ATM by J. Cole Lyrics Meaning – Exploring the Depths of Material Obsession
Lyrics
(There are many ways to deal with this pain)
(Choose wisely)
Will I fall? Will I fly?
Heal my soul
Fulfill my high
Cross my heart (Count, count count, count it)
And hope to die (Count, count count, count it)
With my slice (Count, count, count, count it)
Of Devil’s pie
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
I know that it’s difficult
I’m stackin’ the paper it’s sorta habitual
I blow the residual
And fuckin’ yo bitch like its part of my ritual
Pardon the visual
But money, it give me a hard-on it’s typical
I want it in physical
A million dollars, I count up in intervals
Without it I’m miserable
Don’t wanna fall off so I’m all in my bag
Thankin’ God like it’s biblical
I know it’s gon’ solve every problem I have
I balled on the principal
Remember the teachers that was all on my ass
Now look all of them, pitiful
And all of a sudden I’m so good at math
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Can’t take it when you die, but you can’t live without it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Can’t take it when you die
Uno, dos, tres
Big bills, big bills
I fell in love with big wheels and quick thrills
My niggas running tip drills, can’t sit still
Don’t give a fuck if it kills, it mix well
I’m only counting
Big bills, big bills
I fell in love with big wheels and quick thrills
My niggas running tip drills, can’t sit still
Don’t give a fuck if it kills, it mix well
I’m only counting
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro
Proceed with caution
I heard if you chase it only results in
A hole in your heart
Fuck it, I take the whole cake and I won’t leave a portion
It’s only an organ
Thank God mama couldn’t afford the abortion
The loneliest orphan
I flipped my misfortune and grown me a fortune
My Rollie is scorchin’
Them niggas that hated is slowly endorsin’
Now Cole, he important
My niggas beside me like Tommy and Martin
We ball in your court and
Escape with your bitch like we turning your heart in
She don’t need no garments
She horny from all the money we countin’
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Can’t take it when you die, but you can’t live without it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Can’t take it when you die
Uno dos
Will I fall? Will I fly?
Heal my soul
Fulfill my high
Cross my heart
And hope to die
With my slice of Devil’s pie
J. Cole’s ‘ATM’, a striking piece from his 2018 album ‘KOD’, encapsulates the chokehold of materialism with a precision that cuts deep into the fabric of modern society. Through his lyricism, Cole paints a narrative tangled with money’s seductive allure and its potential to bring about both ecstasy and ruin.
Following a layered approach, the song delves into the psyche of a man enraptured by the green flutter of bills, while simultaneously hinting at the grim repercussions of such a fixation. Here, we dissect the song’s pulsating heart, exposing its lyrical intricacies and the cautionary tale embedded within.
The Pursuit of Happiness or The Root of Evil?
In ‘ATM’, J. Cole doesn’t just underscore the desire for wealth; he depicts its pursuit as an addiction. The counting – ‘Count it up, count it up, count it up’ – becomes an obsessive chant, a ritual, an endless cycle that promises fulfillment but perpetuates emptiness. The rhythmic repetition mirrors the relentless striving for more, the insatiable hunger that material desire breeds.
The juxtaposition of ‘heal my soul’ and ‘fulfill my high’ suggests a dual function of money; it is both the balm and the intoxicant. Cole recognizes the irony in finding solace where there’s poison, knowing that the ‘Devil’s pie’ is sweet to taste, yet ultimately destructive.
The Riches-to-Rags Paradox
One of the song’s subtle but sharp themes is the reality that the wealth sought with such fervor ultimately cannot follow one into the grave – ‘Can’t take it when you die, but you can’t live without it.’ It’s the stark admission of money’s power over life and the acknowledgement of its eventual futility.
This paradox creates a poignant tension in the narrative. As much as wealth is idolized, its transient nature is indisputable. In ‘ATM’, Cole grapples with this tension, acknowledging the necessity of money for survival while confronting its temporal dominance.
The Relentless Haunt of Survival
J. Cole articulates a harsh truth of socioeconomic struggles when he touches on historical grievances – the teachers who didn’t believe, the mother who couldn’t afford an abortion. It’s a visceral backdrop that sets the stage for an unending fight for financial stability, a fight that morphs into greed.
Money becomes the antidote to a past filled with hardship and doubt. ‘I flipped my misfortune and grown me a fortune,’ Cole raps, painting a picture of the American Dream pursued through the lens of desperation and the often destructive pursuit of turning luck’s tide.
The Heartbeat of Hedonism
Amid the song’s darker undertones, there’s an infectious celebration of wealth’s temptations – the ‘quick thrills’, the ‘big wheels’. It’s the hedonistic pulse of ‘ATM’, a heady acknowledgment of the pleasure that financial gain can provide, despite or perhaps because of its potential to lead one astray.
From ‘big bills’ to ‘tip drills’, Cole doesn’t shy away from indulgence. This candor is not a promotion of excess but a candid snapshot of its allure. It is a critical examination of how easily one’s values can be compromised when faced with the mesmerizing dance of dollar bills.
The Hidden Gospel of ‘ATM’
Beneath the swagger and the rhythmic hooks, ‘ATM’ carries a profound message – a hidden gospel. J. Cole warns of the perils of worshipping at the altar of materialism, observing how money can replace more significant life pursuits.
The spiritual dilemma posed, choosing between healing one’s soul or the high that comes with wealth, serves as a meditation on what truly fulfills. ‘ATM’ then, in its last breaths, leaves us pondering the price of our highs and whether the soul’s healing can ever be found in the accounts we hold so dear.
