
Cycles on cycles
It’s like an amphetamine
How it marinate on my mind
Stuck on me, yah
Got no doubt I’ll be alright
If I just make it through the night
I’m off the sedatives
Amphetamine
I don’t know where I’m headed
Don’t know where I’m headed
Sedatives
Amphetamine
Sedatives
I don’t know where I’m headed
Don’t know where I’m headed
No
God damn
Swn, swn, swn, swn, swn
Ay
Krash kourse into the world
This insular world
The culture vultures flock in every sense of the word
My nose can sniff the shit out but I’m never deterred
Never be scurred, scored through the downs, first and third
Grandaddy spittin, ain’t nothing new bout the system
‘Cause how they do me they did him
Appropriating the fellas
Sucking the fruit from my elders
Don’t give a Chuck bout no Berry
They rather listen to Elvis
Woah, mama
And these kids know better, uh
I’m grand like abuela, uh
More hands than Coachella, uh
Lil hoe it’s whatever, uh
Shawty cold as December, I still fold her, no Manila
B-b-b-brr wit me baby, I hibernate, smoke the lettuce
No niggas jammed off the reggie
Free all my dogs, fuck Kruella, hella a
Nigga need cream, vanilla, ele-vate
Coconut Beamer, oiled up, switching lanes
Chocolate interior, that’s a belly ache
I done went Murda Mike, on the may-a-ooo, uh
She on the payroll, he on the payroll
I want the queso, I want the caseload
She do what I say so, now
She fucked up, yeah, she might do the Fabo
Send that RIP, out yeah, and that shit for Shawty Lo
Back when I was broke I had to pour that Bacardi slow
Now I’m on the board, niggas salty like margaritas, ooh
I used to dream about the coupe, baby
Now I’m thinking bout when it was me and you, baby
Yeah, used to dream about the coupe, baby
Now I think of me and you
I don’t know what’s better, I won’t say what’s worse
Pen is like a needle when I bleed these words
I could make a blessing if I spit this verse
That’s why I be retching ’til I rid my curse
Black it be the sweetest
Secrecy up in the frequencies
That’s why you feel the need
To look at me like I’m a deity
Duality is key, you see
That I’m seein’ you seein’ me
So now we seeing equally
And that don’t happen easily
Needlessly to say
I hate that we’re meeting this way
Feel like I packed up to go
‘Bout a week ago
I don’t know
If I switch my flow I might tap into the pinnacles
I’m sellin’ syllables, I’m losing principles
Lurkin’, searching miracles
Hurtin’ workmen, curtain closed
Earn a million dollars just to owe it to some imbeciles
If they tell me no, I be dumb, all I hear is go
Crossfire coming but I’m pigeon-toed, winter froze
I done went Murda Mike, on the may-a-ooo, uh
She on the payroll, he on the payroll
I want the queso, I want the caseload
She do what I say so, now
She fucked up, yeah, she might do the Fabo
Send that RIP, out yeah, and that shit for Shawty Lo
Back when I was broke I had to pour that Bacardi slow
Now I’m on the board, niggas salty like margaritas, ooh
I used to dream about the coupe, baby
Now I’m thinking bout when it was me and you, baby
Yeah, used to dream about the coupe, baby
Now I think of me and you
Cunning linguistics
Punishing puns
Pumping the petro, gas in my lungs
Loving the low times, higher than a mug
Up in the cabinet
Imagine a baby reaching his hands up to grab it
A pipe done busted in heaven
And got to leaking out blessings
Reaching my hands up to grab it
Re’in my bands up
Uh, uh
Sunny metropolis, overzealous as telefone
Telefone a new continent, maybe rode me a rocketship
Copper all on my dash, and he ticket that lady optimist
Said I’m moving too fast, slow down, slow down
Opened up for Lauryn Hill, woah now, woah now
Woah now
Everything is everything and the object steady mystified
My allegories underneath the rock will only fear resides
I bet I’m gon’ find it, I know I’m gon’ find it
Happiness, bank account, white accountant
I found the fountain
I was born in all black, how could God denounce this?
I told Him, ‘Give me my money, I need my money now’
Thank you Jesus, whoever you are
I know you gifted me the gift of gab and simile
And simpleness, the solitude is loneliness
Been good to me
I told them, ‘Give me my happy, I need my holy now’
Thank you Jesus, whoever you are
Thank you Jesus, whoever you are
At the intersection of poetic profundity and melodic alchemy, Smino’s ‘Amphetamine’ stands as an elusive narrative, dense with metaphor and emotion. On the surface, it may seem like just another track laying bare the intricacies of inner turmoil and the desire for escapism. However, Smino’s verses are a labyrinth of personal reflection, societal observation, and a raw, unfiltered look at the mechanics of coping.
Diving into the track, every line unfurls deeper meanings that teeter between the visceral and the abstract. The St. Louis-born artist doesn’t just create music; he crafts experiences that push the boundaries of conventional hip-hop, spinning a story that oscillates between the dark corners of the mind and the fleeting moments of clarity.
The Paradox of Addiction and Clarity
‘Been like this every night / Walking in stumbling / Fucked up some bread today / Thought I said no no this time / Cycles on cycles.’ In these opening lines, Smino instantly frames the song’s central theme of addiction—not just to substances, but to patterns of destructive behavior. He captures the human propensity to fall into cycles, despite the clarity of self-awareness and the intention to change.
The repeated invocation of ‘amphetamine’ symbolizes a double-edged sword—a source of focus and energy that simultaneously ensnares the user in a relentless grip. It represents the broader theme of seeking something external to numb or amplify internal realities, a topic many find relatable.
Familial Ties and Shared Grief
In a painful introspection, Smino shares a moment of existential questioning and communal grief: ‘Pass me the amphetamine / Right now can’t focus on anything / Why they take lil bro instead of me? / I hurt when you hurt, we was Siamese.’ Here, the artist delves into the anguish of loss, the abrupt severing of a bond that feels intrinsic to one’s own existence.
His lyrics lament the unforeseen tragedies that befall the young and explore the resulting survivor’s guilt, mourning both physical death and metaphorical losses—including innocence and childhood connections.
A Journey Through Sociopolitical Landscapes
‘My nose can sniff the shit out but I’m never deterred / Never be scurred, scored through the downs, first and third / Grandaddy spittin’, ain’t nothing new ’bout the system.’ Smino weaves a masterful commentary on endurance in the face of systemic oppression. The generational wisdom, likened to his ‘grandaddy spittin’,’ highlights resilience against long-standing social injustices.
He juxtaposes this with a biting critique of cultural appropriation and capitalism’s unrelenting grasp, urging listeners to remain vigilant against those who exploit the foundations laid by the trailblazers of music and culture.
Metaphorical Mastery and Memorable Lines
‘Black it be the sweetest / Secrecy up in the frequencies.’ Smino employs his nimble wordplay to suggest that the most profound truths and beauties are often those that are not immediately visible or audible to mainstream audiences. He implies a clandestine richness in the experiences of those marginalized or overlooked by society.
These lines embrace a dual celebration of black culture’s impact on music and the subtle intricacies often found within its layered melodies and meanings—a reminder of the depth that resides in the traditions and contributions of African American artists.
The Hidden Meaning Behind Smino’s Lyrical Landscape
‘Amphetamine’ acts as a metaphorical incubator for a litany of emotions and concepts that Smino navigates with the skill of a seasoned wordsmith. The song’s foundation shakes with the conflict of ambition versus contentment, the pursuit of happiness versus the acceptance of present realities.
More than just a track about overcoming substance use, ‘Amphetamine’ peers into the abyss of the human condition, reflecting on our struggles for meaning, connection, and validation in a world that simultaneously inspires and consumes us. It’s a mirror held up to the diverse paths we tread in search of our personal nirvana.
